He did indeed say the acerbic, insightful, original, candid and frequently seemingly outrageous things in this long-awaited book. For this is one of America's top theologians come down from the ivory tower of scholarship to deal with the moral and ecclesiastical problems of everyday life in the crisp, colorful, and jargon-free style that have made John L. McKenzie one of the most widely read and highly regarded Catholic writers of our day.

One of the few things Father McKenzie is not famous for is pulling his punches. When he talks about the problems of evil in modern life his indictments shy away from no sacred cows. His outspoken criticism of authority in the church, of ecclesiastical repression of personal and academic freedom have not necessarily made him friends in high places but they have influenced many. His tremendous depth of scriptural knowledge illuminates all his writing without ever slipping over to the pedantic.