Produced and designed in the United States of America by the Fathers and Brothersof the Society of St. Paul.

Includes bibliographical references.

From humble beginnings to Constantine -- The roots of Christianity -- The Apostolic Fathers of the church -- The Christian classical age of martyrs -- Institutional development -- Apologists -- Heresies and division show their heads -- The sprouting of monasticism -- Church gains freedom -- Ecumenical councils battle heresies -- The classical doctors of the church -- Major early heresies and schisms -- More upheaval in Roman Africa -- The first four ecumenical (general) councils -- Justinian the Great -- Further doctrinal discord and councils -- The reshaping of western Europe -- The invasion of southern Europe -- Social changes -- Monasticism expands -- New secular rulers and the church -- Emergence of papal monarchy -- Islamic invasions -- The donation of Pepin -- Charlemagne -- Conversion of northern European tribes -- Conversion of the Slavs -- The approach of the dark ages -- Reforms -- Monastic reform -- Attempted reform in the papacy -- Free papal elections -- Clashes between popes and German emperors -- Emergence of the supremacy of the Roman See -- Division in Christendom -- Iconoclasm -- The Photian schism -- The great schism -- The issue of war -- Western and eastern theories of war -- The peace and truce of God -- The crusades -- Religious military orders -- Roman centralization and church innovations -- Papal legates -- Canon law -- The canonist popes -- The emergence of a new religious lifestyle -- The Franciscans -- The order of preachers (Dominicans) -- The Carmelites -- The Augustinians -- Faith and reason -- The end of the dark ages -- Intellectual reawakening -- The emergence of universities -- Philosophy and theology debates -- Medieval theologians -- The age of scandals and the papal Babylonian exile -- Papal elections and ecclesiastical appointments -- Popes and French interests -- Papal autocracy -- The papacy battles France -- From Rome to Avignon -- Popes and holy Roman emperors -- End of the papal Babylonia exile -- European population in crisis -- The great western schism and its aftermath -- Church in west divides -- Conciliarism -- End of the western great schism -- Popes battle conciliarism -- The end of conciliarism -- The Renaissance and the church -- The beginning of the Renaissance in Rome -- Need for inner reform -- Visions for church reform -- Attempts at church reform -- The Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Church counter-reformation -- The clash between Luther and Rome -- Germany in rebellion -- Protestantism is organized -- The peace of Augsburg -- Interpretation of sacraments -- The Scandinavian reformation -- The English Reformation -- Ecclesiastical and political intrigues -- The eve of the opening of the Council of Trent -- The Council of Trent is convened.