The Shape of Baptism: The Rite of Christian Initiation (Studies in the Reformed Rites of the Church)

After revealing the genesis of the Roman tradition of initiation, Kavanagh moves on to the tensions between traditional practice and the need for change. He stresses the Church's ongoing need to focus its efforts on its main concern - the initiation of new members.

Aidan Kavanagh, OSB, (1926-2006) founded the doctoral program in liturgical studies at Notre Dame and served as professor of liturgics at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music and Yale Divinity School. His texts on liturgy, rites of initiation, and liturgical theology made him a significant figure in American Catholic liturgiology. He is the author of Elements of Rite, On Liturgical Theology, and The Shape of Baptism published by Liturgical Press.