Few men have so profoundly affected the thought of their time as did Leo XIII. His reign marked the beginning of a new age in the history of the Church and his teaching is today recognized as the fundamental expression of a social order for men of all creeds.

He considered the crucial problems of modern society with such rare vision and foresight that his encyclicals are as meaningful today as when they were written.

Etienne Gilson is one of the most distinguished of living philosophers, a member of the French Academy, Director of Sudies in the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, Toronto, teacher and author of a score of books.

In The Church Speaks to the Modern World, Professor Gilson presents for the first time the basic encyclicals of Leo XIII arranged in the order expressly indicated by the Pope himself. Professor Gilson's sparkling introduction provides the proper perspective for the encyclicals; his notes brilliantly clarify obscure points; his summaries provide an immediate grasp of each encyclical; and his study of the variant translations is invaluable. In short, here is the definitive collection of the most important and far-reaching papal pronouncements of the modern age.

Taken from the back cover.