Base communities have had a profound effect on the Church in many devloping countries, particularly in Latin America, and inspired renewal around the world. The author defines the base community, and presents a collection of stories of witness and a work of sound ecclesiology, around the central issue of what it means to be Church. Completing the book are three appendices - a glossary of terms from liberation theology, an introduction to Paulo Freire, and the key texts from the Latin American bishops' conferences and from Vatican documents.