The Catholic Church: A Short History

A landmark short history of the Catholic Church by the world s greatest living Christian theologian and historian.

Hans Kung describes the history of the Roman Catholic Church from its origins in St Paul s Rome, through the disputes of the medieval era to the modern world. He examines the historic tension in the Church between pluralism and exclusivity; how the role of the Pope has changed; the motivations of the great reforming pontiffs; the evolving functions of the bishops and cardinals; the church s enthusiasm for missionary activity; the origins of the Marian cult; and how the shock waves of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation can still be felt today. The book concludes with a searching assessment of how the Catholic faith confronts the immense challenges from science, from the empowerment of women, from those seeking reform of the Church s strictures against abortion and contraception in the new millennium.

The sweep is vast and the tale told with pace and passion Financial Times