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A History of the Church in 100 Objects
Winner of two Catholic Press Association Awards: Design and Production (Second Place) and History (Honorable Mention).
The star of Bethlehem exemplifies the birth of Jesus, the Wittenberg Door is synonymous with the Protestant Reformation, and “the pill” symbolizes the sexual revolution. It’s “stuff” that helps tell the story of Christianity.
In this unique, rich, and eye-catching book, popular Catholic author and EWTN host Mike Aquilina tells the Christian story through the examination of 100 objects and places. Some, like Michelangelo's Pietà, are priceless works of art. Others, like a union membership pen, don’t hold much monetary value. But through each of them, Aquilina offers a memorable and rewarding look at the history of the Church.
When Catholics tell their story, they don’t just write it in books. They preserve it in memorials, monuments, artifacts, and museums. They build grand basilicas to house tiny relics.
In this stunning book, Aquilina, together with his writer-daughter Grace, show how the history of the Church didn’t take place shrouded in the mists of time. It actually happened and continues to happen through things that we can see and sometimes hold in our hand.
The Christian answer to Neil MacGregor's New York Times bestseller A History of the World in 100 Objects, Aquilina’s A History of the Church in 100 Objects introduces you to:
The Cave of the Nativity (the importance of history, memory, and all things tangible)
Catacomb niches (the importance of Rome, bones, and relics of the faith)
Ancient Map of the World (the undoing of myths about medieval science)
Stained Glass (representative of Gothic cathedrals)
The Holy Grail (Romance literature and the emergence of writing for the laity)
Loaves and fish (a link from Jesus to the sacrament of the Eucharist)
The Wittenberg Door (Martin Luther and the onset of the Reformation)
Each of these and the 93 other items and places in the book tell part of the Christian story. Each is an essential piece of the story of our salvation.
God makes himself known and accessible through material things, always accommodating himself to our condition. It is, after all, the condition he created for us—spiritual and material—and the form he assumed for our salvation.
The star of Bethlehem exemplifies the birth of Jesus, the Wittenberg Door is synonymous with the Protestant Reformation, and “the pill” symbolizes the sexual revolution. It’s “stuff” that helps tell the story of Christianity.
In this unique, rich, and eye-catching book, popular Catholic author and EWTN host Mike Aquilina tells the Christian story through the examination of 100 objects and places. Some, like Michelangelo's Pietà, are priceless works of art. Others, like a union membership pen, don’t hold much monetary value. But through each of them, Aquilina offers a memorable and rewarding look at the history of the Church.
When Catholics tell their story, they don’t just write it in books. They preserve it in memorials, monuments, artifacts, and museums. They build grand basilicas to house tiny relics.
In this stunning book, Aquilina, together with his writer-daughter Grace, show how the history of the Church didn’t take place shrouded in the mists of time. It actually happened and continues to happen through things that we can see and sometimes hold in our hand.
The Christian answer to Neil MacGregor's New York Times bestseller A History of the World in 100 Objects, Aquilina’s A History of the Church in 100 Objects introduces you to:
The Cave of the Nativity (the importance of history, memory, and all things tangible)
Catacomb niches (the importance of Rome, bones, and relics of the faith)
Ancient Map of the World (the undoing of myths about medieval science)
Stained Glass (representative of Gothic cathedrals)
The Holy Grail (Romance literature and the emergence of writing for the laity)
Loaves and fish (a link from Jesus to the sacrament of the Eucharist)
The Wittenberg Door (Martin Luther and the onset of the Reformation)
Each of these and the 93 other items and places in the book tell part of the Christian story. Each is an essential piece of the story of our salvation.
God makes himself known and accessible through material things, always accommodating himself to our condition. It is, after all, the condition he created for us—spiritual and material—and the form he assumed for our salvation.
