Because of the massive impact of pluralism, contemporary religious communities are in a state of flux. 'Religious life is a ship afloat on an ocean of time whose tides are now governed by the swell of pluralism,' writes Evelyn Woodward in this work that is destined to become a classic of its type. 'Navigation calls for special gifts,' which she identifies as the insight and appreciation of the poet, the challenge and goading of the prophet, and the planning and programming of the pragmatist.