28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A necessary overview of church history, February 11, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: The Compact History of the Catholic Church (Paperback)
Any student of church history should begin with this book. It provides an overview of the Church and places current teachings in historical perspective. I have found this book to be an excellent gift for non-catholics who have a limited view of the church and its effect upon history.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Filling a tall order, January 31, 2008
This review is from: The Compact History of the Catholic Church (Paperback)
Covering 2000 years of history in the space of a pocket-sized book of less than 200 pages is a tall order indeed. Dr. Schreck pulls off this seeming-miracle somehow and fills that tall order with perhaps the most concise yet fact-filled history of the church yet provided.
Beginning with the Roman Catholic understanding of the church as a foundational chapter, Dr. Schreck then takes us on a whirlwind tour of the centuries. He begins the tour with a wonderful overview of the apostolic and early church fathers of the first 6 centuries. This is the time that truly defined how the church would be governed and the development of understanding her sacraments. Then, Dr. Schreck guides us through the two chapters devoted to the key people and events of the middle ages and around the rocks of schisms, reforms, and heresies. Dr. Schreck does not ignore the issues of crooked church leaders or the evils inherent in temporal powers too closely allied with the state. After this, Dr. Schreck guides us through the development of the church in the modern era of discovery, war, and challenging anti-theistic philosophies. In closing, he brings us to the post Vatican II church finding its identity in light of that council's focus. The final chapter summarizes key themes and gives us some insight into the veneration of Mary and her appearances and messages through church history. The close association of Mary with the church means that her messages at these sightings, though optional beliefs for individual catholics, will have an effect on the direction of the church as a whole. As our mother, she guides with the subtle loving touch of persuasion.
Dr. Schreck is immensely impartial in his coverage perhaps to a fault. For instance, he makes mention of Martin Luther's German translation of the scriptures leaving the reader to believe it to be the first of such translations. This sort of reporting has left many to conclude that the Catholic church actively suppressed translations into the vernacular as some insidious plot to keep the people ignorant. In the early church history, he refers to the confiscation of "Bibles" prior to the church defining a canon leaving the common assumption that the canon preceded and defined the church - when in fact, it was the persecution of which he writes that was a driving factor behind the determination of a canon of scripture in the first place. But, in all fairness to Dr. Schreck, an overview such as this cannot entirely cover all such misconceptions and falsehoods.
At first glance at the small size of this little book, I doubted it could be of much use in understanding the church's history. I was very pleasantly surprised at the depth of coverage Dr. Schreck managed in so few words. Many will find larger, more thorough works too daunting and so go on with little knowledge of the church's history. Dr. Schreck has given us a handy tool for understanding our Christian heritage - including our mistakes, heartaches, and successes as a continuous family of faith. As I read, I could not help but think of Dr. Noble's course,
Popes and the Papacy: A History (Great Courses The Teaching Company), as a good resource to follow up this work. In addition, for the more stout of heart, Will Durant's History of Civilization series of books are unmatched in their depth and readability.
Dr. Schreck's work is a wonderful little book for the flyover view. He gives the student of history the signposts for what might interest them more within that 2000 year history. This work fills a tall order indeed.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect For Your First Journey Into Church History, March 19, 2001
This review is from: The Compact History of the Catholic Church (Paperback)
This book is not intended to the complete history. It is intended to be the concise history of the Church. What is geat here is that the different periods of the church are explained warts and all. If you don't know a lot about the history of the Catholic Church, this is a great place to start. If you find this interesting and want to know more, there are other works that deal with the history in more detail.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
