True to form, Ormand Rush offers us yet another illuminative Vatican II resource in this extensive volume. Given its length and range of topics, it might be seen as a comprehensive integration of his former works. Indeed, he incorporates many insights on hermeneutics and ecclesiology found in his other works, such as Still Interpreting Vatican II: Some Hermeneutical Principles (Paulist Press, 2004) and The Eyes of Faith: The Sense of the Faithful and the Church's Reception of Revelation (Catholic University of America Press, 2009), as well as various scholarly articles. Yet Rush avoids repetition as he organizes the topics in a manner that is unique and refreshing. The Vision of Vatican II is divided into twenty-four “principles,” which Rush defines broadly as “the succinct articulation of any authoritative judgment by an ecumenical council regarding an element of Christian faith and ecclesial life” (xiv). These principles are intended to “reevaluate, renew, and reform contemporary Catholic life,” in contrast to the imbalance that had existed prior to the council. He presents each of these twenty-four principles in a pairing that creates a “dynamic relationship,” which, when seen in active tension, restores the proper balance in the life of the church. Examples of these pairings include the familiar “pastoral/doctrinal,” “ressourcement/aggiornamento,” and “church/world” but also less obvious dimensions such as “mystery/sacrament,” “faith/history,” and “communio/missio.”

To make the sheer volume of material manageable, Rush organizes the twenty-four pairs into three categories, or parts: “Hermeneutical Principles,” “Theo-logical Principles,” and “Ecclesiological Principles.” Each principle is summed up succinctly, followed by explication and accompanying footnotes. Direct reference to the conciliar documents is provided when relevant, although the documents are not quoted extensively, so the reader should have already read each of the council's documents and have a copy of the documents at hand when working through the principles. By far the largest section of The Vision of Vatican II is part 3, or ecclesiological principles, which speaks to Rush's scholarly interest. Although Rush has published on a number of theological topics, most fall into ecclesiology. Indeed, even part 2, theo-logical principles, which contains only five principles in contrast to part 3's thirteen, is geared toward ecclesiological interpretation, despite Rush's assertion in his prologue that “priority be given to the theo-logical over the ecclesiological principles without setting them in opposition….” I would like to have seen something on theological anthropology and a bit more on the Trinity, for example. Even in his pairing “Christological/Pneumatological” (his “Trinitarian” principle) moves quickly through Christology and pneumatology toward the ecclesiological implications of the council's development. My reading of this principle reflects my own theological focus more than an actual critique. Rush acknowledges that there is overlap in the principles, and this reminds me of a statement he made a few years ago when discussing the influence Schillebeeck's Jesus, an Experiment in Christology had on him: “Jesus is not just about Jesus; it is as much about those who first interpreted him. And the divine authority the church acknowledges for their witness to Jesus authorizes us to imitate them in an ongoing inquiry of faith, with our own sensus fidei” (NCR, “Take and Read” blog, December 19, 2016). This statement exemplifies Rush's truly synthetic genius, which integrates all theological reflection into the lived experience of the church.

Despite its possible overemphasis on ecclesiology, The Vision of Vatican II: Its Fundamental Principles provides an exceptional companion to the conciliar documents, particularly for scholars moving the church out of the twentieth century and through the twenty-first century, and graduate students seeking a more comprehensive and deeper understanding of the council. I wish I had the benefit of Rush's insights so many years ago when making my way through the wealth and complexity contained in the sixteen documents bequeathed to us by our last major council. We owe Rush a debt of gratitude for this valuable contribution.