Taking the Long View argues in a series of engagingly written essays that remembering the past is essential for men and women who want to function effectively in the present. Without some knowledge of their own past neither individuals nor institutions know where they have been or where they are going. The book illustrates its thesis with tough-minded examples from the Church's life and thought, ranging from more abstract problems like the theoretical role of historical criticism to such painfully concrete issues as the commandment of Jesus to forgive unforgivable wrongs.