Focus Your Day Book

While not having been active in the field for nearly twenty years, I am astonished on how readable, cogent, and nuanced Avery Cardinal Dulles' book is. Hard to believe that it was written in 1974 but is still applicable to today's Church. His eminence examines Roman Catholic ecclesiology through five different models: Church as Institution, Mystical Communion, Sacrament, Herald, and Servant. A very good read for anyone wishing to have a deeper understanding Roman Catholic ecclesiology.
A side note, Cardinal Dulles was a convert to Roman Catholicism. He was the son of John Foster Dulles (for whom the DC airport was named). Foster Dulles, besides being the Cold War warrior Secretary of State for most of the Eisenhower Administration, was an elder in the Presbyterian Church. "Av the Brave" converted, and became a Jesuit priest. This gentle, erudite, and prayerful man was not only a giant in 20th century Catholic theology, but also a very much loved and respected man. Late in his life he was elevated to Cardinal-Priest (Jesuits are prohibited from accepting ecclesiastical titles unless specifically order by the Pontiff). He recently died in his 90s at the Jesuit Residence at Fordham University.