448 pages, Paperback
First published October 20, 2017
20 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
About the author
Mike Aquilina
126 books113 followersMike Aquilina is author or editor of more than thirty books, including The Fathers of the Church, The Mass of the Early Christians, and A Year with the Church Fathers. He has co-hosted eight series that air on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). He has co-authored books with Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., and theologian Scott Hahn. He is past editor of New Covenant magazine and The Pittsburgh Catholic newspaper. He appears weekly on Sirius Radio's "Sonrise Morning Show." Mike and his wife, Terri, have six children, who are the subject of his book Love in the Little Things.
In 2011 Mike was a featured presenter of the U.S. Bishops' Diocesan Educational/Catechetical Leadership Institute. He also wrote the USCCB's theological reflection for Catechetical Sunday in 2011.
His reviews, essays and journalism have appeared in many journals, including First Things, Touchstone, Crisis, Our Sunday Visitor, National Catholic Register, and Catholic Heritage. He contributed work on early Christianity to the Encyclopedia of Catholic Social Thought.
Mike is a also poet whose works have appeared in U.S. literary journals and have been translated into Polish and Spanish. He shared songwriting credits with Grammy Award-winner Dion DiMucci on the forthcoming album "Tank Full of Blues."
In 2011 Mike was a featured presenter of the U.S. Bishops' Diocesan Educational/Catechetical Leadership Institute. He also wrote the USCCB's theological reflection for Catechetical Sunday in 2011.
His reviews, essays and journalism have appeared in many journals, including First Things, Touchstone, Crisis, Our Sunday Visitor, National Catholic Register, and Catholic Heritage. He contributed work on early Christianity to the Encyclopedia of Catholic Social Thought.
Mike is a also poet whose works have appeared in U.S. literary journals and have been translated into Polish and Spanish. He shared songwriting credits with Grammy Award-winner Dion DiMucci on the forthcoming album "Tank Full of Blues."
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 2, 2024
This is a brief history of the Church, complete with pictures of the items which serve as touchstones for bringing up important historical events. The items include the Christian things you might expect but also range into seemingly non-Christian things like Islamic coins, an Egyptian boy's math notebook, and a medieval science beaker.
Two or three pages of brief yet comprehensive commentary accompany each item. It is easy to read and even-handed, yet never dumbs it down. At the end of each entry, there are two recommended books listed for those who would like to pursue a topic in greater depth. That was a thoughtful feature I really liked, even as my reading list grew and grew.
I especially enjoyed the way the authors fleshed out our understanding of events, often with thought provoking questions or comments. For example, in the instance of the Islamic coin, we see that the Roman emperor may have given their subjects reason to see Islamic conquerors as a decent governing option.
There are also nuggets of information I'd never heard. I didn't know that Napoleon kidnapped Pope Pius VII from the Vatican. Or that Pius VII later gave shelter in the Vatican to members of Napoleon's family. I knew Cardinal Cisneros was a stalwart defender of American natives but not that he cooperated with the expulsion of Muslims and Jews from Spain. In almost every entry there is something showing that history is more complex than we realized.
In essence, what one learns reading this book is that "The Church on earth is always in motion. Catholic doctrine and devotion are always developing. And every age presents particular challenges with require a creative response." As earthly pilgrims heading toward heaven, we can draw inspiration and strength from where the Church has been on that same road.
I've got more pages marked in this book than you've got time to read. So just go get this book and read it! It made a great devotional for me. I read an entry (or two or three) daily and found it invigorating and centering as a start to the day.
Two or three pages of brief yet comprehensive commentary accompany each item. It is easy to read and even-handed, yet never dumbs it down. At the end of each entry, there are two recommended books listed for those who would like to pursue a topic in greater depth. That was a thoughtful feature I really liked, even as my reading list grew and grew.
I especially enjoyed the way the authors fleshed out our understanding of events, often with thought provoking questions or comments. For example, in the instance of the Islamic coin, we see that the Roman emperor may have given their subjects reason to see Islamic conquerors as a decent governing option.
