A New Wine & Fresh Skins - Review

Bishop Porteous provides a very clear introduction to the phenomenon of the New Ecclesial Movements that have been active within the Church in the last century, particularly in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. Putting them in the context of Church history as a whole, the Bishop takes a very positive spin on the new movements and draws parallels from these movements to Benedictine monasticism and the mendicant order, the Fransiscans.
For Bishop Porteous, these movements are that 'breath of fresh air' that was envisioned by the Council Fathers at VII. The primary focus of the movements on encouraging growth in ordinary holiness for the laity is seen as a confirmation of their divine mandate at this stage in the history of the Church and the world at large.
Porteous' book is a concise and interesting introduction to the movements for Catholics who are interested in their growth and development and also the impact that they are having on the Church at large. His obvious enthusiasm for the topic is well communicated in his writing, but this makes his work somewhat lacking in critical reflection on the weaknesses or even dangers of some of these movements.


The book can be purchased online or at a local Catholic bookstore