Fifty years after the start of the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church continues to struggle with the changes the council unleashed. Vernacular masses, dialogues with other faiths, new roles for the laity, and a revolution in how we understand Church all of these issues continue to spark debate and provoke heart-felt reactions among the faithful. As time passes, we need to stop and look back at what was written during the Council and how we are living it today. This book presents Council documents in an accessible and concise way, exploring how they have played out over the following decades. In a fair and even-handed manner, Lavin explores the reforms flowing from Vatican II and how they have been received. Each chapter focuses on a document that emerged from Vatican II and examines a disputed issue to spark discussion and debate.