The Church The Evolution of Catholicism [Paperback]

“The Churchis a lucid, balanced, and readable book—a work of integration that is always reasonable, well informed, honest, and deeply hopeful.”
—Commonweal

InThe Church,renowned religious historian andVaticanexpertRichard P. McBrien offers asweeping history of the evolution of the Roman Catholic Church, its influence  and power in an ever-changing world. From Jesus’s apostle Peter to Pope Benedict XVI,The Churchis a remarkable achievement that delves deeply into the past and the future of Christianity’s largest branch—in fact, the largest religious institution in the world—exploring its politics, doctrines, and the way the Roman Catholic Church views itself.

From the struggles of the very first Christians to the challenges and scandals of today, the Catholic Church has wrestled with how to organize itself, express its beliefs, and nurture its members. The Church has grown from a handful of disciples in the first century to over one billion members in the twenty-first, resulting in profound changes that demand a theological response. In this sweeping history, renowned scholar Richard McBrien revealsl³Ü