Key Moments in Church History

A Concise Introduction to the Catholic Church

By (author) Mitch Finley

Publication date:

08 November 2005

Length of book:

2243 pages

Publisher

Sheed & Ward

ISBN-13: 9780742550728

Spanning from the birth of Christianity through the Crusades and the Protestant Reformation to John XXIII and the Second Vatican Council, Key Moments in Church History is a brief and accessible guide to the origins and evolution of the Catholic Church. In this insightful and informative look at eleven of the most significant periods in church history, Finley not only helps readers understand the context and characters of the past, but sheds light on the current and future Church. The result is a hopeful and inspirational reading experience that is ideal for personal reflection or group use.

Chapter 1 Acknowledgments
Chapter 2 Introduction
Chapter 3 Jesus of Nazareth
Chapter 4 The Early Church
Chapter 5 The Church Gives Birth to the New Testament
Chapter 6 The Constantinian Era
Chapter 7 The Council of Chalcedon
Chapter 8 The Crusades, the Inquisition, Saint Dominic and St. Francis of Assisi
Chapter 9 The Protestant Reformation
Chapter 10 The Council of Trent
Chapter 11 Ultramontanism and the First Vatican Council
Chapter 12 Pius X and the Modernist Crisis
Chapter 13 John XXIII and the Second Vatican Council
Chapter 14 Epilogue: The Current State of the Church

In his third edition of Key Moments in Church History, Mitch Finley enlivens a topic which, in a less talented writer's hands, could have been deadly dull. Instead, in his usual down-to-earth narration and flowing style, Mitch presents events seemingly far removed from us—-the Council of Trent, the Crusades, even the Reformation—-as precious parts of our own past, events that brought the entire Catholic Church to where it now stands, for better or worse. The thought occurs more than once—-what is happening today that may become a Key Moment for our descendents? Excellent and well-documented, worthy of being a must-read in any Catholic high school class, and beyond.