What is distinctive about the Church in the world? What does the Church ask of the world, and what should the world expect of the Church? Soul of the World is George Weigel's exploration of the rich theological roots of the public witness of the Roman Catholic Church, especially during the pontificate of John Paul II, whose work has left a decisive imprint on the lives of nations and peoples around the world.

The Church is not one political actor or option among many, Weigel argues. Its distinctive social witness must always be grounded in its basic confession, that "Jesus Christ is Lord." That creed helps create the social space in which democratic pluralism and the politics of consent can take root. Drawing on the great social encyclicals of John Paul II, Weigel shows how Christian orthodoxy, not an accommodation to the spirit of the age, provides the most secure foundation for building a free and virtuous society.