History of the Catholic Church (James Hitchcock, 2012)

If it seems a little strange to see this book here alongside various random CD's, then congratulations, you are normal. Additionally, if it seems like an incredible undertaking to chronicle the entire history of the Catholic Church, then you are also normal. Nevertheless, as the token Protestant on the faculty at a Catholic seminary, I'm still at the level of introductory material. Hitchcock's book is a cross between a narrative and a reference book in that he's trying to unfold the story systematically, but sometimes the style gets a little jumpy among the numerous section headings. All in all, it was a good experience to read this, especially near the end as it covered a lot of terminology that gets thrown around at the seminary that I don't normally come into contact with in my own denomination. However, the reader should keep in mind that Hitchcock identifies "conservative" as does his publisher, Ignatius, but as long as the material is well-thought out and facts come before agenda, I'm fine with that. This book has given me plenty of ideas about what to read next, so mission accomplished.