Good, Popular Level Books on History of the Catholic Church

p.falk · **Posted:** Thu Sep 30, 2021 3:08 pm

A few years back I had mentioned getting "Triumph: The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church" but HW Crocker.

Some on here said that was a bit too much lionizing the Church... and not as good a source for solid information.
Not trying to stray too deeply into some of the more heady tomes out there. Are there any popular level books that you guys like?

I have Thomas Wood's "How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization".

Also, thinking about reading "The Catholic Church Through the Ages" by John Vidmar.

gherkin · **Posted:** Thu Sep 30, 2021 3:51 pm

I don't know of any. Interested to see if there are any recommendations....

Doom · **Posted:** Fri Oct 01, 2021 2:13 pm

I think 'good' and 'popular level' might be an oxymoron

Obi-Wan Kenobi · **Posted:** Fri Oct 01, 2021 10:49 pm

I don’t have a book to recommend. I don’t like either of your alternatives. Of them, Vidmar is less bad.

Servant of Guadalupe · **Posted:** Thu Oct 14, 2021 8:35 pm

I put this together earlier this year. I can fill it in a lot.

Quote:

This is a list for history from a Catholic worldview. It will help you understand the whole of history as the story of Salvation History. (Tree of Hate covers the Black Legend of Spain and Mexico and the author may or may not be Catholic). I can fill in the list with many more. I truly believe that to read these, in the order I give, would be quite transformative to the reader. It would be even better to read “The Confessions” of St. Augustine while reading Eusebius, some St. Teresa of Avila or St. John of the Cross as well as “The Political Writings of Vitoria” by Francisco de Vitoria while reading the books on Spain and Mexico, to read “The Way of a Pilgrim” while reading “The Russian Church”. To read “The Passion of Jesus” by St. Thomas More when reading “The Servile State” and “Characters of the Reformation” both by Belloc.

Even if you aren’t an avid reader and you want to take a bit longer, read these over a year or a year and a half. If you want it filled in with some more books, drag it out over a couple years. Just be consistent. It will transform how you see everything.

The 14 historical narrative books of Sacred Scripture (Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, Judges, 1&2 Samuel, 1&2 Kings, Ezra, Nehemiah, 1 Maccabees, Luke, Acts).

“A Father Who Keeps his Promises” - Scott Hahn

“History of the Church” - Eusebius

“History of the English Church” - Venerable Bede

“The Life And Religion of Mohammed : The Prophet of Arabia” - J. L. Menezes

“The Russian Church” - Nicholas Brian Chaninov

“Isabella of Spain” - William Thomas Walsh

“Characters of the Inquisition” - William Thomas Walsh

“Tree of Hate” - Philip Wayne Powell

“Mexico, a Land of Volcanoes” - Joseph Henry Leo Schlarman

“Letters of Cortes: The Five Letters of Relation from Fernando Cortes to the Emperor Charles V” - Hernán Cortés

“Philip II” - William Thomas Walsh

“The Servile State” - Hilaire Belloc

“Characters of the Reformation” - Hilaire Belloc

“Grand Orient Freemasonry Unmasked as the Secret Power Behind Communism” -George E. Dillon

“No God Next Door” - Michael Kenny

“Mexican Martyrdom” - Wilfred Parsons

“From Quebec to New Orleans: The Story of the French in America” - Joseph Henry Leo Schlarman

“The Long Loneliness” - Dorothy Day

“School of Darkness” - Dr. Bella Dodd

“A History of Philosophy” - Frederick Charles Copleston (start the series)

p.falk · **Posted:** Fri Oct 15, 2021 3:49 pm

Thanks for posting this.

Obi-Wan Kenobi · **Posted:** Fri Nov 26, 2021 10:52 pm

Joseph Henry Leo Schlarman was the fourth bishop of Peoria. There's a high school in the diocese named in his honor.

Good, Popular Level Books on History of the Catholic Church

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