Book excerpt: The influential German Jesuit theologian, Karl Rahner (1904–84), famously claimed that the more scientific theology is the more spiritually and pastorally relevant it will be. This book attempts to demonstrate the truth of this claim by drawing together resources scattered throughout Rahner’s voluminous writings in order to make his wisdom more available for people seeking a deeper spirituality and a more effective pastoral ministry. The book also provides summaries of Rahner’s main ideas on anthropology, God, Christ, and the Church, with an emphasis on their practical significance. Finally, it serves as a response to those critics who claim that Rahner is passé by emphasizing the power of his theology to illumine contemporary issues with the light of the Gospel.