The Afternoon of Christianity

“The Afternoon of Christianity serves to shine a light on the hope that is in the Church and the world. Halík’s ecclesiology is one that is badly needed in today’s Church, and one from which we must all learn if we are to be the community that we are called to be.” —Daniel Cosacchi, vice president for mission and ministry at the University of Scranton

“This book is key to understanding Pope Francis’s effort to lead Catholicism and religion in general in a period not primarily of structural or institutional reform, but of spiritual deepening in light of the global crisis. Halík describes the present suffering not as agony, but pangs of labor.” —Massimo Faggioli, author of The Liminal Papacy of Pope Francis

“Clearly and engagingly written, this book is a visionary product of a major thinker whose work cannot be pigeonholed as religious or spiritual but rather, by interweaving philosophy, theology, sociology, and psychology, seeks to address the human condition in toto.” —William A. Barbieri Jr., editor of At the Limits of the Secular

"When one happens upon a work like Tomáš Halík's The Afternoon of Christianity, one experiences a most refreshing and capacious reflection on Christian faith's necessary maturation through the crucible of doubt. A Christianity and a Church attentive to the Spirit, less concerned with power, more devoted to the spiritual passion that afflicted the heart of the great mystics, unanxious over discovering God in all things, more humble and able to forgive as we have been forgiven—such are the hues in Halík's vision of Christianity's next form. A welcome reminder that love alone is credible." —Jordan Daniel Wood, author of The Whole Mystery of Christ

"Tomáš Halík is one of the most important public intellectuals of our time, heroic in his engagement with the most challenging questions for church and society." —Janet Soskice, author of Sisters of Sinai

"Tomáš Halík is remarkable, always, for his intellectual balance and his pastoral insight. He sees modernity as an opportunity for a recovery of a genuine Biblical vision, deeply Traditional, in a way that can enliven even this 'afternoon' of Christianity, which, he reminds us, is indeed neither an evening nor a night." —John C. Cavadini, co-editor of Pope Francis and the Event of Encounter

"Analytical and prescient, Tomáš Halík’s stunning theology book The Afternoon of Christianity makes projections about the future of Christian faith in light of the sweeping demographic and cultural changes it faces. . . . An impressive work of theology that’s rooted in Catholic teachings, The Afternoon of Christianity applies prophetic sensibilities to the question of how Christianity is changing." —Foreword Reviews (starred review)

"The Czech priest-prophet has penned the most compelling, thorough account of what Pope Francis means by this being a 'change of era' in the Church. The shift is much bigger than most realise, one that requires re-imagining much of what we take for granted." —The Tablet

"Beyond Scripture, few books demand we 'take up and read.' Fr. Tomas Halik's The Afternoon of Christianity: The Courage to Change, however, may just be one of those books. . . . With wisdom only few can summon, Halik calls the church to consider how the most faithful expression of its mission may be in its future." —National Catholic Reporter