A Church in Search of Itself: Benedict XVI and the Battle for the Future

A deeply informed look at the intensifying struggle over the future of the Catholic Church. Robert Blair Kaiser examines the most important and divisive issues confronting the Church: the sex abuse scandal, a shortage of priests due to the insistence upon celibacy, the ban on contraception, the roles of women in the Church, the increased participation of laypeople in Church affairs. He gives us an in-depth and behind-the-scenes view of six of the cardinals who gathered in Rome in April 2005 to choose a new pope and through them makes clear why Catholics worldwide are increasingly leaving the Church or defying Church doctrine. With passion and heartfelt concern, Robert Blair Kaiser brilliantly illuminates the issues and the combatants in the battle for the soul of the Catholic world. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Review :
"[Some] Catholics have floundered in desperation since Benedict's election, but we finally have our gospel: "A Church in Search of Itself,"" --"San Francisco Chronicle" "Kaiser's brisk narrative is correct: The Catholic Church faces multiple crises. 'No change' is not an option. The real question is how the Church will change. Kaiser offers a hint in the closing pages, where he envisions the eventual emergence of a democratic people's Church in the United States." --"The Washington Post Book World" "Argues for a people's church as imagined by Vatican II. Instead of liberals and conservatives, [Kaiser] focuses on those who want change and those against it." --"U.S. Catholic Magazine" "This timely, well-informed, and brilliantly written book shows that all the urgent reforms in the Catholic Church should start with reforming its very center: the Vatican." --Hans Kung "From the Trade Paperback edition." " [Some] Catholics have floundered in desperation since Benedict's election, but we finally have our gospel: "A Church in Search of Itself,"" -- "San Francisco Chronicle" " Kaiser's brisk narrative is correct: The Catholic Church faces multiple crises. ' No change' is not an option. The real question is how the Church will change. Kaiser offers a hint in the closing pages, where he envisions the eventual emergence of a democratic people's Church in the United States." -- "The Washington Post Book World" " Argues for a people's church as imagined by Vatican II. Instead of liberals and conservatives, [Kaiser] focuses on those who want change and those against it." -- "U.S. Catholic Magazine" " This timely, well-informed, and brilliantly written book shows that all the urgent reforms in the Catholic Church should start with reforming its very center: the Vatican." -- Hans Ku ng "ÝSome¨ Catholics have floundered in desperation since Benedict's election, but we finally have our gospel: "A Church in Search of Itself."" --"San Francisco Chronicle" "Kaiser's brisk narrative is correct: The Catholic Church faces multiple crises. 'No change' is not an option. The real question is how the Church will change. Kaiser offers a hint in the closing pages, where he envisions the eventual emergence of a democratic people's Church in the United States." --"The Washington Post Book World" "Argues for a people's church as imagined by Vatican II. Instead of liberals and conservatives, ÝKaiser¨ focuses on those who want change and those against it." --"U.S. Catholic Magazine" "This timely, well-informed, and brilliantly written book shows that all the urgent reforms in the Catholic Church should start with reforming its very center: the Vatican." --Hans Kung