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

Christian tradition often seems to give only grudging approval to the married life, particularly its sexual aspect. In these sermons of St John Chrysostom we find an important corrective to this view. Although himself a monk, Chrysostom had a profound understanding of the needs of his congregation. Inspired by the epistles to the Corinthians and Ephesians, he discusses their reasons God …

The Quartodecimans were early Christians who maintained the tradition derived from Judaism, and observed Pascha on the same occasion that the Jews observed Passover. In this work, Alistair Stewart-Sykes, the leading authority on Melito and the Quartodecimans, presents a unique collection of material in a format ideal for classroom use as well as for the general reader. At the head of this …

St Irenaeus, the most important theologian of the second century, lays the foundation for all future Christian thinkers. Here he recounts all the various deeds of God, culminating in the exaltation of His crucified Son, Jesus Christ, and the bestowal of His Holy Spirit and the gift of a new heart of flesh.

Apostolic Tradition , as this text is best known, was identified in the early years of the twentieth century as the work of Hippolytus, a Christian leader from third-century Rome. The text provides liturgical information of great antiquity, and as such has been massively influential on liturgical study and reform, especially in western churches. Nonetheless, there have been a number of …

These six Lectures on the Christian Sacraments were delivered in Jerusalem in the middle of the fourth century. They belong to a period of rapid transition for the Church. Less than forty years before, Christianity had been an illegal religion, the object of intense persecution. Now it was the favored religion of the state. Potential converts thronged the shining new basilicas, built through …

St Cyprian, third-century bishop of Carthage, developed a theory of church unity almost universally accepted up to the European Reformation: to be a member of the Body of Christ you needed to be in communion with a priest who was in communion with a bishop who in turn was in communion with all other bishops in the world. But, how could you discern who was a legitimate bishop? And, on what kind …

St Cyprian, third-century bishop of Carthage, developed a theory of church unity almost universally accepted up to the Protestant Revolution: to be a member of the Body of Christ you needed to be in communion with a priest who was in communion with a bishop who in turn was in communion with all other bishops in the world. But, how could you discern who was a legitimate bishop? And, on what …

The last half of the twentieth century saw the establishment of the reputation of St Maximus the Confessor as the greatest of all Byzantine theologians, with a wholeness of vision that speaks directly to many of our concerns today. Until very recently, however, little of his work has been available in English translation, save for some collections of brief reflections arranged in centuries and …

St. John Damascene Is all Christian art fundamentally blasphemous? That was the question posed aggressively by the Christian iconoclasts of the eighth century in a bitter controversy. The resounding answer, "No" from John of Damascus helped to secure the future of art in the service of Christ. Without his brilliant defense, both profound and at times earthly, we might well have had …

Since the time of the early Church, Christians have honored Mary, the Mother of God, with special solemnity on August 15. From the sixth century on, that celebration has been explicitly associated with her death, as the culmination of a human life uniquely "full of grace," uniquely involved in the Mystery of our salvation and transformation in Christ. This volume brings together the …

St Basil the Great wrote his treatise On the Holy Spirit during the closing phase of the Trinitarian controversies of the fourth century. The Arians had previously denied the full divinity of the Son and the debate then turned to the Holy Spirit. In this work, without explicitly calling the Spirit "God," St Basil demonstrates that He, like the Son, is of one and the same nature with …

This informative and enjoyable little book serves as a valuable introduction to major themes in Greek Patristic anthropology-the image of God in the human being, the Fall of humanity, and the cause of evil-and brings together the main writings of St Basil the Great, fourth-century archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, on these subjects. St Basil deftly addresses the questions posed by the …

St Athanasius stood contra mundum for the Trinitarian doctrine 'whole and undefiled,' when it looked as if all the civilized world was slipping back from Christianity into the religion of Arius, into one of those 'sensible' synthetic religions which are so strongly recommended today and which then, as now, included among their devotees many highly cultivated clergymen. The glory of St …

These are the only three existing ante-Nicene treatises on the Lord's Prayer. Candidates for baptism in the ancient Church were trained in prayer, a practice that gave rise to a tradition of commentary on the Lord's Prayer. These classic texts became the starting points for many other commentaries. Of the three, however, only the discourse of Cyprian is an address to catechumens. Tertullian's …

Jacob of Serug was born at Curtem on the Euphrates, ca. 451. Very little is known of his life. He probably studies at the school of Edessa. He became a monk and priest. Early in life he began writing and is thought to have composed more than 700 homilies. Jacob, "flute of the Holy spirit and harp of the faithful church," has a great love of the Mother of God. In this volume, four …

