Catholic History for Today’s Church

How Our Past Illuminates Our Present
A modern classic illuminating the enduring relevance of the Catholic Church for today, now with a new foreword by Notre Dame historian James McGreevy.

A modern classic in the study of Catholic history, offering a clear, engaging account of how the Churchs past illuminates its present challenges. Written by one of the worlds most respected historians of Christianity, it introduces readers to Catholic history not as a static chronicle of events, but as a living tradition shaped by contingency, reform, conflict, and renewal.

Rather than providing a comprehensive institutional history, OMalley focuses on the moments, movements, and mentalities that have most decisively formed Catholic identity over time. It examines how the Church has responded to social change, political power, theological development, and cultural diversity, emphasizing history as an interpretive discipline ess