By Romano Guardini

The Meaning of the Church examines the Catholic Church as a living reality, the “Body of Christ, mystically living on” and bearing “the fullness of salvation.” Delving deeply into the nature of freedom, of personal identity, and of community, Guardini develops a profound articulation of ecclesiology that places the Church at the heart of a meaningful existence. True freedom is found in the encounter with God; the Church exists to bring about that encounter in the life of every individual. Well aware of the reality of sin within the Church, Guardini calls for a “wholehearted” Catholicism in which believers uphold the salvation of souls, not the procurement of power, as the primary goal of faith. 

Eloquent, enlightening, and exceptionally relevant, The Meaning of the Church presents an invaluable opportunity to meditate upon the true origin, nature, and destiny of the Church of Jesus Christ.

For the Word was made Flesh, and the Church is simply Christ, living on, as the content and form of the society He founded. (Romano Guardini)

Romano Guardini (1885–1968) was a Catholic priest, professor, and author. He taught theology and philosophy at the University of Berlin, University of Tübingen, and University of Munich. Included among his intellectual disciples are Josef Pieper, Luigi Giussani, and Joseph Ratzinger.

Paperback: 142pp.

ISBN: 978-1944418991

(The Meaning of the Church is a republication of The Church and the Catholic, originally published in1935 by Sheed & Ward.)