This work investigates the historical development and intellectual foundations of conciliarism as a constitutional framework within the Catholic Church. Francis Oakley, a scholar of medieval and early modern intellectual history, utilizes primary source documents and theological treatises to argue that the conciliar movement was not merely a temporary reaction to the Great Schism, but a persistent tradition of constitutional thought that challenged absolute papal authority over several centuries.

Scholars and historians recognize this text as a significant contribution to the study of ecclesiastical constitutionalism and the intellectual history of the Church. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the author's meticulous attention to primary source evidence.