Shalom: Peace is an attempt to re-think the Catholic understanding of the sacrament of confession and reconciliation in the light of the Ecumenical Council. The Hebrew word “shalom” means “peace”. Father Haring’s subject is the sacrament thought which God brings peace to men, a peace that effects not only the reconciliation of men with God but with one another. The more traditional approach to the sacrament has been one of gloom and fear. Haring looks on it rather as a sacrament of Joy, abounding in hope, bringing good tidings of a peace that is lasting because it alone achieves reconciliation with God and one’s fellow means: “If you forgive any man’s sins, they stand for given”. Penance, contrition, confession, absolution or forgiveness – these are four aspects of the sacrament that Haring explores in depth. He considers the role of the confessor to be that of “brother among brethren”, messenger of joy and peace. Shalom : Peace has several chapters on the formation of conscience, linking this to the formation of a mature Christian. Another chapter outlines the author’s latest thought on the subject of marital and sexual problems in the light of the guidelines laid down by the Council. A basic theme, however, is Haring’s emphasis on the dynamism of peace, a commitment through this sacrament to an order of justice and love.