The Catholic Church: A Short History (Modern Library Chronicles)

In this extraordinary book, the renowned Hans Kung chronicles the Roman Catholic Church’s role as a world power throughout history. He examines great schisms — between East and West, Catholicism and Protestantism — the evolving role of the papacy and the stories of the great reforming popes; and the expansion of a global Church infrastructure. The book concluded with a searching assessment of how the Catholic faith will confront the immense challenges posed in the new millennium by the scientific community, by women questioning their role in the Church, and by those seeking reform of the strictures against abortion and contraception. The Catholic Church is a landmark book by a controversial and profoundly influential thinker.

Hans Kung obtained a doctorate in theology from the Sorbonne in 1957. He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1954. In 1962 he was named by Pope John XXIII a theological consultant for the second Vatican Council, and played the key role in the writing of Vatican II, which radically modernized key areas of Catholic teaching. His questioning of traditional Church doctrines led to a 1979 Vatican censure that banned his teaching as a Catholic theologian, provoking huge international controversy. A settlement was reached a year later. He lives and teaches in Tubingen, Germany. His many books include On Being a Christian and Christianity: Essence, History, and Future.