All these people had suffered persecution under Justinian and his successors. And they had been taxed heavily to support Justinian's wars in the West. Is it any wonder that some welcomed the Islamic Arabs as liberators? And is it any wonder that some chose to submit to Islam?This allows us a more nuanced picture of history than we're often given. And it opens the door for questions of how the modern world tempts me to let my Christianity wither slowly away under gentle pressure. The authors do this again and again. A wedding ring brings considerations of how Christian marriage differed from pagan marriage. Armor brings a consideration of how Pope Gregory gradually moved warrior culture from waging war to knightly behavior.
The conquered didn't turn Islamic all at once. In some places, they were given a stark choice: convert, submit to the tax, or die. But the Umayyads were more tolerant, recognizing the value of Christians and Jews as a steady tax base.
There are also nuggets of information I'd never heard. I didn't know that Napoleon kidnapped Pope Pius VII from the Vatican. Or that Pius VII later gave shelter in the Vatican to members of Napoleon's family. I knew Cardinal Cisneros was a stalwart defender of American natives but not that he cooperated with the expulsion of Muslims and Jews from Spain. In almost every entry there is something showing that history is more complex than we realized.
In essence, what one learns reading this book is that "The Church on earth is always in motion. Catholic doctrine and devotion are always developing. And every age presents particular challenges with require a creative response." As earthly pilgrims heading toward heaven, we can draw inspiration and strength from where the Church has been on that same road.
I've got more pages marked in this book than you've got time to read. So just go get this book and read it! It made a great devotional for me. I read an entry (or two or three) daily and found it invigorating and centering as a start to the day.
November 5, 2017
This book is a good introduction to the church history in general.
I actually found it quiet fascinating how much time was covered with those 100 objects and i loved that it included so many references to get more information if that was something the reader wishes to do for specific objects or specific historical moments.
If you are interested in learning more about history, specifically about religious aspects -what made them, where they came from, why they became religious artefacts and so on- this book is defiantly worth a look through.
*thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for a free and honest review!*
I actually found it quiet fascinating how much time was covered with those 100 objects and i loved that it included so many references to get more information if that was something the reader wishes to do for specific objects or specific historical moments.
If you are interested in learning more about history, specifically about religious aspects -what made them, where they came from, why they became religious artefacts and so on- this book is defiantly worth a look through.
*thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for a free and honest review!*
April 16, 2018
The Catholic Church has existed for nearly two thousand years. Its history is rich and varied. Mike and Grace (his daughter) Aquilina provide an interesting overview of that history. They look at one hundred different objects spanning the time from the first century AD (a Jerusalem paving stone, item #2) to 2006 (a Polish bank note featuring John Paul II (#98)). Each item relates to a significant event or person in the Church's history.
The objects run a wide range. Some are famous, like Gutenberg's printing press (#52) or the American Declaration of Independence (#70). Some are obscure, like flasks and holy water bottles (#22, 24, 32, 44, 77). Some are great works of art, like Michelangelo's Pieta #57) or the Rose Window of Notre Dame (#43). Some are mundane tools, like pins (#97, 89), pens (#83), and parking passes (#92--the ones used at Vatican II since Roman parking was at a premium). They all provide a rich way into the story of the Catholic Church.
The Catholic Church is the oldest and most physical of the Christian Churches. It has survived persecutions (see Peter's Chains (#9) or a guillotine from the French Revolution(#71)) and heresies (#18--a Ravenna mosaic that shows Christ as merely a man according to the Arian heresy). It clings to the Faith that Christ is still physically present with us in the Eucharist, a trust that has only been more refined and more certain through the ages (witness the earliest First Communion cards from the 1910s (#82) after Pope Pius X encouraged parents and pastors to allow young children to receive communion; he also encouraged frequent communion by all the faithful as spiritual nourishment and medicine). This book mirrors the historic and physical reality of the Church in a beautiful way.
The book is also an easy read. Each object gets a full-page picture and two or three pages of text, detailing the object's history and significance. It reads well as individual bits or as larger representations of an age. I learned lots of little bits and made some larger connections between things. Each item also has two books as recommended reading for further study of an item, issue, or age.
