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The History of the Catholic Church: Tradition and Innovation cover art

The History of the Catholic Church: Tradition and Innovation

Written by: Christopher M. Bellitto
Narrated by: Christopher M. Bellitto
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Publisher's Summary

Take an unforgettable journey through the entire span of the Catholic Church's existence. In this essential course, The History of the Catholic Church: Tradition and Innovation, acclaimed historian and award-winning professor Dr. Christopher Bellitto (PhD, Fordham University) breathes new life into two millennia of history.

The chronicle of Catholicism can seem daunting: full of names, dates, places, and phrases. Getting ahold of such a rich and diverse history requires guidance and a skillful approach.

In this brilliant survey course, you'll explore traditions of belief and innovate ways to describe, share, and live that faith. With Dr. Bellitto as your guide, you'll look at the major periods of church history: early, medieval, reformation, and modern. As you take this journey, you'll examine changes and continuities across the centuries.

In "Early Church", you'll see how a small group of believers spread the faith in a hostile pagan world. Then, in "Medieval Church", you'll see how popes and kings, bishops, and local lords fought to control the church as believers in the pews and plazas rediscovered the human Jesus of the Gospels. Meanwhile, religious life adapted as Christianity encountered new cultures. "Reformation Church" considers how the church recovered from its late medieval controversies and bridged the gap between science and religion. Finally, "Modern Church" explores how Vatican II has transformed Catholicism as it strides into its third millennium.

Dynamic and insightful, this course is a must-have resource. By understanding the history of the church, you will understand its fascinating past as it journeys into the future.

©2017 Now You Know Media, Inc. (P)2017 Now You Know Media, Inc.

What the critics say

"Dynamic and accessible, Professor Christopher Bellitto breathes life into Church history in ways that resonate with the experiences of contemporary audiences. Weaving solid scholarship with engaging stories he brings fresh perspectives to the events and people that influence the rich diversity of the Roman Catholic tradition." (Dr. Carmen Nanko-Fernández, associate professor of Hispanic theology and ministry, Catholic Theological Union)

"Prof. Bellitto is one of the best contemporary historians of Christian history. His profound knowledge of the subject matter, decades of teaching, eloquent and effective communication skills, make his work an indispensable reference for anyone interested in the thousand year-old Christian story." (Ines Angeli Murzaku, PhD, professor of church history, Seton Hall University)

"One discovers in Professor Bellitto that all too rare combination of scholarly expertise and exquisite communicator. His lectures weave humor with erudition, prophetic challenge with passion for the people of God, and historical objectivity with deep care." (Elena Procario-Foley, Driscoll professor of Jewish-Catholic studies, Iona College)

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Ok, but......

This presentation on the history of the Roman Catholic Church was ok, however, it seems to have been whitewashed and neglected historical facts for popular myth in some areas. For example, some key historical Protestant figures were/are presented as being relatively benign and justified in their causes (implicitly) without fully expounding the dark sides of their nature. Martin Luther was vile, vengeful, and hateful....for his time (not to mention ours). In 1511 he visited Rome on Monastic business, but he did not lose his faith because of any abuses he saw there. He returned to Germany as strong in his Catholic faith as he had been prior to his visit. It was only years later, after he had been excommunicated from the Church, that he wrote to say he had found Rome "a sink of iniquity, its priests infidels, the Papal courtiers men of shameless lives," and that his reverence for Rome had been turned into loathing. But he was interpreting an earlier state of mind in the light of subsequent prejudices. In reality, letters written by Luther after his return from Rome speak of the Pope with the utmost respect. His “Against the Murderous, Thieving Hordes of Peasants", in which he called on the nobility to suppress the rebellion (a.k.a The Peasants Revolt) with all necessary violence, which they did with ferocious efficiency, killing 100,000. He married a nun whom he helped "escape" from a monastery. Several years later Luther’s break with Christian teaching on marriage was made complete when he advised Philip, landgrave of Hesse, that he could enter into a bigamous marriage so long as he kept it secret. When word of it leaked out, Luther advised Philip to deny it, writing, “What harm is there in telling a good bold lie for the sake of making things better and for the good of the Christian Church?” Not to mention his utter hatred and support of Jewish ethnic cleansing. For a founder of a religion, basing his split from the Catholic Church due to Church corruption, that is hardly virtuous living and puts into question whether he started a Protestant revolt as opposed to reformation.
John Calvin was another gem. The death penalty was prescribed for adultery, blasphemy, idolatry, pregnancy out of wedlock, and striking a parent. It was also against the law in Calvinist Geneva to dance, sing (outside of church services), stage or attend theatrical plays, wear jewelry, or play cards or dice. He also had rival Protestants murdered like Michael Servetus when he visited Geneva. “If he [Servetus] comes [to Geneva], I will never let him depart alive.”
"Bloody Mary" Queen of Scots hardly deserved that title. Less than 300 Protestants revolutionaries bent on her overthrow were arrested, tried as heretics and executed for crimes against the crown.
However, Elizabeth I, who ushered in the first state-sponsored persecution of the Catholic Church in Europe since the Roman Empire, was mentioned as following after "Bloody Mary" but this horrible event was not.

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