The Changing Parish: A Study of Parishes, Priests, and Parishioners After Vatican II

First published in 1989, The Changing Parish is the first modern sociological account of the changing Roman Catholic parish in England. It identifies the major changes in parishes and in the roles of parish priests and parishioners.

At the heart of the book is a comparison of pre-Vatican and post-Vatican ideal types of Church, parish, priest, and parishioner. The author shows clearly, with special reference to two English parishes, how conflicts arise between those who favour the emergent mo...