Three volume set of the Ethical Discourses of St Symeon the New Theologian. St Symeon was abbot of the monastery of St Mamas in Constantinople at the turn of the eleventh century. He was also perhaps the most remarkable and certainly the most forceful advocate of the mystical experience of God in the history of the Byzantine Church. This set includes: Volume I — The Church and the Last …

St Symeon the New Theologian was abbot of the monastery of St Mamas in Constantinople at the turn of the eleventh century. He was also perhaps the most remarkable and certainly the most forceful advocate of the mystical experience of God in the history of the Byzantine Church. Though they were on occasion suppressed by ecclesiastical authorities wary of his fierce enthusiasm, as well as his …

St Symeon the New Theologian was abbot of the monastery of St Mamas in Constantinople at the turn of the eleventh century. He was also perhaps the most remarkable and certainly the most forceful advocate of the mystical experience of God in the history of the Byzantine Church. Though they were on occasion suppressed by ecclesiastical authorities wary of his fierce enthusiasm, as well as his …

St Symeon the New Theologian was abbot of the monastery of St Mamas in Constantinople at the turn of the eleventh century. He was also perhaps the most remarkable and certainly the most forceful advocate of the mystical experience of God in the history of the Byzantine Church. Though they were on occasion suppressed by ecclesiastical authorities wary of his fierce enthusiasm, as well as his …

None of the Fathers of the early church is better known or loved than St John Chrysostom, and none of his works is more popular than On the Priesthood. Its stylistic brilliance demonstrates the appropriateness of St John's enduring title, "the golden-mouthed." Yet the rhetorical eloquence of the work is not simply camouflage for lack of substance. As Graham Neville observes in his …

The resurrection of the body, perhaps more than any other Christian doctrine, requires us to face the implications of faith for our personal lives and for our understanding of the world. This issue faced St Paul in his dealing with the early church and also troubles St Gregory of Nyssa in the fourth century AD . St Gregory, educated in the prevailing Greek philosophical system, yearned to …

In the early fifth century the Christian world was racked by one of the fiercest theological disputes it had known since the Arian crisis of the previous century. The center of debate turned on the nature of the personhood of Christ, and how divine and human characteristics could combine in Jesus without rendering his subjectivity hopelessly divided, or without reducing his authentic humanness …

The sermons of St John Chrysostom are noted as classical commentaries on the Christian life. Knowing well the realities of life in the world, the temptation of rich and poor alike, this great orator — "the golden-mouthed" — addresses the questions of wealth and poverty in the lives of people of his day. And yet, as the modern reader is confronted with his words, it …

V ery often in the history of Christianity, "reformers", by whatever name, have aspired to return to "the early Church". The Church of their own day, for whatever reason, fails to live up to what they think Christianity should be: in their view there has been a falling away from the beautiful ideals of the early Church. Kenneth Whitehead shows in this book how the early Church has, in fact, not …

The first serious journalistic investigation of the highly secretive, controversial organization Opus Dei provides unique insight about the wild rumors surrounding it and discloses its significant influence in the Vatican and on the politics of the Catholic Church. Opus Dei (literally “the work of God”) is an international association of Catholics often labeled as conservative who …

Dom Alcuin Reid, OSB How has the Liturgy of the Roman rite developed and changed in history before and after the Council of Trent? What principles have determined the boundaries of legitimate liturgical reform over the centuries? What was the Liturgical Movement? Did Guéranger, Beauduin, Guardini, Parsch, Casel, Bugnini, Jungmann, Bouyer and the Movement's other leaders know and respect these …

Here are the important and influential writings of a Christian mystic and early father of the Church. Origen (c. 185-254) was born in Alexandria and lived through the turbulent years during the collapse of the Roman Empire. 

An updated version of the critically acclaimed and best-selling reference work first published in 1995. Still the most comprehensive single-volume compendium on the Church's past - from Pentecost morning to today's pontiff. - OSV's Encyclopedia of Catholic History, Revised , gives you: -Some 2,750 entries based on more than 1000 sources -An easy-to-use alphabetical format and a reader-friendly …

This famous 5th-8th grade level U.S. history textbook writ-ten in 1940 reflects both Catholic faith and patriotic love of country. With 55 chapters, plus Study Questions and other Activities, it teaches a lot in a simple manner, including the early exploration and settlement of the United States, California missions, French and Indian War, War of Independence, birth of the U.S., War of 1812, …

Edited by Brother Francis Mary, F.F.I. The many gifts Padre Pio had such as the stigmata, bilocation, miraculous scents, prophecy, reading hearts, healing, interpreting languages and many other charisms, rank him among the most extraordinary Saints in the two-thousand year history of the Church. Padre Pio—The Wonder Worker not only examines these gifts close up and from different perspectives, …

Probably written in 406-408, this dialogue between an unidentified bishop and Theodore, a deacon of the Church of Rome, has as its aim to point out Chrysostom as a model of what a true Christian bishop should be. 

