John L. Allen, Jr., one of the world's leading authorities on the Vatican, offers an authoritative and accessible guide to the past, present, and future of the Catholic Church. This updated edition includes a new chapter on the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, the election of Pope Francis, and his extraordinary tenure thus far.

• Acknowledgments


• Introduction


• 1. The Catholic Church 101


• 2. Historical Highlights and Lowlights


• 3. The Church outside ''the Church''


• 4. The Life of the Mind


• 5. Worship


• 6. Angels, Demons, and Saints


• 7. Faith and Politics


• 8. Catholicism and Sex


• 9. Catholicism and Money


• 10. Crisis and Scandal


• 11. Rome and America


• 12. New Frontiers


• 13. Pope Francis


• Recommended Reading


• Index

John L. Allen Jr. is an Associate Editor at the Boston Globe and the Senior Vatican Analyst for CNN, and was previously Senior Correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter. He is also the author of seven books on the Vatican and Catholic affairs, including The Future Church: How Ten Trends Are Revolutionizing the Catholic Church and All the Pope's Men: The Inside Story of How the Vatican Really Thinks. His most recent book is The Global War on Christians.