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FuzzyBunny116
Guest
Has anyone read this book? I’m reading it, and it appears too biased in favor of Catholics, and it seems to relentlessly attack Eastern Christianity in the early part of the book
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Katie1723
Guest
I read it and found in very informative. It is what I call “heavy reading” but it’s worth the effort.
Kathy
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Contarini
Guest
I thought it was very readable and enjoyable, but full of distortions and bigoted interpretations.
It’s a very misleading and dangerous book. I agree that the vicious attacks on Eastern Christianity are the most obviously objectionable element, but there are many others.
Granted, he’s only doing the same thing plenty of anti-Catholic writers do. But that doesn’t excuse him.
Edwin
It’s a very misleading and dangerous book. I agree that the vicious attacks on Eastern Christianity are the most obviously objectionable element, but there are many others.
Granted, he’s only doing the same thing plenty of anti-Catholic writers do. But that doesn’t excuse him.
Edwin
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prodigal
Guest
I’m three chapters in and find the book very engaging. I have encountered sections where I fell a bit overloaded by names and dates although I understand that is an expected consequence of cramming 2000 years of history into 300 pages.
I have not encountered anything heretical or troubling, but I’d be interested to know what sections others had concerns about.
I have not encountered anything heretical or troubling, but I’d be interested to know what sections others had concerns about.
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jimmy
Guest
I read the first 80 pages or so. You can’t fit 2000 years worth of history into 80 pages.
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mary_bobo
Guest
I am reading the book and enjoy it very much. But is the author really attacking Eastern Christianity or is he relating history? I have not found the book anti-Catholic as one post stated.
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JimmyV
Guest
Yes I read this book and found it a great read. A good overview of the history of the Church. I really did not find it “hard” on the Eastern Church, except to relate the fact that the East fell into heresy.
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LRThunder
Guest
I’m reading it right now. If it’s hard on anything, it’s Luther and the other early Protestant leaders (I’ve gotten through the Reformation so far).
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MJE
Guest
I don’t get the “anti-Catholic” interpretation. He is a R Catholic and did a show w/ Fr. C. John McCloskey on EWTN on Catholic history. Granted , the author is a convert but not an anti-Catholic Catholic?
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john_ennis
Guest
“Harry Crocker has written the best short history of the Church in English since the Second Vatican Council. In short, a Triumph.” Fr. C.J. McCloskey
director, Catholic Information Center
I thought the book was engaging and inspiring. That alone doesn’t guarantee accuracy, of course, but specifically, what was inaccurate about it?
Incidentally, I did see Crocker interviewed on EWTN, and the man sounded extremely informed.
Peace.
John
director, Catholic Information Center
I thought the book was engaging and inspiring. That alone doesn’t guarantee accuracy, of course, but specifically, what was inaccurate about it?
Incidentally, I did see Crocker interviewed on EWTN, and the man sounded extremely informed.
Peace.
John
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Contarini
Guest
mary bobo:
Yes, he’s even harder on the Protestants if possible. But he lost me way before then. I’m more sympathetic to a Catholic bashing the Protestants, anyway. We did cause a lot of trouble.
Edwin
He’s relating history with a very sharp edge. I’m afraid that everyone has bias, but some people do a better job of disciplining it than others. Crocker doesn’t even try.
Yes, he’s even harder on the Protestants if possible. But he lost me way before then. I’m more sympathetic to a Catholic bashing the Protestants, anyway. We did cause a lot of trouble.
Edwin
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DaveBj
Guest
Crocker’s book was very favorably reviewed in This Rock:
catholic.com/thisrock/2002/0209revw.asp
I read it and enjoyed it very much. I like it when a writer doesn’t call a spade a long-handled dirt-moving implement.
DaveBj
catholic.com/thisrock/2002/0209revw.asp
I read it and enjoyed it very much. I like it when a writer doesn’t call a spade a long-handled dirt-moving implement.
DaveBj
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Contarini
Guest
That’s not my problem with him. My problem is that he calls a violin a spade.
One note on the *This Rock *review. They praise him for citing “venerable secular histories” like the series written by Will and Ariel Durant. But the Durants were themselves writing (highly biased) popular history. I’ve checked some of Durant’s footnotes on the Reformation and he is himself citing fairly vague secondary sources. In other words, where a good popularizing work should be based on good secondary sources and some primary sources, Crocker’s work is based (in part) on a historian who cites historians who themselves may or not have actually consulted the primary sources. He’s three or four times removed from the evidence he should be basing his arguments on. It’s permissible to be perhaps two steps removed from the evidence when writing popular works–but not this far!
Edwin
One note on the *This Rock *review. They praise him for citing “venerable secular histories” like the series written by Will and Ariel Durant. But the Durants were themselves writing (highly biased) popular history. I’ve checked some of Durant’s footnotes on the Reformation and he is himself citing fairly vague secondary sources. In other words, where a good popularizing work should be based on good secondary sources and some primary sources, Crocker’s work is based (in part) on a historian who cites historians who themselves may or not have actually consulted the primary sources. He’s three or four times removed from the evidence he should be basing his arguments on. It’s permissible to be perhaps two steps removed from the evidence when writing popular works–but not this far!
Edwin
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FuzzyBunny116
Guest
I think I’m going to be forced to simply take whatever I find with a grain of salt. Can anyone recommend a less-biased book of the Catholic Church’s history?
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WanderAimlessly
Guest
All history books are biased. I just prefer them biased in favor of the Catholic Chuch. In fact, I have had this book for awhile and decided to start reading it based on the comments on this thread.
PF
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paula_s
Guest
I read this book cover to cover and throughly enjoyed it- Crocker’s humor helped me through some of the drier historical data. After I finished it I could only shake my head in wonder at the forces arrayed against the Church from the very beginning, which continue to this very day. Truly the gates of hell have not prevailed against the Catholic Church . Thanks be to God!
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WanderAimlessly
Guest
paula s.:
PF
I am about 40% through it (I am up to the Inquisition) and I have enjoyed it alot. Being a unofficial student of history, I have found the book a very good overview of Church history.
PF
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