Opus Dei is the most controversial - and unknown - force in the Catholic Church. Here, John Allen uncovers its real nature. Accused of promoting a right-wing political agenda, of cult-like practices, and immortalized forever in the pages of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, Opus Dei is the most notorious, most talked about - but least known - religious organization of our time. Granted unlimited access to those within its ranks, and with an investigative eye intent on uncovering closely guarded secrets, John Allen finally separates the myths from the facts: the actual use of the cilice; the reason men and women remain separate; the true extent of Opus Dei's funds. Built around a wealth of interviews with the heads of Opus Dei in the Vatican and in centres around the world, comparing the attitudes of current members with those of highly critical members and outsiders, Opus Dei is a portrait of a remarkably powerful organization, both inside and outside the Church.