New Short History of the Catholic Church

Here is a one-volume history of the Christian people from Pentecost to the present day, with principal focus on the Catholic Church. Having passed AD 2000 it seems appropriate and necessary to have a new short history of the first two millennia of the Christian era. In the last half century there has been a massive amount of research into Church history, published in learned articles and in multi-volume works. Full notice is taken of these recent scholarly initiatives in writing this short account, which is also eminently readable. In each section there is a balance between the institutional and the more directly religious dimensions of the Church - here are some of the elements: bishops, canon law, charity, councils crusades, devotions, heresies, laity, liturgy, martyrs, missionaries, parishes, pilgrimages, popes, prayer, priesthood, religious orders, sacraments, schools, theologians, universities and the vita consacrata. The scope is wide; the pace of the narrative is attractive.

Dr Norman Tanner is a Jesuit priest and now Professor of Church History at The Gregorian University in Rome, Italy.

Tanner covers a tremendous amount of ground but never leaves the reader overwhelmed with dates and names ... If you want a reliable general survey of Church History, allowing you to see the woods for the trees, then this is the book for you. - The Catholic Times

An excellent overview of church history focussing mainly on Roman Catholicism and covering five periods... It includes a map of the Mediterranean world, a useful appendix listing ecumenical councils, a glossary of terms and a good bibliography and index. It will be a useful reference work, particularly for theological students and clergy, and will be a welcome addition to church history studies. - The Good Bookstall

In fewer than 250 pages Norman Tanner... manages to compress some 2,000 years of history in a fluent and engaging way... In a sparing and economical style [he] communicates the essential developments and events of the Catholic Church. However, he also manages to include a remarkable amount of specifics, accompanied by a sensitive understanding of the changing methodology of church history over the centuries. - The Pastoral Review Volume 7 Issue 6