Is the true meaning of Catholicism found in the papacy, which should establish the framework for the entire church? Or does Catholicism exist primarily in individual dioceses and parishes, each with their own practices and theologies? Christopher Ruddy uses the thought of Tillard, Congar, and others to offer a revitalized understanding of Church identity and authority.

In recent years, the Catholic priesthood in the United States has suffered numerous trials, from ever-diminishing numbers to the humiliations of the clerical sexual-abuse crisis. And, yet, by virtually every statistical measure, Catholic priests remain among the happiest of men. In Tested in Every Way, Christopher Ruddy examines this paradox, drawing on the insights of the "Priest in the Church" conference convened by the Catholic Common Ground Initiative. Ruddy moves beyond the cultural and theological impasses that paralyze the church and its mission to give us a vision of the...