someone asked

[franksolich]

A member here asked me a question, about an "unbiased" history of the Roman Catholic Church; he was hesitant about bringing up the matter in a public forum, because of the storm and fury such a discussion might raise, and so I'm sticking my own neck out for him.

No Catholic versus Protestant arguments, please; don't go there.

Simply discussion of what one found to be a good history of the Roman Catholic Church.

I suggested Paul Johnson's A History of Christianity, published during the late 1970s.  It's a very long book, though, and might not be to everyone's tastes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Johnson_%28writer%29

Paul Johnson's credentials as a cerebral conservative are solid; he beats skeptics and grouches such as Steven Hawkins or Richard Dawkins all to Hell, or that one guy who recently died, Christopher Hitchens or something.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_History_of_Christianity_%28Paul_Johnson%29

Over my own life, I've read many pro-Catholic and anti-Catholic histories, but never found an "unbiased" one.  Johnson's book however has been about the closest to that that seems humanly possible.

But because of its length--although it's far from uninteresting or boring; in fact, it's rather witty and with gentle humor--it might not be everybody's idea of a "good" book. 

Does anyone have any other suggestions about an unbiased history of the Roman Catholic Church?

[Rugnuts]

i would be interested in a decent "cliff notes" size, side by side, unbiased comparison of all the christian denominations.
if anyone knows of a link to something like that i would like to "educate" myself. wiki gives too much info. and i lose my train of thought sifting through it.

[debk]

i would be interested in a decent "cliff notes" size, side by side, unbiased comparison of all the christian denominations.
if anyone knows of a link to something like that i would like to "educate" myself. wiki gives too much info. and i lose my train of thought sifting through it.

Episcopal Church is the Amercian version of the Church of England. I was raised in the Episcopal Church as was my dad, whose father was raised in the Church of England (in England). My ex was raised Episcopal in Nebraska and my children were raised Episcopal here in TN.

Often referred to as "Catholic Lite" by it's members,for good reason. I remember as a kid the difference was described as Catholics have lots of kids and no money, and are Democrats. Episcopalians have fewer children, more money and are Republican.  

The Church of England came about because good ole Henry VIII wanted a divorce, and at the time, the Roman Catholic Church was THE only recognized religion of Europe.

The Pope would not grant Henry a divorce from his barren wife, so Henry decided he would start his "own" church that would grant him a divorce.

The primary difference is that the head of the Church of England and the Episcopal Church is the Archbishop of Canterbury, rather than the Pope. Another difference is that Episcopal priests may marry. Nuns, however, still can't, though I don't think there are many left these days.

In the Epicopal Church, divorce has always been allowed, as has remarriage. However, up until the very late 1960's or early 1970's, remarriage caused excommunication, IF the new spouse was divorced. If both spouses were widow(er)s, then excommunication did not happen. (my dad, a widower, remarried a divorcee in Aug 1966, and even though she had been divorced for about 14 yrs, he was still excommunicated.) I know they got remarried in the Church, in a very casual ceremony (just them and my little brother) sometime in the '70's. One was still allowed to go to Church, even though excommunicated, but not allowed to take communion.

Much like the Catholic Church, in order to become a member of the Church (parishioner), one must either produce their baptismal and confirmation certificates so that the Church can verify membership, or go through baptism if never done, and catechism classes to be confirmed.

Prayers and Mass format is almost identical. As are many of the hymns.

Also there is "High" Episcopal Church which is what I was raised in and even more similar to Catholic in the Mass and following the Holy Days of obligation, fasting, no meat on Fridays, etc. None of the Episcopal Churches here in Knoxville are what I would call "High Episcopal".

The Catholic Church I go to here is the Cathedral of the Diocese, and it's more like the High Episcopal that I grew up in rather than the Catholic Churches I have attended up north and in the midwest.

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The Episcopal Church has allowed women to be priests for at least 30 or so years. And some years ago, the Church also decided to allow people who were openly gays to be priests. A couple of years ago, an openly gay priest was made Bishop of the Boston Diocese.

Even before the priest was made Bishop, a lot of Episcopalians were dissatisfied with the way the Church was going and in some areas of the country, broke away and formed the Anglican Church (it may have more of a name than that) to get back to the "old ways" of the Episcopal Church and The Church of England.

It wasn't long after the gay priest became bishop, that the Pope decreed that confirmed Episcopalians could join the Catholic Church without going through catechism classes, if they could prove baptism and confirmation in the Episcopal Church. (how I'm in)