As a consequence of numerous social and theological movements over the last few decades, the Roman Catholic Church finds itself in a situation that some have described as a state of 'peril'. This book traces the emergence of that 'peril', develops a systematic ecclesiology that identifies both the mission and resources of the Church in the present-day, and explores possible responses to some of the specific challenges facing the contemporary Church. The book develops an understanding of the Catholic tradition in order to highlight its potential for development.

Karl Rahner was one of the most significant Catholic theologians of this century. Much of his writing focused on the Church. This book is the first to examine the development of Rahner's thought, especially his vision of the Church's future, which not uncontroversially stressed that the Church must palpably change if it is to speak to the modern world.