Christians say, 'I believe in the Church'. But is the Church credible? Many people find it difficult to relate what is claimed for the Church by the theologians with the reality they see. This book is not an attempt at an apologia. It tries to look at the Church's origins and history from the standpoint of the present day, to ask those questions of the past that our own experience forces on us. And, with the help of the past, it tries to throw some light on the problems that face us today, problems that can be summarized in a simple but very difficult question - ' What is the Church?'