During four years in session; Vatican Council II held television audiences rapt with its elegant; magnificently choreographed public ceremonies; while its debates generated front-page news on a near-weekly basis. By virtually any assessment; it was the most important religious event of the twentieth century; with repercussions that reached far beyond the Catholic church. Remarkably enough; this is the first book; solidly based on official documentation; to give a brief; readable account of the council from the moment Pope John XXIII announced it on January 25; 1959; until its conclusion on December 8; 1965; and to locate the issues that emerge in this narrative in their contexts; large and small; historical and theological; thereby providing keys for grasping what the council hoped to accomplish.What Happened at Vatican II captures the drama of the council; depicting the colorful characters involved and their clashes with one another. The book also offers a new set of interpretive categories for understanding the council’s dynamics―categories that move beyond the tired “progressive†and “conservative†labels. As we approach the fiftieth anniversary of the calling of the council; this work reveals in a new way the spirit of Vatican II. A reliable; even-handed introduction to the council; the book is a critical resource for understanding the Catholic church today; including the pontificate of Benedict XVI.
#1221603 in Books Harvard University Press 2009-05-31 2009-03-02Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.10 x 1.30 x 5.40l; 1.15 #File Name: 0674032314448 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Four StarsBy Peter EldridgeInteresting1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. excellent book!By AnnaVMThis is a great book! It uses diaries written under Stalin to examine the formation of the "self" in the early 30s. It is truly an eye-opening work on how people living under that regime saw themselves and their role in building their new society. The "self-work" these people detail in their diaries lets us see the active role regular citizens played in the formation of the "new Soviet man". A groundbreaking work and really fascinating read.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Stunning; RevolutionaryBy Dsquared10Read this in college; and it is absolutely brilliant. A great in-depth look into the everyday life of those living under Stalin.
