The popular and candid priest, Tony Flannery, was withdrawn from his ministry by his congregation, the Redemptorists, under orders from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) in the Vatican eight years ago. The CDF found some of his writings to be heretical and he was therefore forbidden to conduct any priestly duties, give any interviews or write any articles.

During these last eight years, Tony Flannery has refused to abide to this sentence and he has thrived with the freedom of his thoughts and actions which he didn't have while he was part of the ministry. "From the Outside" is a product of this freedom and expression. He believes the Church is currently facing many dilemmas. Lots of people have left the church or are in the process of leaving, the clerical sex abuse scandal is still rife, the number of priests are declining and women are still excluded from the ministry. The leaders of the Church seem to be incompetent with dealing with these dilemmas and this has left severe credibility issues.

"From the Outside" also examines other issues such as the problem of the Church doctrine. Most of the fundamental doctrines in the Church date back to early centuries of Christianity  and therefore are no longer seen as credible. Tony Flannery discusses the change that needs to happen in this book and he asks the Church leadership to revaluate their doctrines to fit contemporary society.