The book explores the variables and invariables of the church. Its argument is that self-awareness of the church was often a matter of change, depending on historical circumstances. It encourages appreciating plurality in the church and sets the system of coordinates for identifying the ecclesial 'self'.
'The originality of this work lies in its comprehensiveness, taking into account as it does the East-West axis in ecclesiology. This is a brilliantly written book.' - Sven-Erik Brodd, Uppsala University, Sweden