"As a first survey for thee theological student, the book succeeds in exciting interest and promoting further study." -Anglican Theological Review, 87.1, 2/05

"C.S. Lewis once labeled the 'theologizing' of history as 'Historicism,' and said that it was a vain attempt to guess at the plan of God as opposed to writing real history ("Historicism," The Month [October 1950]. To see theological patterns and directions is not the job of the historian, maintained Lewis, because 'we ride our back to the engine.'... Fr. Guy Bedouelle, a French Dominican scholar of note, begs to differ. In his History of the Church he makes the case for the retention of some sense of the theological and even the eschatological in the writing of Church history. He claims that we may not be aware of the exact end of God's providence, but we, as believers, must be aware that there is a providential direction and should not keep that out of our histories of the Church. Bedouelle does not merely theorize about this or suggest how it might be done, he writes several historical chapters himself as examples about how it can be accomplished...The chapters on the Renaissance and Reformation are particularly insightful and helpful. Here Bedouelle shines-his wide reading and knowledge of art and music are brought to bear in a manner that thrills the teacher of Western Civilization, the person who will most benefit by reading this book, Bedouelle knows that we cannot understand the society of the time without understanding every aspect of that society. Yet, he cannot be critical. While he is sympathetic to a scandalized and angry Luther, he perceptively calls him 'a muddled headed genius.' He also places the Christian humanism of Erasmus between its ease with paganism and its unease with the 'indignant vigor' of Protestantism, a dilemma not entirely overcome by the humanists. The section on the debate between Bosuett and Liebniz, over the real issues of what would become Revolution, is also lively and instructive. There is also a very fine summary of Christian intellectual currents that emerged after the Second World War. Where Bedouelle is most successful-and where he is helpful to any teacher of the humanities-is in his synthesis of political acts, religious engagement, and artistic manifestation. One is reminded of the great Christopher Dawson, who could see in such works as 'Piers Plowman' their relevance to history. Bedouelle knows theology, and this makes him a better historian."

The Thomist