Christopher Ruddy uses the thought of Tillard, Congar, and others to offer a revitalized understanding of Church identity and authority. Topics include: The relationship of papal primacy and episcopal collegiality; Inculturation and evangelization; The quest for Christian unity; The ecclesiology of Pope Benedict XVI and its future implications; The centrality of Christology and soteriology to ecclesiology; Baptism and Eucharist; Diverse visions of communion ecclesiology.

From the book:

As Christianity becomes increasingly global in its membership and its practices, how will it deal with increasing tensions between the unity of the faith and the diversity of its expressions? How should the papal ministry of unity be exercised, so that, in the words of Pope John Paul II, “while in no way renouncing what is essential to its mission, [it] is nonetheless open to a new situation”? How can the relationships between local churches and the universal church be improved? Building upon the work of leading theologians over the past two centuries, particularly the Dominican ecumenist and papal consultor Jean-Marie Tillard, Christopher Ruddy’s The Local Church offers signposts to guide the Church as it responds to these and other challenges.