Part of the 12-volume series intercontinental commentary of the Second Vatican Council, this book gathers 34 chapters by authors from North America, Australia and Oceania on the contribution to Vatican II from the local churches and on the reception of Vatican II in these local churches. The first section explores the social-cultural context of the United States, Canada, and Australia at the beginning of the council. The middle section of this volume examines several overarching themes connected to the council’s reception. The final, and longest, section of the volume engages directly with many of the council’s sixteen documents. The chapters make abundantly clear that while the council’s teachings have reshaped Catholic life in ways unimaginable before Vatican II, it remains urgent that local churches continue to engage the council’s documents as the social situation of ecclesial communities remain in flux.