Stephen K. Ray and R. Dennis Walters C tholics revere the pope as the head of their Church; but how much do we know about the papacy itself? This guide will lead you to a deep understanding of the Holy Father's office.  Here you'll find answers to common objections to the papacy, a discussion of historically prominent popes, and explanations of terms such as papal infallibility . Each …

The fascinating and highly relevant history of the turbulent relationship between the United States and the Holy See, recounted and analyzed by Italian journalist and Vatican insider Massimo Franco Drawing on unique access to the archives of the Holy See and a range of sources both in Washington, D.C. and Rome, Parallel Empires charts the path of U.S.-Vatican relations to reveal the dramatic …

This monumental classic collection studies the ancient Christian writers and their teachings about the early church.

By and large, we know little about St. Paul, yet he has had a greater impact on the development of Christianity than any other person except Christ himself. In this book, Stephen Tomkins gives us a lively and accessible introduction to Paul’s life. He paints a vivid picture of the world into which Paul was born – the Graeco-Roman culture and the Jewish religion and customs. He …

Longfellow's tribute to the famous revolutionary hero begins with a stirring cadence that American school children have committed to memory for over a century. Now illustrator Ted Rand brings these vivid and beautiful lines to life with rich, luminous paintings that are as dramatic as the poet's immortal message.

How tired Pauline looked! How thin and pale she seemed, leaning against her pillows as the coach rattled its way from France toward Italy. Everyone knew she did not have long to live. But Pauline was convinced that the little martyr Philomena would grant a cure at her shrine in Mugnano. When Pauline finally arrived at the shrine, the towns-folk quickly learned she was seeking a miracle. So …

    Limited availability.  Please call if you need this item right away.  Xenophon This historical account tells of Xenophon's march with the Ten Thousand against the Persians.

Philip II William Thomas Walsh Walsh's greatest book - about Europe's most powerful king. But more, it is a panorama of the entire 16th century. Covers the birth of Protestantism and the secret efforts to undermine Catholic unity, the Huguenot wars in France, the Sack of Rome, Great Siege, Battle of Lepanto, Spanish Armada, Council of Trent, etc. ; and, Henry VIII, Mary Tudor, Elizabeth I, St. …

Philip II . By William Thomas Walsh. Walsh's greatest book -- about Europe's most powerful king ever. But more, it is a panorama of the entire 16th century. Covers the birth of Protestantism and the secret efforts to undermine Catholic unity, the Huguenot wars in France, the Sack of Rome, Great Siege, Battle of Lepanto, Spanish Armada, Council of Trent, etc.; and, Henry VIII, Mary Tudor, …

The first one-volume history, based on the Vatican archives, of Pope Pius XII and his dealings with the contesting powers and with the Jews during World War II.

The Place of the Patriarchs of Antioch traces with broad strokes the prestigious history of the Church of Antioch from St. Peter to Patriarch Maximos V Hakim. Exarch Elias presents—in the style of Eusebius’ Church History —an erudite account of the prominent role Antioch played in the Church’s missionary, dogmatic and cultural development. This son of Antioch recounts …

    A personal portrait, by a leading Vatican correspondent, of Pope Benedict XVI. Crossroad presents the authoritative biography from the leading Vatican journalist and closest observer of Joseph Ratzinger. After three decades of reporting for Germany's major newspaper, Dr. Heinz-Joachim Fischer now presents a profound look at the life of this complex German Cardinal & Pope, as …

A wonderful and fascinating biography of the man who is Pope Benedict XVI - truly a Servant of Truth. Do you know the real Pope Benedict? Journalist Peter Seewald does. After writing an unfair attack on Cardinal Ratzinger, he was urged by Catholic readers to meet with the man he was maligning. He did so—and the result was two book-length interviews, Salt of the Earth and God and the …

Patrick Madrid Answers to 30 Arguments that Mythed the Mark "As a Protestant minister, I sincerely believed and enthusiastically taught almost all the papal fictions which this book so deftly unmasks.  In a very readable style, it catalogs and refutes those fictions charitably and completely.  Had it been available when I first began to be drawn to the Church, my journey home …

Pope Pius VII Robin Anderson A fascinating historical biography of a pope who was never supposed to have been elected. Covers Napoleon, the restoration of the Jesuits, Catholic emancipation of England, Jansenism, Gallicanism, Josephism and Regalism - all various forms of Liberalism which infects the Church yet today! Elected in 1800, he outlived most of the Church's enemies. Imprimatur.

