Vatican II and the history of Vatican II

This article provides a critical account of the historical reception of Vatican II, identifying key questions that relate to the question of the history of the Council and its ongoing meaning and significance. A description of the five-volume History of Vatican II is followed by consideration of the critical responses to that work and subsequent phases of Vatican II historical scholarship. The article argues that this ongoing historical work is an essential dimension of the wider task of discerning the Council’s meaning and significance today.