In these essays Fr. Rutler addresses our current causes of anxiety and our reasons for hope. His writings on the issues of our day are infused with the confidence that God grants us his peace and no earthly circumstance can take it away.

Fr. Rutler comments on the confusion in the Church and the chaos in Western societies, which are not without precedent but are on a uniquely global scale. An underlying theme is his dismay at the lack of historical perspective.