In this personal account, Alan T. Cavanaugh reveals what led him first to join the Church as a minister of religion and then to leave it in disillusionment after his experiences ministering to the poor were not reflected in the concerns of the established Church. In an argument that utilizes ideas ranging from philosophy to social science and to a consideration of the relevant findings of Karl Marx, Cavanaugh warns that Christianity, and particularly Catholocism, will continue to decline if it consistently places abstract doctrine before the practical necessity of creating a just social order. he shows that the historical figure of Jesus originally embodied the virtues of social reform, political action, and resistance to oppression: this is what the Church must return to before it is too late.