Highly recommended.
The objects run a wide range. Some are famous, like Gutenberg's printing press (#52) or the American Declaration of Independence (#70). Some are obscure, like flasks and holy water bottles (#22, 24, 32, 44, 77). Some are great works of art, like Michelangelo's Pieta #57) or the Rose Window of Notre Dame (#43). Some are mundane tools, like pins (#97, 89), pens (#83), and parking passes (#92--the ones used at Vatican II since Roman parking was at a premium). They all provide a rich way into the story of the Catholic Church.
The Catholic Church is the oldest and most physical of the Christian Churches. It has survived persecutions (see Peter's Chains (#9) or a guillotine from the French Revolution(#71)) and heresies (#18--a Ravenna mosaic that shows Christ as merely a man according to the Arian heresy). It clings to the Faith that Christ is still physically present with us in the Eucharist, a trust that has only been more refined and more certain through the ages (witness the earliest First Communion cards from the 1910s (#82) after Pope Pius X encouraged parents and pastors to allow young children to receive communion; he also encouraged frequent communion by all the faithful as spiritual nourishment and medicine). This book mirrors the historic and physical reality of the Church in a beautiful way.
The book is also an easy read. Each object gets a full-page picture and two or three pages of text, detailing the object's history and significance. It reads well as individual bits or as larger representations of an age. I learned lots of little bits and made some larger connections between things. Each item also has two books as recommended reading for further study of an item, issue, or age.
Highly recommended.
August 22, 2024
Currently giving this book to everyone I know in the hopes that they will read it !!
March 1, 2018
It is sort of like a history textbook, but more than that. If the proverb, “A picture is worth ten thousand words,” is true, then the pictures of this book combine to 1 million words, not including the actual texts.
This book, A History of the Church in 100 Objects by Mike Aquilina and Grace Aquilina is the work of a father and daughter. I have never read the History of the Church in such format before and I saw the format appealing.
I received a review copy of A History of the Church in 100 Objects at the end of November of last year. I spent a week reading it. A majority of it was read while I was retreat.
A History of the Church in 100 Objects is a self-explanatory title. The book leads the reader along the timeline of the Church through pictures of various artifacts. Some of the artefacts I have heard of and seen pictures of them before such as the Silver Star in Bethlehem and Michaelangelo’s Pietà. However, there are some objects I have never even knew existed such as St. Thérèse’s curls and the Seton rock. I found reading the book to be very eye-opening about the history of the Catholic Church.
I am amazed at how the Aquilina managed to compile all the artifacts. I liked how everything flowed. I do recognize some Papal artifacts from Fr. Richard Kunst, the curator of a large collection Papal artifacts and relics.
I also like the text accompanying the objects. The passages are very straight forward and easy to understand. I wish though that the passages would be longer. Sometimes, I read the end of the passage, wanting to know more. But the Aquilinas probably understand readers may want more. Therefore, at the end of each object passage, there is a For More section, with recommended titles that will build on what was said in the passage.
To my surprise, the images are in colour along with the headings. At first, I thought that only the cover (like most books) would be in gray-scale. A History of the Church in 100 Objects is an exception. All the images are in colour, and that livens up every artefact and allow the reader to look at the object in more details than a gray scale image (some people may disagree). I also noticed that there are some blank pages. The reason for this is so that the image of the artefact will always be on the left side of the book with the chapter heading on the right. I find this very convenient. The blank pages could be used for notes which I find as a good feature.
A History of the Church in 100 Objects has gained praise from Cardinal Donald Wuerl, George Weigel and other well-known Catholics. I would say, “Simple, concise and beautiful!”
This book was also on Catholic-Link’s 44 of the Best Catholic Books of 2017 list. Indeed, I believe it deserves this honour!
