Hans K?ng describes the history of the Roman Catholic Church from its origins in St Paul?s Rome, through the disputes of the medieval era to the modern world. He examines the historic tension in the Church between pluralism and exclusivity; how the role of the Pope has changed; the motivations of the great reforming pontiffs; the evolving functions of the bishops and cardinals; the story of church?s enthusiasm for missionary activity; the origins of the Marian cult; and how the shock waves of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation can still be felt today. The book concludes with a searching assessment of how the Catholic faith confronts the immense challenges ? from science, from the empowerment of women, from those seeking reform of the Church?s strictures against abortion and contraception ? in the new millennium. Though short, this is a major book by a controversial and profoundly influential thinker.