"The Church is a lucid, balanced, and readable book-a work of integration that is always reasonable, well informed, honest, and deeply hopeful."-Commonweal In The Church, renowned religious historian and Vatican expert Richard P. McBrien offers a sweeping history of the evolution of the Roman Catholic Church, its influence and power in an ever-changing world. From Jesus's apostle Peter to Pope Benedict XVI, The Church is a remarkable achievement that delves deeply into the past and the future of Christianity's largest branch-in fact, the largest religious institution in the world-exploring its politics, doctrines, and the way the Roman Catholic Church views itself.
This comprehensive history of Catholicism is an essential resource for understanding: The Second Vatican Council: An in-depth analysis of the documents that reshaped the modern Church, including Lumen gentium and Gaudium et spes. Papal Primacy and Infallibility: A detailed historical examination of the Church's most controversial doctrines, tracing their development from the New Testament through Vatican I and beyond.
The Church as People of God: An exploration of the six basic themes of Vatican II's ecclesiology, from the Church as mystery and sacrament to its role as a servant community. Historical Ecclesiology: A thorough study of how the Church has understood itself throughout every era, from the postbiblical period to the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI.
"The Church is a lucid, balanced, and readable book-a work of integration that is always reasonable, well informed, honest, and deeply hopeful."-Commonweal In The Church, renowned religious historian and Vatican expert Richard P. McBrien offers a sweeping history of the evolution of the Roman Catholic Church, its influence and power in an ever-changing world. From Jesus's apostle Peter to Pope Benedict XVI, The Church is a remarkable achievement that delves deeply into the past and the future of Christianity's largest branch-in fact, the largest religious institution in the world-exploring its politics, doctrines, and the way the Roman Catholic Church views itself.
This comprehensive history of Catholicism is an essential resource for understanding: The Second Vatican Council: An in-depth analysis of the documents that reshaped the modern Church, including Lumen gentium and Gaudium et spes. Papal Primacy and Infallibility: A detailed historical examination of the Church's most controversial doctrines, tracing their development from the New Testament through Vatican I and beyond.
The Church as People of God: An exploration of the six basic themes of Vatican II's ecclesiology, from the Church as mystery and sacrament to its role as a servant community. Historical Ecclesiology: A thorough study of how the Church has understood itself throughout every era, from the postbiblical period to the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI.
