In the wake of the Second Vatican Council almost half a century ago, the Catholic Church made a serious attempt to reach out to the modern mentality and adapt itself to the style and language of contemporary culture.

The concept of change within the Church was not novel: both the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles amply demonstrate that the earliest Christians were aware from the start that changes and adjustments would need to be made in order to adapt to new circumstances. For example, devout Jews who came to believe in Jesus had to shift their mindset in order to accommodate the influx of gentile believers. In those same early years, the New Testament bears witness to the reality of human weakness, sin and repentance that would continue to be a sad aspect of Christian experience.

Prior to the council, Catholics had rightly perceived their Church as an institution whose divinely given doctrinal and moral teaching would endure as such until the end of time. They were devoted to the long line of Christian saints and proud that their Church spoke with a divine authority. There was undoubtedly some smugness in this self-image, but many of us found it comforting.

We seemed to have forgotten the ancient Christian adage: Ecclesia semper reformanda est (The Church is always in need of reform). In its human dimension, the Church will often have to adapt to new situations and deal with the fact that many of its members are sinners. Some say it was the Church's exercise of authority in enforcing sweeping liturgical changes that fueled a less-compliant attitude.

The Catholic experience was undeniably different after the council. In parish after parish, there were dramatic decreases in Mass attendance and a precipitous decline in public morality. There was an exodus from the priesthood and from religious life unprecedented in modern history. More recently, the clergy sex-abuse scandals have taken a heavy toll.

Today, some Catholics loudly protest the very authority that previously had been such a comfort. It is not merely a secular language, but a secular mindset that underlies the perspective and threatens the faith of some Catholics. Whatever its origin, it is a sad fact that many who continue to identify themselves as Catholics have little understanding or insight into the Church that they continue to love.

Ecclesiology is the term theologians use to describe the study of the Church. In the past, texts on ecclesiology have tended to be academic and focused on special-interest readers. They often had little appeal to ordinary Catholics, but now all that is changed. Father Lawrence B. Porter, Ph.D., professor of ecclesiology at the Immaculate Conception Seminary on the South Orange campus of Seton Hall University, has written a book on ecclesiology entitled "A Guide to the Church."

I spoke to Fr. Porter recently and asked him why he had decided to write this book. The author's response was characteristically direct: "I have been teaching ecclesiology, the theology of the Church, to seminarians for 20 years and have never been able to find an entirely satisfactory text." However, he did note there are many fine works that address some of the particular themes in ecclesiology. He said Avery Dulles investigates various "Models of the Church," Francis Sullivan writes on the marks of the Church in "The Church We Believe In: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic," and Paul Minear's book discusses "Images of the Church in the New Testament."

Because he had learned much in his years of preparing class, Fr. Porter decided to write his own text. "I wanted a book for my course that would address all those themes and also fit into the contemporary dialogue between the Church and American society," he explained. He said he wanted his book to speak to both the hearts and minds of his readers and to provide insights and solutions that might be helpful for them in their conversations with Christians who are not members of the Catholic Church.

"Consequently, the Bible is the principal reference point in my book and this provides people with an opportunity to open up further dialogue between the Catholic Church and evangelical Christians," he said. "While many of the liberal, main-line Protestant churches have experienced decline these days, evangelical Christians are a growing religious presence and have become a potent political force in American society. They often seek dialogue with Catholics who find themselves unable to respond to their legitimate questions on Catholic doctrine and practice. My book is intended to help remedy this situation."

Remembering always that a true experience of Catholicism can only be gained from the experience of faithful membership in the Church, Fr. Porter writes from within the Church as a devout and faithful follower of Jesus Christ. His book is both timely and important.

The book may be used very fruitfully by seminarians, but its usefulness is by no means confined to these. The author has carefully aimed his book at educated Catholics who seek a more profound understanding of the Church that sometimes exasperates and sometimes inspires them.
 
The work is divided into two major sections: the first examines the origin and nature of the Church, and the second, its missions and ministries. Twenty-eight relatively brief chapters make it easy for the reader to remain focused on individual topics. Two appendices follow, one on the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Church, and the other on the Second Vatican Council's presentation of the Church as a deliberative assembly.

What makes this book a gem is the fact that the sweeping intelligence and the appealing personality of the author come through in every paragraph. Fr. Porter's writing is never tedious because he possesses the uncanny ability to get inside the mind of the reader. He intuitively focuses on the very questions that spontaneously occur to the reader and he responds to them immediately.
 
Take for example his treatment of the terms "apostle" and "apostolic" in chapter 13. The author informs the reader that he will attempt to look at the biblical origin of these terms and then describe their development in the early Church. The usage is of Greek origin he says and, quite surprisingly, it appears only once in the Gospels of Mark, Luke and John. On the other hand, it appears six times in Matthew's Gospel and 29 times in the Acts of the Apostles. Saint Paul almost always refers to himself as an "apostle" in his letters and the non-Pauline epistles often use the term. Fr. Porter covers a vast amount of material in this brief (15 pages) chapter, but the experience for the reader is a refreshing look at an important topic that has often been taken for granted.

The book also demonstrates Fr. Porter is not afraid to tackle difficult or controversial topics. He devotes nine chapters (more than one-third of the entire text) to Christian ministry, including a chapter on "Women and Ministry." No matter what perspective and problems the reader may bring to this work, the author's writing remains true to Catholic teaching and tradition.

"A Guide to the Church" is interesting, insightful, entertaining and personal. Anyone interested in obtaining a copy of Fr. Porter's book may visit the Web site of his publisher, Alba House (www.albahouse.org) or the online bookstore Amazon.com.