And On This Rock , originally published in 1978 by Ave Maria Press, Jaki returns to theology to make the case for a familiar range of traditional Roman Catholic beliefs, in particular, the exclusive, universal, and infallible papal office. In the United States, there is some debate among Roman Catholic leaders and lay people about the issue of papal leadership, especially in regard to abortion, birth control, and the role of women. Jaki wants to boost traditional views on the papacy among the faithful after years of liberalization in liturgy and life-style. The implied message for fundamentalist Protestants is to cease and desist from schism. On the contemporary scene, Jaki is a fellow anachronism reviving a sixteenth-century argument which we believe was settled by the Reformers.
Much detail is given about the related historical and archaeological research done over the years.
There is a huge rock facade where Christ is thought to have acknowledged Peter's first confession of His deity. Although this chapter is the longest in the book, it is difficult to see how the geography of the Bible land supplies evidence for the classic Petrine doctrine regarding Peter himself. Certainly the symbolism of the rock tells us nothing about apostolic succession to his chair in Rome. Jaki's story is an iconic success, but hardly any more impressive to the exegete than a good historical novel. While there is little concern for actually making the connection to Peter, it is helpful to recount this description of the Lord as a Rock.