Description

'A useful book of reference by the master of the history of the councils of the Church... There is enormous value in a short, reliable, and careful study of a sequence of events that may have unfamiliar joinings and passageways to modern believers...' - Catholic Historical Review

'A short, readable and informed survey of church history.' - The Church of England Newspaper

'A rich foundation for Catholic understanding and witness.' - Catholic San Francisco
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A one-volume history of the Christian people from Pentecost to the present day, with principal focus on the Catholic Church.

Having passed AD 2000 it seems appropriate and necessary to have a new short history of the first two millennia of the Christian era.

In the last half century there has been a massive amount of research into Church history, published in learned articles and in multi-volume works. Full notice is taken of these recent scholarly initiatives in writing this short account, which is also eminently readable.

In each section there is a balance between the institutional and the more directly religious dimensions of the Church - here are some of the elements: bishops, canon law, charity, councils crusades, devotions, heresies, laity, liturgy, martyrs, missionaries, parishes, pilgrimages, popes, prayer, priesthood, religious orders, sacraments, schools, theologians, universities and the vita consacrata.

The scope is wide; the pace of the narrative is attractive.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Notes and Abbreviations
Glossary
Map: The Mediterranean World

Introduction
1. Pentecost to the Fourth Century
2. Early Middle Ages: 400 to 1054
3. Central and Late Middle Ages
4. Early Modern Catholicism: 1500 to 1800
5. Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
Conclusion

Appendix: List of Ecumenical Councils
Bibliography
Index

Product details

Published 21 Apr 2011
Format Ebook (Epub & Mobi)
Edition 1st
Extent 280
ISBN 9781441140203
Imprint Bloomsbury Continuum
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Norman Tanner

Dr Norman Tanner is a Jesuit priest and now Profes…

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