Hans Kung is one of the most celebrated theologians of the present day. His audience, which is strong within his own Roman Catholic Church, is equally solid among Christians of other denominations, among those outside the churches and indeed among those at the frontiers of organised religion.

From the start, he has been a rebel, being Swiss and a lover of personal freedom. Many of his books such as Infallible? and On Being a Christian have rocked the Papal boat.

Now after publishing two magnificent and acclaimed volumes of memoirs, Kung has written a much shorter and more...