A creative and comprehensive examination of the church, both theologically and in its global context.

Richard Gaillardetz brilliantly captures the dynamics of the church today, both in theological terms (as a people called by Jesus and sent into the whole world), and in social terms (at the juncture in history when Christianity has become a world religion and the church has become a world church). In seven magisterial chapters, Gaillardetz confirms the truth of that saying by theVenerable Bede: “Every day the church gives birth to the church.” Integrating traditional ecclesiologies of the North with emerging insights from Latin America, Africa, Oceania, and Asia, Gaillardetz helps us understand what happens when the church takes cues not just from Scripture and Tradition, but also from women, Asian and African religions, and the challenge of promoting justice and peace in the face of globalization and the environmental crisis.