The volume brings together in organic form the notes of the lessons on religion held by Father Giussani at the Berchet High School in Milan between c. 1954 and 1960, transcribed by many of his pupils and revised by the author.

In 1957 GIAC had published a volume titled Il senso religioso, which can be considered the predecessor of the work in question. Apart from differences in the titles of the chapters, the plan followed in developing the themes is the same: some passages are repeated complete, while other concepts are enlarged and new examples added.

The edition in question omits Chapter X, “La Testimonianza”, present in the 1957 edition (pp. 29-32).

Republished unabridged in 1977 by Jaca Book, the text was subsequently enlarged. The topics dealt with were developed in the volumes of PerCorso (Jaca Book, 1986-1992), and subsequently republished in definitive format by Rizzoli (1997-2003).

The complete text of the 1966 edition is now contained in the volume Il senso di Dio e l’uomo moderno. La “questione umana” e la novità del Cristianesimo (BUR, 1994, pp. 7-75).