On The Catholic Man’s Scale
★★★★★ 5/5
Overall, I think A History of the Church in 100 Objects is a good title for those who want to dig into Church History and does not want to much heavy reading. A History of the Church in 100 Objects seems to be a good book for introductory to Church history and good for youth like myself to get to know the Church a little bit more, including its bright and dark moments.
Purchase A History of the Church in 100 Objects here from Ave Maria Press.
This book, A History of the Church in 100 Objects by Mike Aquilina and Grace Aquilina is the work of a father and daughter. I have never read the History of the Church in such format before and I saw the format appealing.
I received a review copy of A History of the Church in 100 Objects at the end of November of last year. I spent a week reading it. A majority of it was read while I was retreat.
A History of the Church in 100 Objects is a self-explanatory title. The book leads the reader along the timeline of the Church through pictures of various artifacts. Some of the artefacts I have heard of and seen pictures of them before such as the Silver Star in Bethlehem and Michaelangelo’s Pietà. However, there are some objects I have never even knew existed such as St. Thérèse’s curls and the Seton rock. I found reading the book to be very eye-opening about the history of the Catholic Church.
I am amazed at how the Aquilina managed to compile all the artifacts. I liked how everything flowed. I do recognize some Papal artifacts from Fr. Richard Kunst, the curator of a large collection Papal artifacts and relics.
I also like the text accompanying the objects. The passages are very straight forward and easy to understand. I wish though that the passages would be longer. Sometimes, I read the end of the passage, wanting to know more. But the Aquilinas probably understand readers may want more. Therefore, at the end of each object passage, there is a For More section, with recommended titles that will build on what was said in the passage.
To my surprise, the images are in colour along with the headings. At first, I thought that only the cover (like most books) would be in gray-scale. A History of the Church in 100 Objects is an exception. All the images are in colour, and that livens up every artefact and allow the reader to look at the object in more details than a gray scale image (some people may disagree). I also noticed that there are some blank pages. The reason for this is so that the image of the artefact will always be on the left side of the book with the chapter heading on the right. I find this very convenient. The blank pages could be used for notes which I find as a good feature.
A History of the Church in 100 Objects has gained praise from Cardinal Donald Wuerl, George Weigel and other well-known Catholics. I would say, “Simple, concise and beautiful!”
This book was also on Catholic-Link’s 44 of the Best Catholic Books of 2017 list. Indeed, I believe it deserves this honour!
On The Catholic Man’s Scale
★★★★★ 5/5
Overall, I think A History of the Church in 100 Objects is a good title for those who want to dig into Church History and does not want to much heavy reading. A History of the Church in 100 Objects seems to be a good book for introductory to Church history and good for youth like myself to get to know the Church a little bit more, including its bright and dark moments.
Purchase A History of the Church in 100 Objects here from Ave Maria Press.
April 24, 2018
This is a good master timeline and general overview if you're looking to learn the basics of the Catholic Church's history. I can see it being a handy classroom resource for a high school teacher, homeschooling parent, or Confirmation prep class. Each entry is short with some recommendations for further reading, so it's easy to digest a few bits at a time.
That being said, there were aspects that really irked me as a professional historian. Aquilina is strong on the ancient world and 20th century, but weak on the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The entry on knight armor and chivalry is a complete joke. And anyone who has seen the Disney Robin Hood cartoon knows King John I of England was Henry II's son, not his grandson! I was pleased to see Aquilina cite scholarly works and not just the usual suspects like Scott Hahn, but I wish there were a master bibliography at the end of each section instead of scattered bits and pieces.
If you're into art history, the formatting will make you cringe. Images are from a hodgepodge of museum collections, travel pics, and (sigh) stock photos. It's good that they tried to keep costs down, but printing color images on soft matte paper blurs the details. Even worse, every object is framed with a cheesy, distracting, shadow effect straight out of Microsoft PowerPoint. Captions give image credits, but say nothing about date, materials, or place of manufacture. I'm still not sure when that "Roman grate" blocking off St. Paul's tomb was made, and the wrench on the cover never appears inside!
