Where can I learn about church history?

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anendlesswaltz

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I hope this is in the right forum category. If not feel free to move it!

I would LOVE to learn about the earliest Christian church history and how we went from the book of Acts to the Catholic Church. I feel like, just stepping into learning about Catholicisim, that i’m finally getting Part 2 of a 2 part series, if you will! Its awe-inspiring, even just learning about Saint Patrick from a website or two. I always had the notion that God doesn’t do big miracles or healings or anything anymore that that’s all Acts stuff. But learning about the church and blessings and sacraments even with what little i understand…its amazing, awe-inspiring.

I would LOVE to learn more i just don’t know how? Or where? If anyone wants to help that would be great!

Also, bit of praise for God here i’m so happy about it. But today at work it was a rough day and i kept praying and kept John 14:27 and Matthew 11:28 in my mind it helped so much! It was amazing and awe-inspiring how quickly God helped me to get through my day today. I basically didn’t get lunch only breakfast and dinner but it didn’t really effect me at all.

Also if someone has an easy link or two that explains the Catholic faith that’d be great too. Thank you all so much! God bless.
 
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You could check out several important one-volume histories of the Catholic Church
by Catholics to see their coverage of the early Church. These are:

Philip Hughes. “Popular History of the Catholic Church.” amazon.com says this
costs $16. This stand-by has long been highly regarded by Catholics. Unfortunately,
it goes up to but does not cover the 20th century.

Crocker, H. W. “Triumph: the Power and Glory of the Catholic Church.” amazon.com
says this costs $17. This history of Catholicism has been much appreciated by
Catholics (though I never got around to reading this book myself). It covers
Catholic history up to Pope John Paul II.
 
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Thank you so much!! I will sit down and look at these and order them on Monday/Tuesday. I’m half asleep right now.
 
Thank you so much!! I will look at this to order it on Monday/Tuesday when i’m not half-asleep.
 
The Great Courses have a course (you can get in on DVD, video download or audio download) called A History of the Catholic Church. There is also another one on the history of the papacy, but I haven’t tried that one yet.
 
peter26 said:
The Great Courses have a course (you can get in on DVD, video download or audio download) called A History of the Catholic Church. There is also another one on the history of the papacy, but I haven’t tried that one yet.
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I just gifted myself with a Great Courses Plus subscription, and I am working my way thru History of Christianity. I can’t find one on specifically the Catholic Church, or the Papacy. The History of Christianity professor is a former Benedictine and priest; I’d be curious (but probably will never find out) what the back-story is there.

D
 
I think you will find great interest in eusebius church history
 
po18guy said:
There is a book entitled A Concise History of the Catholic Church by Fr. Thomas Bokenkotter. I have a copy, but have not yet read it. Reviews are all over the map. Can’t please all 1.2 billion members, I guess. I would check Amazon, eBay or ThriftBooks for a good used copy.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show...Church?from_search=true&qid=8CGFu7a1VK&rank=1
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I think I read that. It was concise. I wasn’t struck by too much progressivism - wanting to rewrite history or criticism.

Curiously, I have asked 2 priests to recommend a good
history of the Catholic church. Neither ever got back to me.
 
Thanks for your response. I had thought that the Great Courses Plus subscription gave access to all of their offerings. Obviously I was wrong 😮

D
 
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01637a.htm

There are books on the early church fathers…the Apostolic Fathers…some of whom knew the Apostles…you can’t get much farther back than them…EWTN bookstore plus many other Catholic online stores would have books…I have one by Pope Benedict XVI…CHURCH FATHERS from Clement of Rome to Augustine
 
If you have Amazon Prime, there was a great Prime Video documentary called “Saints and Sinners: History of the Popes” that gives you some history. I found it very fascinating. It is a three part miniseries that I think the BBC may have done.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B074XFT4TG/ref=atv_hm_hom_1_c_iEgOEZ_2_2

Also, Bishop Robert Baron’s Catholicism series is a good starting point too. It may not cover as much history as you like though.

As far as books go, I really liked the book by John Vidmar, OP called The Catholic Church through the ages. It was very easy to read and very informative.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/0809149044/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
Thank you for the Amazon Prime suggestion. I added it to my watch list.
 
I’m going to do something shocking–recommend a church history written by a Protestant–oooh!

Church History in Plain Language by Bruce L. Shelley (Thomas Nelson Publishers) was the first book I read as a full-fledged, enthusiastic, very active (in church ministries) Protestant that made me sit up and say, “Uh oh! I think that the Catholic Church is the THE Church that Jesus Himself founded! So why aren’t I Catholic?”

😮

It is a big fat book (over 500 pages), a true scholarly work with notes, but it’s easy to read, not ponderous. And it’s interesting and inspiring.

I’ve read several other church histories that literally were like reading Latin–simply too complex and academic for a working woman whose main reading time is during breaks and lunch at my hospital! Shelley’s book is awesome!

I would recommend getting it especially if you are involved in friendships with Protestants and have a desire to help them make a decision to become Catholic. It’s really hard to walk away from a book by a Protestant that defends the validity of the Catholic Church! Frankly, it’s hard for me to believe that the author is still Protestant!
 
Cours D’Histoire Ecclesiastique A L’Usage Des Grands Seminaires, Father Rivaux.

I am not sure there is an English translation. There are two volumes.
 
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