Includes index.

The church as a form of community -- The church as sacred assembly -- The origin of the church -- The church and the kingdom of God -- Models of the church -- A biblical image of the church : Jesus, little flock -- More biblical images : people of God and body of Christ -- An image from three North African theologians -- Introduction to the essential attributes or marks of the church -- The unity of the church -- The holiness of the church -- The church's Catholic character -- A church that is Apostolic -- The church is a communion -- Its mission and ministries -- The church's mission : its origin and goals -- The home mission : biblical portraits -- The foreign mission : Paul's inculturation of the Gospel -- The church's mission and other religions -- Relations between church and state -- Introduction to the concept of ministry -- The ordering of Christian ministries -- Promotion to ministry -- Priestly ministry -- Diaconal ministry -- The petrine ministry -- The teaching ministry -- Women and ministry -- The ministry of the vowed or consecrated life.