By Richard R Gaillardetz. Published by Orbis Books, 2023. (USD 40). Reviewed by Rocio Figueroa

Richard Gaillardetz died in November 2023 leaving a rich intellectual legacy to the Catholic Church and the broader Christian community. In Ecclesiology for a Global Church he explores ecclesiology through the two fundamental criteria for renewal in the Church: returning to the sources of the Gospel and adapting the message to the new challenges that the church faces today. 

 Gaillardetz develops the traditional traits of the church as one, holy, catholic and apostolic and engages in a dynamic theological response to a global church in a changing world. Using unity as the theological framework of trinitarian communion, he envisions a more open and relational church where baptismal discipleship has priority and catholicity is a call to a dialogical mission in which the Church is enriched by the diversity of cultures.

In this revised edition Gaillardetz adds a chapter on how Francis’s pontificate aligns with global ecclesiology and how the Pope’s proposal of a missionary and synodal church addresses the challenges and opportunities for the Catholic Church in a society marked by interconnectedness and cultural diversity.

Gaillardetz's contribution to the field of ecclesiology will inspire current and future generations of theologians to keep exploring specific cultural contexts and the implication of cultural diversity for ecclesiology. You don’t have to be a theologian to be encouraged by this book.

Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 293 June 2024: 27