Turning to the World

The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) was a watershed event in the history of the Catholic Church, a critical self-examination that sought at once to rediscover the most ancient sources of Christian thought and practice and to bring these traditions into the modern world. While few question the idealism and vision of Vatican II, its legacy is contested. Has the Catholic Church fulfilled the promise of the council? Has it successfully reclaimed the scriptural call to justice? Has it truly shifted its gaze to the "joys and hopes, grief and anguish" of our troubled world? Reflecting on both the vision of the council and its uneven reception, Turning to the World ponders the impact of Vatican II on interreligious dialogue, peace-building, and care for the environment. Focusing specifically on the Canadian and Latin American experiences, contributors work from diverse disciplinary perspectives to examine developments in the Catholic Church's understanding of freedom, conscience, and the common good. The volume also appraises the effects of the Church's turn to the world in its hope to voice the pressing needs of the human family, especially in contexts of great poverty and injustice and among peoples adversely affected by the modern and postmodern economies of greed. Exploring the legacy of Vatican II, Turning to the World offers a unique perspective on the influence, reception, developments, and applications of the council from the 1960s to the teachings of Pope Francis.

Carl N. Still is associate professor of philosophy at St Thomas More College. Gertrude Rompré is director of mission and ministry at St Thomas More College.