The Oxford Dictionary of Popes (Oxford Quick Reference) - Softcover

Kelly, J. N. D.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0192820850 ISBN 13: 9780192820853

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1989

Synopsis

Since World War II and especially since the election of Pope John XXIII in 1958, the papacy--the oldest of all Western institutions--has attracted steadily growing interest from non-Christians as well as Christians.
Written for people of every religious allegiance and none, J.N.D. Kelly's biographical dictionary presents a wealth of information about the papacy and the astonishing succession of churchmen who have loomed large on the world scene for almost two thousand years. It contains concise accounts not only of all the officially recognized popes from St. Peter to John Paul II, but also of all their irregularly elected rivals, the so-called antipopes. It also includes an appendix which records the once generally accepted, but long since discarded, legend that at some date in the ninth, tenth, or eleventh century a female pope called Joan existed.
The Dictionary provides an entry for each pope and antipope which covers--except where (as in the early centuries) information is unavailable--his family and social background and pre-papal career, as well as his activities in office. Each entry has a separate select bibliography, usually including references to the primary source for the pope's life and his official acts. Arranged chronologically, the volume places each pope in the proper historical context and offers, in effect, a continuous history of the papacy.
Based on careful research, but eminently readable, this reference work reveals an extraordinarily diverse group of men who have designated themselves as St. Peter's successors, and records their varying involvement in great power politics, personal or family aggrandizement, patronage of the arts, theological controversy, or spiritual leadership. It presents a graphic and moving picture of the fluctuating fortunes of the Christian Church centered in Rome, sometimes submerged by secular forces, but at other times, staging a spectacular revival and confronting the world (as today) with a daunting challenge.

About this title

About the Author

J.N.D. Kelly is Canon of Chichester Cathedral, a Fellow of the British Academy, and since 1966 a member of the Academic Council of the Ecumenical Theological Institute, Jerusalem. He is the author of Early Christian Creeds, Early Christian Doctrines, The Epistles of Peter and of Jude, and Jerome.

Review

"Fills a big gap among existing reference books....Kelly is not only a distinguished church historian but also an elegant stylist, and the dictionary is very much a book to read or to browse in as well as one to consult."--The New York Times

"A scholarly and useful who's who of popes....Much...can be gleaned from Kelly's fascinating book."--Times Literary Supplement (London)

"A miracle of compression and balance."--The Economist

"A rich mine of arcane nuggets."--Time

"Extremely well-written....An entertaining read for those of any religion or of none; for the Christian community it is of great significance in these days of ecumenical overtures; for the scholar it is invaluable."--Church Times

"The ideal reference book: Well-written and thoroughly indexed, it also exhibits fine scholarship. Highly recommended."--Library Journal

"A fascinating volume...handy, readable, illuminating....Each entry is a little masterpiece."--Daily Telegraph

"Kelly's portrayals are judicious and succinct....The arrangement makes for ease of reference and invites one to trawl happily for pieces of curious or idle information."--Country Life

"In this book, Kelly fills a real need for a papal who's who. Essential for anyone wishing to mug up a pope, it's chronological arrangement and lively narrative make it readable as history in itself."--Today

"A book for Catholics, a book for Christians, a book for historians, and just about anyone interested in that oldest of all continuous Western institutions, the papacy."--The Santa Cruz Sentinel

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1989
• ISBN 10: 0192820850
• ISBN 13: 9780192820853
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 368