Margherita Marchione Pope Pius XII continues to be the target of attacks by writers critical of his supposed failure to intervene decisively on behalf of the Jews during the time of the Nazi Holocaust. In this volume, Margherita Marchione sets the record straight. Backed by impressive research, Marchione surveys the role of the austere but politically savvy Pontiff during World War II. She …

Robert Royal With the election of Pope Benedict XVI, the world again witnessed the pomp and honor of the Swiss Guard, the Pope's Army. Bestselling author and Crisis columnist Robert Royal recounts the colorful history of the military guard that has witnessed every major Vatican event for half a millennium.

The Pope, the Council, and the Mass, the definitive response to “Traditionalist” Catholics when first published in 1981, has been updated to include the developments from the time of the first publication up to, and including, the beginning of the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI. In addressing the concerns raised by the followers of the late Archbishop Lefebvre and other …

The Popes Against Modern Errors In 1789, the French Revolution took place and launched a host of religious, political and social errors which the Popes for over 160 years afterwards wrote and legislated against. Yet most of these errors have spread and today have filtered down to the common man ... with the result that most people now take for granted many fundamental assumptions that are …

Hans Urs von Balthasar Von Balthasar presents one of the few serious studies available on the thought of one of the most important, and yet most neglected Fathers of the Church, Gregory of Nyssa. He was the most profound Greek philosopher of the Christian era, a mystic and an incomparable poet whom St. Maximus designated as the "Universal Doctor" and the Second Council of Nicaea declared him …

Eva K. Betz This is an exciting historical novel about the then famous Father Farmer’s life and experiences in colonial America. The story starts in New Jersey where the priest encounters much danger and excitement while riding circuit, providing Mass and the sacraments to people who had not heard Mass for years. But the main story surrounds Father Farmer’s adventures helping a man solve the …

Marghheruta Guarducci, acclaimed scholar of ancient literature, extending her research to various disciplines, such as philology, ancient history, archaeology and epigraphy, demonstrates how they contribute toward clarifying and resolving a centuries-old problem: the primacy of the Church of Rome over the other Christian Churches. The resulting picture spans over two millennia of history, …

Rev. D. I. Lanslots, O.S.B. How did the Catholic Church get started? Here is recorded the exciting history of the Catholic Church, beginning with the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles on Pentecost Sunday and continuing through the death of St. John the Evan-gelist at the end of the first century. The author relates all the principal events in the dramatic founding of the Catholic …

A Privilege of the Ordained Michael Davies This booklet presents the truth about Communion in the hand. Our Lord said at the Last Supper “This Is My Body”. Pope John Paul II at one time reminded us that: “To touch the Sacred Species, and to distribute them with their own hands, is a privilege of the ordained one.” This booklet shows that at a time of decreasing respect for the Blessed …

The writings of Pseudo-Macarius, a Syrian monk of the 4th century, bring to Western Christianity a holistic “heart” spirituality that offers a necessary complementarity to the “head” spirituality of the West. The homilies reveal the typical traits of Eastern Christian asceticism and The Great Letter instructs the monastic community. 

Louis de Wohl The famous novelist de Wohl presents a stimulating historical novel about the great St. Thomas Aquinas, set against the violent background of the Italy of the Crusades. He tells the intriguing story of St. Thomas who defied his illustrious, prominent family's ambition for him to have great power in the Church by taking a vow of poverty and joining the Dominicans.   The …

Joseph Ratzinger, 58 years old, German, renowned theologian, Cardinal Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (the former Holy Office), which is the most important Vatican curial office, charged with the preservation and promotion of Catholic orthodoxy. Vittorio Messori, 44 years of age, a writer and journalist whose books of religious essays are world-wide best …

The first substantial assessment of Benedict XVI's theological vision Illuminates his relation to other thinkers and the Catholic tradition Looks at his theological influences and how these shape his strategic priorities A general introduction to the theology of Pope Benedict XVI, including his approach to issues in moral and political theology, ecclesiology, liturgy, interpretations of the of …