The Meaning of the Church is a masterful examination of the Catholic Church as a living reality, the "Body of Christ, mystically living on" and bearing "the fullness of salvation." Delving deeply into the nature of freedom, of personal identity, and of community, Guardini develops a profound articulation of ecclesiology that places the Church at the heart of a meaningful existence. True freedom is found in the encounter with God; the Church exists to bring about that encounter in the life of every individual. Well aware of the reality of sin within the Church, Guardini calls for a "wholehearted" Catholicism in which believers uphold the salvation of souls, not the procurement of power, as the primary goal of faith.

Eloquent, enlightening, and exceptionally relevant, The Meaning of the Church presents an invaluable opportunity to meditate upon the true origin, nature, and destiny of the Church of Jesus Christ.