This is the first full biography of one of the greatest Roman Catholic theologians of the last century. Schillebeeckx is alive and still writing important work.

He is a Dutch Dominican and theological genius whose influence on the Second Vatican Council was profound. He was regarded as the theological voice of progressive Catholicism. But in 1968 the Vatican authorities started an investigation into his orthodoxy and a great many Catholics also felt that this was an attack on them. Borgman puts Schillebeeckx in his context, creating a new perspective on his ultimate significance for the church and for the development of theology.