外からの弾圧と内乱を繰り返しながら、歴史の中でその権威と勢力を保ち続けてきたカトリシズム。しかし近年は聖職者のスキャンダルが後を絶たず、イスラームが急速に拡大するなど問題も少なくありません。さらに、医師による自殺ほう助や同性婚が一部で容認されるこの時代にカトリックの伝統的な価値観を堅守するのは難しくなりつつあります。世界最大の宗教の歩みを概説するとともに、現在直面している課題も見渡します。(cf. The Catholic Church: What Everyone Needs to Know)
   

• Considers the current challenges facing the Catholic Church, such as the recent clerical abuse scandals, and discusses the future directions of Catholicism
• Explains clearly and concisely where the Catholic Church comes from and what it believes and practices
• Discusses how Catholicism has adapted across the centuries to diverse cultural influences, leading it to become one of the world's largest religions

Despite a long history of external threats and internal strife, the Roman Catholic Church remains a vast and influential presence in our modern world. But what were its origins, and how has it changed and adapted over the centuries? After Pope Benedict XVI dramatically resigned in early 2013 (the first Pope to resign since the fifteenth century), and Pope Francis was elected, many wondered what direction he would lead the Church in, and whether the Church could modernise in the face of the demands of our world.

In this Very Short Introduction, Gerald O'Collins covers the history of the Catholic Church, and considers some of the key issues facing Catholicism today, such as the catastrophic revelations about clerical child abuse, the impact of the growth of Islam, and the destruction in the Middle East of ancient Christian church communities. He also shows how Catholics are being increasingly challenged by an opposition between their traditional Christian values and rights which are endorsed by the secular world, such as the right to physician assisted suicide or same-sex marriage, and considers the future for the largest and oldest institution in the world.