The tense relationship between the Catholic Church and modernity, particularly in Europe, gives rise to a whole range of questions and analyses which are described and discussed in this volume. It has a historical overview of the evolution and diversity of the Church after 1945. Also attention is given to the interaction between theology and contemporary postmodern secular culture, the self-image of the Church in the wake of Vatican II, the contribution of the Catholic tradition to the contemporary pluralistic world, and to modern culture influencing Catholic tradition. Pancratius C. Beentjes (1946), Professor emeritus of Old Testament and Hebrew, Faculty of Catholic Theology, Tilburg University, Netherlands.