To theology professor James Philipps the core problem in the Catholic Church today is that too much of Catholic teaching is based on outmoded ways of understanding the human experience and God's actions within the modern world.

Utilizing the past as a guide, Philipps writes in his second book Turning Points: Unlocking The Treasures of the Church (available on Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and www.twentythirdpublications.com) of eight turning points in history that exemplify the adaptability and restructuring of the Catholic Church over centuries.

"History shows us, there are key moments that prove the Catholic Church has been called to change in response to the needs of the times," said Philipps. "In creating this primer, I found that learning more about the history of my religion helped give me a greater sense of identity within the Catholic community."

Philipps, 45, a Syosset resident and a theology teacher at Holy Trinity High said, "With 60 to 70 percent of baptized Catholics no longer practicing their faith, we are being given a wake-up call that the church needs to change some archaic thinking."

Philipps notes that in the world today we are experiencing an explosion of knowledge both about ourselves and about our world. "As society is constantly growing, the church needs to be flexible in adapting our beliefs and practices to new and more meaningful ways of expressing our faith. The Catholic Church has never endorsed 'one way or the highway' thinking, which can lead to Fundamentalist groups. Rather, the church is always alive and evolving," said Philipps.

"This concept of the Catholic Church as dynamic and evolving while still holding fast to essential beliefs is contrary to Catholic Fundamentalist groups that believe the structure of the church has never changed and will remain unchanged. There is a tendency in "ecclesial" (church) fundamentalism to oversimplify what the Catholic Church is," said Philipps. He added, "Ecclesial fundamentalism is a watered-down, narrow understanding of the church that puts the Catholic person in a box with only one way to worship and reduces the nuances of Catholic belief to mere 'sound bites'."

Philipps points out that fundamentalism is a growing problem within the Catholic community. He points out the danger in that thinking, "eliminating room for legitimate interpretation does not lead to a better understanding of the faith but does lead to creating enemies," said Philipps.

According to Philipps, there are the eight turning points in the history of the church or times when the Holy Spirit called the church to "radical restructuring." They follow:

"The Council of Jerusalem-(1st century) was the period that enabled what we come to know as Christianity to go outside of the Jewish religion.

"The Apostate Crisis-(2nd and 3rd centuries) Should those who publicly denied Jesus during the time of the persecutions (the apostates) be subject to strict justice or given the opportunity to repent and be restored to Christian community? The church finally ruled in favor of absolute forgiveness.

"The Edict of Milan-(4th century) It became legal to be a Christian. Therefore the religion went from being a counter-culture movement, to part of the established order of society.

"The Eastern Schism-(11th century)-Eastern Catholic church viewed faith as more creative, reflective and dynamic. Western Catholic church's approach was aimed at accuracy, simplicity and clarity. The split created a schizophrenia from which we have never recovered.

"The High Middle Ages-(11th to 13th centuries) This period is where the church began to reach out to meet the intellectual, material and spiritual needs of the common folk in new and innovative ways.

"The Protestant Reformation-(16th century) The Catholic Church now rudely met the modern world. The hierarchy of the church, archaic in much of its thinking, was unable to handle the changing times.

"The Peace of Westphalia-(17th century) This was the end of the era that marked the church going to war (Catholics and Protestants) in the name of God.

"The Second Vatican Council-(20th century) Pope John XXIII convened this council in order to invite the bishops and theologians to aid him in contemplating a thorough updating (aggiornamento) of the church both within and in its relations with the world. Four new principle documents regarding the church, the Bible and the Mass were promulgated."

"The Vatican II Council provided the essential ingredients for the church of the third millennium," said Philipps. "They include: getting more deeply in touch with the mystery of the risen Jesus at the heart of the church; recognizing the call to holiness of every Christian woman, man and child; placing the church solidly in defense of human life and dignity wherever it is threatened; and embracing the fundamental harmony between faith and reason.

"Putting all of the ingredients together in the right recipe," Philipps added, " may take a few generations, and the help of a multitude of divinely inspired chefs, to figure out."

Philipps teaches religious studies at Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville. Philipps is also an adjunct professor at St. John's University and teaches adult religious education and formation classes on Long Island. His courses systematically explore essential theology and teachings of the Christian faith as interpreted by the Roman Catholic Church. Philipps has published many materials for young adults and catechists.

Turning Points, Unlocking the Treasures of the Church follows Philipps's first book, Unlocking the Treasures of the Bible also from TwentyThird Publications, which highlights four key points that can serve as the antidote to Biblical fundamentalism. (Example: view the Bible as a library and not as one book). The book also delves into ways to gain insight as to how the books of the Bible developed and deeper ways to explore the scriptures.

Turning Points, Unlocking the Treasures of the Church along with Unlocking the Treasures of the Bible are being used to generate new conversations for parish teams, catechists and teachers as well as anyone who wants to dig deeper and gain greater insights of the history of the Catholic Church.

Philipps is speaking in April at the National Catholic Educators Association in Baltimore. To contact James Philipps visit www.jphilipps@holytrinityhs.echalk.com.