Theologian Haight (theology, Weston Jesuit School of Theology) further develops his "historical ecclesiology," or ecclesiology from below, from his previous work Dynamics of Theology. He contrasts historical ecclesiology with that from above in that his method concentrates on the concrete, realistic, and historically sensitive rather than the abstract, idealist, and ahistorical. In this first of two volumes, covering the period from the beginnings of the Church to the middle ages, Haight uses the historical ecclesiology method to analyze historical, social and theological developments and prove the validity of his theories. He divides the eras under study into the times of the emerging Church, in the pre- and post-Constantinian eras, under Gregorian reform, and under conciliarism in the late medieval Church. The results are a new, and probably controversial explanation of Church history and the development of doctrine. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)