[A]n excerpt from Hans Joas’s book, Kirche als Moralagentur? (Church as a Moral Agent?), published by Kösel Verlag in Germany. After discussing the sources for doctrinal and organizational renewal for the Catholic Church, examining the implications for faith in the secularized “world of options,” and the social organization of the church, Joas turns to discuss what, if any, moral role the church could play in the contemporary world.