<p>An Inside Look at the Secretive Catholic Organization Made Famous by <i>The Da Vinci Code</i></p> <p>Is Opus Dei a spiritual institute dedicated to preserving Catholic orthodoxy in the face of modernist assault? Or is it an independent society, a "church within the Church," promoting its own allegiances and preserving an antiquated set of spiritual and penitential practices?</p> <p>This small organization wields enormous power within the Catholic Church. Due to its status as a "personal prelature" of the pope, it operates independently of local Church authority. The influence of Opus Dei has only grown since this book first appeared.</p> <ul> <li>Opus Dei's founder, St. Josemaría Escrivá, was beatified and canonized over the vehement objections of many in the Catholic Church.</li> <li>Powerful members of the Vatican hierarchy, including the pope's own spokesman, are members.</li> <li>The bestselling novel <i>The Da Vinci Code</i> has made millions aware of Opus Dei.</li> </ul> <p>This classic investigation is needed now more than ever. It tells the real story of this mysterious organization -- a probing but balanced examination of the organization, its charismatic founder, its practices, and its effect upon the Catholic Church at large.</p>