Beyond the Empire: The Church in Rome From Constantine

O'Grady, an American correspondent living in Rome, weaves a compelling narrative that examines the Catholic Church's transformation of the role Rome has long played at the center of Western culture.

O'Grady places two statues, one dedicated to Constantine, the other to Charlemagne, at the beginning of his history of the church from the fourth century to the ninth--the era the two emperors bracket. Connecting Constantine to Charlemagne is as old as the Carolingian reconception of the empire after centuries of barbarian invasions and struggles with the East, and inserting the church into Roman history is as old as Luke's Gospel and the Acts. O'Grady makes the period accessible to a general audience, and comparing the present to that formative period in Catholicism is compelling. Particularly striking is the brief epilogue, in which Pope Gregory the Great's humility, "confidence in the laity and dialogue," and "pastoral flexibility and tact in building on neutral cultural practices" is contrasted with the image of "a John Wayne-pope." That contrast should pique the interest of those contemplating the papacy after John Paul II. A clear narrative of the period it treats that may facilitate greater clarity in considering the church today. Steven Schroeder
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O'Grady, a freelance writer who lives in Rome, details how the Church at Rome came to deal with problems of theology, evangelization and church membership, and the relationship between Christ and culture during the first 500 years of the Church's civil legitimacy. His study begins with the time of the emperor Constantine, who legitimated Christianity with the Edict of Milan, and concludes with Charlemagne, who was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III. As he recounts the time between these emperors, O'Grady discusses the papal politics that resulted in the dominance of Christian images in the city of the Caesars and in Rome's hegemony over the Christian cities of Constantinople and Ravenna. Throughout, he offers wonderful portraits of some of the period's great characters (e.g., Ambrose, Jerome, and Augustine). O'Grady's history can be profitably read by religious professionals and interested nonprofessionals alike; recommended for large public libraries as well as for the libraries of colleges and seminaries. David I. Fulton, Coll. of St. Elizabeth, Morristown, NJ
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