This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the beginning of Vatican II (1962-65), a watershed event in the history of the church whose meaning and interpretation continue to inspire heated debate. In this book fifty leading theologians, scholars, and pastoral leaders offer their own assessment of the meaning of the Council, in many cases drawing on their personal experience as witnesses or participants. The contributors are a who s- who of modern Catholic voices: Francis Murphy (who, as Xavier Rynne, penned an inside account of the Council for The New Yorker, Lisa Sowle Cahill, John O Malley, Joan Chittister, Gregory Baum, Michael Novak, Basil Pennington, Richard McBrien, Cardinal Avery Dulles, John Dominic Crossan, Joseph Komonchak, Brother Roger of Taizé, Cardinal Francis Arinze, Elizabeth Johnson, David Hollenbach, and many more.

Beginning with an overview of the Council in context, successive chapters cover the liturgy; the understanding of the church; revelation, scripture, and tradition; ecumenism and interreligious dialogue; world issues and social justice. Many of the stories provide behind-the-scenes details of what went on at the Council as well as what went on in the lives of those it affected. For those who want to understand what happened at the Council, as well as those concerned about the state of the church today and the agenda for the future, these fifty personal stories provide an invaluable, and inspiring resource.