Church history - Kevin L. Hughes

Delve into the exciting narrative that is the story of the Church's own
history. This well-researched, educational, and invaluable reference is sure to
inform members of the clergy, DREs, teachers and history buffs.

Church history is the story of faith handed on, of how fallible human
people, given by God to be members of the Body of Christ in the Church, have
struggled to live out the Gospel in the very concrete circumstances of their
lives for nearly two thousand years. If we stand within the Church, if we are
the Church, then it is our story. And when we learn the story of our struggles,
triumphs, and failures, we come to know more about who and what we are as a
community of faith.
-From the introduction

Catholic Basics: A Pastoral Ministry Series offers an indepth yet
accessible understanding of the fundamentals of the Catholic faith for adults,
both those preparing for lay ministry and those interested in the topics for
their own personal growth. The series helps readers explore the
Catholic tradition
and apply what they have learned to their lives and
ministry situations. Each title offers a reliable introduction to a specific
topic and provides a foundational understanding of the concepts.
Each book in
the series presents a Catholic understanding of its topic as found in Scripture
and the teachings of the Church. Each of the authors has paid special attention
to the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism of the Catholic
Church, so that further learning can be guided by these core
resources.
Chapters conclude with study questions that may be used for small
group review or for individual reflection. Additionally, suggestions for further
reading offer dependable guides for extra study.
The initiative of the
National Conference of Catechetical Leadership led to the development of an
earlier version of this series. The indispensable contribution of the series
editor, Dr. Thomas Walters, helped ensure that the concepts and ideas presented
here are easily accessible to a wide audience