There are some real gems to be found in here, like St. Therese of Lisieux's long hair or the font where St. Augustine might have been baptized. But the book mainly uses them as props, failing to put them in proper visual and material culture context. It's a fun little tour but not an historical authority.
That being said, there were aspects that really irked me as a professional historian. Aquilina is strong on the ancient world and 20th century, but weak on the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The entry on knight armor and chivalry is a complete joke. And anyone who has seen the Disney Robin Hood cartoon knows King John I of England was Henry II's son, not his grandson! I was pleased to see Aquilina cite scholarly works and not just the usual suspects like Scott Hahn, but I wish there were a master bibliography at the end of each section instead of scattered bits and pieces.
If you're into art history, the formatting will make you cringe. Images are from a hodgepodge of museum collections, travel pics, and (sigh) stock photos. It's good that they tried to keep costs down, but printing color images on soft matte paper blurs the details. Even worse, every object is framed with a cheesy, distracting, shadow effect straight out of Microsoft PowerPoint. Captions give image credits, but say nothing about date, materials, or place of manufacture. I'm still not sure when that "Roman grate" blocking off St. Paul's tomb was made, and the wrench on the cover never appears inside!
There are some real gems to be found in here, like St. Therese of Lisieux's long hair or the font where St. Augustine might have been baptized. But the book mainly uses them as props, failing to put them in proper visual and material culture context. It's a fun little tour but not an historical authority.
October 24, 2017
This was an interesting book showing the many objects that one could connect to the history of the Catholic Church. Very well documented and researched though more effort could have been made to show the objects better, only one photo and sometimes that was small and hard to get a feel for the object. If you want to read a brief history on the objects then this is not the book for you, this reads like a text book in most chapters. I did learn things and understand the meaning behind certain things better.
December 26, 2025
I gave this book to my father several years ago when it first came out. When my father passed away, it came to me. I flipped through it from time to time and read sections of it, but this year I decided to read a passage every couple days. As the year went on, I set a goal reading the entire book by year end. Now that I am finished, I am really glad that I made the time to read this book. It gave me a better understanding of history and how the church was shaped and Christianity spread even amidst struggles, persecution, division and internal corruption. Wow.
July 31, 2017
What a treasure this book is. It is almost completely a Catholic history, but I found great value in its pages. From the early church through present day, the authors take us through a series of objects that provide signposts along the way. While that may initially seem like a minor detail, I found it to be a deeply enriching experience.
I am not Catholic, but I found myself feeling a kinship with this history. Some mystical, some practical, and all addictingly compelling.
I am not Catholic, but I found myself feeling a kinship with this history. Some mystical, some practical, and all addictingly compelling.
March 3, 2020
This book of history comes from a Roman Catholic perspective. As a Protestant, I didn't know of many of the items/accounts listed in this book, and I greatly benefited from reading each of them. I liked the short chapters, each centered on a particular object that led to a fuller story regarding church history.
This is not a weighty history tome, but an easily-accessible book of fascinating accounts from the past; I even read some of the chapters at the dinner table with my family.
This is not a weighty history tome, but an easily-accessible book of fascinating accounts from the past; I even read some of the chapters at the dinner table with my family.
December 8, 2017
To have such a profound book be written was an honor to read. The author was thorough in the research presented and very clear and made this novel dynamically breathtaking undeestandable! Such clarity was given and also you can’t help but to marvel how this author was able to gain so much to share with us! Thank you for this great gift that we can pick up time and time again!
February 28, 2019
This book covers some of the highlights of the history of the Catholic church. It is definitely told from a Catholic perspective but it is not blind to some of the less savory aspects. I enjoy this type of illustrated history and think the pictures were well chosen to represent the points being made.
March 18, 2022
I seriously cannot recommend this book enough. It should be required reading for every single Catholic. The pictures are incredibly crisp and vivid, the history is succinct yet broad and encompassing, and the entire work is just inspiring and exhilarating. It’s written in a very accessible way that’s not at all dry. LOVED IT!!
