Summary
There are probably many landmarks in the history of the Catholic Church. How we define them and select them is sometimes a matter of “taste.” But there are some of them that are commonly considered very significant, having left a strong impact on the state of the Church. The ones I chose for this book are perhaps personal, and yet they represent events that had an enormous impact on the Church’s history. Just think of issues such as the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Protestant Reformation, the Holocaust, and several more.
What all of them also have in common is that they are disputed, challenged, and contested—ripe for discussion and open to various interpretations. What I try to do in this book is to separate truths from untruths, facts from fictions, information from disinformation.
The problem is that there are many biased opinions about these events. Albert Einstein was right when he warned us, “It is easier to split atoms than prejudices.” But let’s at least give it a try with this book.
| |
|
1. DID THE CHURCH SELL HERSELF TO THE ROMAN EMPIRE? 2. DID THE CHURCH ADD HER OWN BOOKS TO THE BIBLE? 3. WAS THE CHURCH TAINTED BY EMPEROR CONSTANTINE? 4. DID THE CHURCH CAUSE THE COLLAPSE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE? 5. DID THE CHURCH DESTRUCT HERSELF WITH THE CRUSADES? 6. DID THE CHURCH VEER OFF TRACK WITH THE INQUISITION? 7. DID THE CHURCH CAUSE THE PROTESTANT UPHEAVAL? 8. DID THE CHURCH LOSE HER CREDENTIALS WITH SCIENTISTS? 9. WAS THE CHURCH OVERTHROWN BY THE ENLIGHTENMENT? 10. DID THE CHURCH REJECT THE SIGNS OF THE TIME? 11. DID THE CHURCH PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE HOLOCAUST? 12. DID THE CHURCH CAUSE TROUBLE WITH VATICAN II?