THIS IS OUR
CHURCH The People
And Events
That Shaped It Hardback book with Dust Jacket by William A. Herr Over 335 pages Volume Five Basics of Christian Thought THE THOMAS MORE PRESS Copyright © 1986 by William A. Herr " Even the most dedicated enemy of religion will find a great deal to admire in the nineteen centuries of Christian history which William Herr reviews and animates in this hugely informative yet highly readable book-the courage of the church's missionaries, for example, the patient labor of its monks, the genius of its philosophers and theologians, the heights of perfection reached by its mystics and saints, and the sacrifices made by hundreds and thousands of anonymous men and women to feed the poor and nurse the sick. " " " It is an indisputable fact," Dr. Herr writes, "that the Christian Church has done more to advance learning, to reduce human misery, and to promote what we consider to be civilized behavior than any other institution on earth. As appallingly brutal as European history during the Christian era sometimes has been, one shudders to think what that history would have been like had there been no church. " " " " Even while we acknowledge the church's faults, which have been many, we must keep in mind that the very moral standards which we use in making those judgments are, by and large, standards which the church itself has taught us. Had it not been for the church, we would not be who we are today. " " " Writing with the same concise authority and remarkable talent for making complex theological and political issues readily understandable which earned high critical praise and an enthusiastic readership for his Catholic Thinkers in the Clear: Giants of Catholic Thought from Augustine to Rahner, he brings Catholic history alive by linking issues with personalities and the context in which they thought and acted. " " This Our Church, while far from hostile exploration of Catholicism, is nonetheless quite objective and candid about the political intrigues, venality and ruthlessness of certain of its members in high places. As Dr. Herr puts it in his Conclusion: "All of us have been taught that the kingdom of God is not of this world, but too few of us remember that the church is not the kingdom of God. We have observed the process by which the church became intimately involved in worldly affairs, and there is every reason to assume that this involvement will continue as long as the church itself exists. " " " There is much talk today of the need for a fuller, richer appreciation and understanding of the Catholic heritage, of both its glories and its flaws.
There can be no better place to look for it than in the pages of this splendid book. " Contents includes: " Chapter 1 PAUL AND THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH Chapter 2 THE RISE OF HIERARCHY Chapter 3 CONSTANTINE AND THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT Chapter 4 ARIANISM, DONATISM, AND AN EMPIRE'S END Chapter 5 EPHESUS AND CHALCEDON: THE EAST-WEST FEUD BEGINS Chapter 6 THE NEW CHRISTIAN EMPIRE Chapter 7 DIVIDING THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH Chapter 8 MONASTICISM AND THE FEUDAL CHURCH Chapter 9 FROM CLUNY TO CANOSSA: THE ELEVENTH CENTURY REFORM Chapter 10 THE CHURCH MILITANT Chapter 11 THE RISE AND FALL OF THE LAWYER-POPES Chapter 12 INQUISITORS, MENDICANTS, AND THE REEMERGENCE OF THE LAITY Chapter 13 AVIGNON AND ITS AFTERMATH Chapter 14 REFORMATION EVE Chapter 15 REFORMATION: ACT ONE: THE CHALLENGE Chapter 16 REFORMATION: ACT TWO: THE ECHOES Chapter 17 REFORMATION: ACT THREE: THE RESPONSE Chapter 18 REFORMATION TO REVOLUTION: THE CHURCH IN FRANCE Chapter 19 THE TRIUMPH OF PAPALISM Chapter 20 BAPTIZING ALL NATIONS Conclusion
Index " This book is in very good to excellent condition with minor edgewear to the dust jacket.
No torn or ripped pages.
There are a few dirt smudges on the side edges of the pages, mostly visible from the side view.
No other markings or writing. | 
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