At the second Cardinal Bernardin Conference of the Catholic Common Ground Initiative leading Catholic thinkers representing a wide range of opinion gathered to discuss the question of church authority in contemporary America. The starting point for the discussion was provided in four essays, two by theologians, one by a canon lawyer, and one by a sociologist. In addition to the texts of the four essays, this volume contains an extensive transcript of the conference, including the panel discussion among the four authors and the more general discussion among the many participants in the conference.