Despite the great changes that Vatican II brought to the Church, few people grasp the council's teachings, or are aware of the debates that have taken placei n the past four decades regarding the council's authentic reception and implementation.

To respond to this pressing pastoral reality, distinguished theologian and professor Richard R gaillardetz focuses on three of the council's documents: 1) The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium), 2) The Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church (Christus Dominus), and 3) The Decree on the Catholic Eastern Churches (Orientalium Ecclesiarum). In clear and accessible terms, the author outlines the history of these documents, and presents their central themes. This is followed by comprehensive and balanced analysis of how these texts have been implemented in the church. He concludes with some of his own proposals for furthering the vision of the Second Vatican Council.