The Church: The Evolution of Catholicism

Richard McBrien has long been a steady and reliable promoter of enlightened Vatican II ecclesiology through his numerous books,weekly newspaper column, and sought-after theology lectures at the University of Notre Dame. He closely monitors and analyzes contemporary ecclesiastical documents and theological publications to identify trends and developments. Throughout his writings he reflects a notable familiarity with the various ecumenical international consensus statements, as well as the works of a wide cross-section of men and women theologians whose works are available in English including the writings of feminist and Latino/a theologians. He possesses a knack for explaining complex concepts and specialized terminology to Catholics who are not specialists in this field. Not surprisingly, therefore his books on the Church are widely read and used even as texts for college courses.

Here again in The Church: The Evolution of Catholicism his mastery is evident, his prose clear and accessible. In addition to eight informative chapters he includes seventy-one pages of useful footnotes, a twenty-one-page glossary of technical terms, a select bibliography, and several indices.

Part 1, the introductory material, provides a workable definition of the Church and touches briefly upon ecclesiology's systematic, pastoral, ecumenical, and even controversial character. In the following section, part 2, he reviews the major themes related to Church in the New Testament as interpreted over the last seven decades by biblical scholars. He is quick to highlight the fact that in the first century, there was no uniform order or organizational structure in the various Mediterranean-based communities.

Part 3, which extends from the end of the New Testament period all the way up to the mid-nineteenth century, is—because of its considerable time span—the least rewarding section, although the brief treatments of Martin Luther's and John Calvin's ecclesiologies are notable.

McBrien's special interests focus on the periods spanning the mid-nineteenth century to the pre-Vatican II era (part 4), and then the ecclesiology of Vatican II (part 5). The next two parts are devoted to probing the post-Vatican II ecclesiologies (the Church ad extra and ad intra). The study is rounded off with a look into the possible future.

Although the table of contents would seem to indicate that McBrien is following a strictly chronological historical approach, at times he jumps ahead and brings in material that emerged years later. This can be somewhat disorienting, especially in his chapter on Vatican I. In other words, especially in parts 4 and 5, he inserts twentieth-century insights into the nineteenth century.

The book is rather optimistic in that it does not sufficiently address the dark side of contemporary Catholicism, such as sexual abuse, ineffective leadership, understaffed churches, fall-off of church attendance, declining interest in ecumenism, arguments about liturgical changes, and tensions between so-called liberals and conservatives. Still, amid the numerous publications on the theology of the Church, McBrien's book holds a pride of place.