History is a chronological record of significant events (as affecting a nation or institution) often including an explanation of their causes or a branch of knowledge that records and explains past events. In this category you will find our history books - general surveys of history and books related to specific periods of history in the Church such as the Patristic Era or the Middle Ages.

"History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time; it illuminates reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in daily life, and brings us tidings of antiquity." Cicero

Available Spring 2009 This powerful book presents documents on a span of time that begins with the war between the Communists and Chinese Nationalists in the mid 1940's and continues until 1983, shortly before the phrase of "modernization" promoted by Deng Xiaoping after the death of Mao. They cover four crucial decades in contemporary Chinese history. These documents are the memoirs …

A simple walk through Washington, D.C., began a profound journey of personal discovery and renewal for Newt Gingrich, one of America's most influential politicians and commentators, and a recent convert to Catholicism. At the National Archives, the immortal words from the Declaration of Independence that we "are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights," jumped off the …

The Reform of Renewal Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R. This clear and unequivocal call for personal reform as the basis of authentic renewal in society and in the Church is rooted in several sources. The work of an internationally recognized Biblical scholar (Rudolph Schnackenburg) is woven in with the observations of contemporary social critics as well as behavioral scientists. The author …

Today in America, some invoke a mythical constitutional principle "separation of Church and State" to inhibit the free exercise of religion. The tension between the authority of God's law on earth and the secular authority has a long and winding history. In this booklet, the VERY REV. BEDE JARRETT traces the difficulties in this struggle. While he concentrates on how the relationship between …

Mike Aquilina’s The Resilient Church is an erudite but highly readable illustration of Pope Benedict XVI’s remark that the Lord “encounters us ever anew” in the pages of Church history. Aquilina takes us on a fascinating ramble through the past two thousand years that ultimately delivers a powerful message: No matter how hard the going gets, God does not abandon his …

Louis de Wohl This is a stirring novel which deals reverently but realistically with the fascinating life and era of St. Augustine, one of the most remarkable men of all time.   In his vigorous and inimitable style, Louis de Wohl tells the story of St. Augustine's transformation from a vain, sensual youth to the brilliant, devout writer and theologian - the man who conquered himself as …

A sequel to "The Death of Christian Culture," this spiritual treatise covers social, cultural, and political topics. It explores the importance of religious knowledge and faith to the health of a culture, provides a historical sketch of the change in cultural and educational standards over the last two centuries, and illustrates how literary and other visual arts either contribute to …

There have occurred in the Catholic Church since Vatican Council II the most sweeping and revolutionary changes in her near 2,000-year history. One might even say the Church has adopted a totally new and different direction - so much so, for example, that the eminent Catholic writer-publisher, Frank J. Sheed, could write a book after Vatican II (1968) entitled Is It the Same Church? Whence …

Sir Martin Gilbert Distinguished historian Gilbert explores the courage of those who took incredible risks to help Jews whose fate would have been sealed without them. Those who hid Jews included priests, nurses, teachers, neighbors and friends, employees and colleagues, soldiers and diplomats, and, above all, ordinary citizens.

A relentless band of propagandists has convinced much of the world that Pope Pius XII and the Catholic Church, in the face of the great moral crisis of the twentieth century, were little more than Nazi lapdogs. The myth of “Hitler’s pope,” however, is grounded not in the facts of history but in the ideological agenda of Pius’s detractors. Given unprecedented access to …

Warren H. Carroll This comprehensive history of international presents the whole mighty drama of the establishment of Communist rule over one-third of the world, from the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 to its almost miraculous defeat in Russia in 1991. A well-documented narrative with the power of a great novel, this is a landmark historical work, a panoramic presentation of the central theme of …

The Rise And Growth Of The Anglican Schism Rev. Dr. Nicholas Sander Fr. Edward Rishton First written c. 1573, this is the "earliest, most trustworthy account"of the Reformation in England. Contains documentation that defies description, such as, that Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's 2nd "wife," was actually his illegitimate daughter. Later finished by Fr. Rishton, the whole ghastly story of the …

Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way Pope John Paul II Following the success of the international bestseller Crossing the Threshold of Hope, Pope John Paul II provides the world with a glimpse into his past in RISE, LET US BE ON OUR WAY. Chronicling the years he spent as a bishop and later archbishop in Krakow, Poland through his election as the first Polish Pope in 1978, he recounts everything from …

The inside story of how Pope Benedict XVI was elected and where he will take the Catholic Church. On April 18, 2005, the College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church gathered to elect a successor to Pope John Paul II. Faced with several potential candidates, the cardinals made a bold choice, entrusting the Keys of the Kingdom to 78-year-old Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of …

Sociologist Rodney Stark combines his expertise in social science with historical evidence to offer a provocative report. Stark finds that early Christianity attracted the privileged rather than the poor, and that Christianity's astounding dominance of the Western world arose from its offer of a better, more secure way of life. Index. 9 photos. Map. Tables.

Donald Kirk and Russell Kirk This Catholic historian explores the theories our Founding Fathers drew from to design the American governmental system, tracing our American notions of justice and social order from Old Testament times to the present day. In this now classic work, Russell Kirk describes the beliefs and institutions that have nurtured the American soul and commonwealth of the …

Karl Adam The main reason we decided to republish this wonderful little book by Professor Karl Adam is that I wish someone had given it to me years ago when I was a young Lutheran or later when I was a Protestant pastor.  Like most Protestants, I understood the Reformation from only one perspective.  I had never truly considered, nor listened to, the Catholic side because I had never …