The American Catholic Revolution: How the Sixties Changed the Church Forever Book

This book is essential for understanding the post Vatican II church. Massa argues that the experience of Council had consequences were not intended or predicted by the council fathers. The most important such consequence was the realization among pastors, theologians, and the average parishioner that the church changes, what is often called historicity. Prior to the council, the author argues, most Catholics thought the church's teaching and practice were basically unchanging, the same as they had been in essentials since apostolic times. But after the council, Catholics realized that church teaching and practice are the product of a complex evolution. This means that things may change again in the future. Massa is clearly correct about the change in perception among Catholics. One hopes that this appreciation of historicity will become a self-conscious appreciation of the Catholic tradition as a tradition of inquiry.