January 9, 2018
A fascinating look at Catholics and their stuff. Full review http://rannthisthat.blogspot.com/2018...
October 18, 2018
Reading this book, I began to think about what I would leave in my own spiritual time capsule to bear witness to what was most precious to Catholics of this day and age.
What would you leave?
What would you leave?
February 25, 2022
Condenses 2,000 years of history into 100 short essays featuring an interesting and unexpected mix of objects. It is by no means comprehensive, but it provides a great overview.
December 6, 2025
This book includes a collective of artifacts that are used to explain Catholic history. I enjoyed learning about some areas of the faith that are less known. It was a good read.
October 24, 2017
Taking its cues from the secular New York Times bestseller A History of the World in 100 Objects, A History of the Church in 100 Objects is as much a counterpart to the former in the same way that Diana Butler Bass’ A People’s History of Christianity was the sacred flip-side to A People’s History of the United States. Thus, this kind of taking from the secular and making it sacred is nothing new. However, A History of the Church in 100 Objects can, in a way, stand on its own. It is educational as much as it is a curiosity, because this book certainly filled in some gaps in my knowledge about Church history. I learned something new in practically every chapter, all 100 of them.
The book covers a lot of ground, some 2,000 years of it. Going from Roman rule to the Dark Ages to the Age of Chivalry to the Protestant reformation to European revolutions right up to the wars and technological advances of the 20th Century, it could be argued that this book bites off more than it can chew. As much as I learned from this history book, it just added new questions for me to ask. It tackles such a wide swath of history, there are bound to be gaps. To its credit, each chapter ends with two titles that you should consult for further reading, so consider A History of the Church in 100 Objects to be merely an introduction to the Church — a 101 course in a book.
Read more here: https://medium.com/@zachary_houle/a-r...
The book covers a lot of ground, some 2,000 years of it. Going from Roman rule to the Dark Ages to the Age of Chivalry to the Protestant reformation to European revolutions right up to the wars and technological advances of the 20th Century, it could be argued that this book bites off more than it can chew. As much as I learned from this history book, it just added new questions for me to ask. It tackles such a wide swath of history, there are bound to be gaps. To its credit, each chapter ends with two titles that you should consult for further reading, so consider A History of the Church in 100 Objects to be merely an introduction to the Church — a 101 course in a book.
Read more here: https://medium.com/@zachary_houle/a-r...
November 11, 2017
A History of the Church in 100 Objects is a delightful book. It is an easy and enjoyable read with each pictured object limited to two or three pages of discussion.
By definition, the limited space given to each object means that sometimes significant facts or events have had to be left out or over-simplified. Because of this at times the stories can feel a little one sided. However in saying this, the book never claims to provide an in-depth analysis of any topic. I am inspired to follow side paths, with book recommendations provided at the end of each little article.
The limit of 100 objects is also restrictive – much of church history has to be left out by definition. It would be nice to see a greater expansion of non-European and non-American objects or even more focus on the Orthodox and Protestant streams of church history. Maybe ‘A History of the Church with 1000 Objects’ could become the companion edition.
I particularly enjoyed the less well known objects that were selected – the Byzantine marriage ring or the parking pass for Vatican II.
One caution – this book is highly addictive. I found myself sitting down to quickly dip into the book and read about one or two objects, only to finally put the book down several hours later.
By definition, the limited space given to each object means that sometimes significant facts or events have had to be left out or over-simplified. Because of this at times the stories can feel a little one sided. However in saying this, the book never claims to provide an in-depth analysis of any topic. I am inspired to follow side paths, with book recommendations provided at the end of each little article.
The limit of 100 objects is also restrictive – much of church history has to be left out by definition. It would be nice to see a greater expansion of non-European and non-American objects or even more focus on the Orthodox and Protestant streams of church history. Maybe ‘A History of the Church with 1000 Objects’ could become the companion edition.
