First published in 1989, The Changing Parish is the first modern sociological account of the changing Roman Catholic parish in England. It identifies the major changes in parishes and in the roles of parish priests and parishioners.

At the heart of the book is a comparison of pre-Vatican and post-Vatican ideal types of Church, parish, priest, and parishioner. The author shows clearly, with special reference to two English parishes, how conflicts arise between those who favour the emergent models and those who adopt a posture of intransigence and adhere tenaciously to the earlier models. He explores these conflicts at parish level, particularly over the matter of liturgical reform, pointing out that such conflicts are not unique to England but can be detected in places as far apart as the United States, Australia, Western Europe, and the Philippines. Dr Hornsby-Smith gives a penetrating analysis of the changing nature of priest–lay relationships, styles of clerical leadership, and lay participation, and presents a systematic account of the everyday lives of the parish clergy.