I particularly enjoyed the less well known objects that were selected – the Byzantine marriage ring or the parking pass for Vatican II.
One caution – this book is highly addictive. I found myself sitting down to quickly dip into the book and read about one or two objects, only to finally put the book down several hours later.
February 13, 2018
How do we study history? For most of us, we would hit the books or listen to some historians explain the stories of the past. Others would go deeper into the science of archaeology or ancient artifacts. Modern technology gives many of us a way to search for information about the past. For author Mike Aquilina, "stuff" matters because they all tell a unique story. More specifically, the history of the Church could be traced through the examination of objects. These objects are then situated in seven eras:
1) The First Century Church (Apostles and Martyrs)
2) The Roman Empire (First to Third Centuries)
3) The Dark Ages (4th to 8th Century)
4) The Middle Ages (5th to 15th Century)
5) The Renaissance and Reformation (16th to 17th Century)
6) The Age of Revolutions (18th to 19th Century)
7) The Global Village (Our Modern 21st Century World)
The key idea is that these objects tell a story. Beginning with the first century Church right through to modern era, readers get to see real stuff being used as pointers to the past. The silver star in Bethlehem's Basilica of the Nativity confirms what the ancients had seen prior to the birth of Christ. Not only does it represent eye-witness accounts, it affirms the story as depicted in the Bible. We read about paving stones, wooden posts, ancient amulet, catacombs, and many fascinating events in history. The chains of Peter show us how the apostle Peter was imprisoned, even tortured. As we move on to the Roman era, the monuments like the Colossus bring us back to the times of persecutions and political chaos prior to the Edict of Constantine. Even soil in Jerusalem's Basilica of the Holy Cross were used to remind us about the purpose why they were there in the first place.
The Dark Ages is a time of transition amid the uncertainty after the fall of Rome. With Christianity losing ground to Islam, books were preserved. Relics were kept. Icons, vessels, and coins are all symbols of the past. Even a wine vessel gives us a glimpse of a time of disappearing infrastructure, ransack by bandits; risky travel; loss of social graces; and a world in need of leaders. The coin of the Umayyad Caliphate reminds us of a time in which the Muslims dominated large parts of Europe and the Middle East at a time where the author perceives: "Christianity had spread by persuasion. Islam was spreading by force." Interestingly, objects during the Dark Ages are few when compared to the later periods. This is probably due to the disarray and confusion happening at that time with no order or infrastructure in place to maintain a library or a sense of history.
The Middle Ages is time where religious art flourished due to the monarchs becoming patrons of the arts. It was the golden years of a society defined by the marriage of religion and state. Literature were written. Written language was either invented or improved. Missionary activities increased and the Church had unprecedented growth. With it came corruption as well as the ugly crusades. Religious wars ensued and contributed to lots of disillusionment with religion playing her role in society. Then came the Renaissance (printing press, compass, science, arts) for the general public and the Reformation (symbolized by the Wittenberg door) for the Church. Both are movements that pushed back against the ills of the Middle Ages. Gradually, we move on to the objects depicting the Age of Science, Politics and Revolutions. There was the Declaration of Independence of the New World out in North America. The guillotine was an advanced form of executing criminals, also used to eradicate political opponents. The Holy Water bottles showed the continued influence of the Church in spite of the declining popularity of the religious institutions. Readers who prefer an era more relevant would be intrigued by the last section of the book, which deals with the "Global Village." Here, there are familiar things like newspaper headlines; voting ballots; fountain pen; the radio; parking passes; the abortion pill; and so on. The author tries to go global by including a Korean cathedral; a San Salvador altar of sacrifice; as well as offerings given by pilgrims from all over the world. All of these give readers a tiny glimpse of the oceans of history and events in the past from a tiny perspective through the eyes of the author. A different author might retell the story in a different way but that does not change the facts of history. So, what will we get out of reading this book? We read about a big story of human progression from the eyes of the Church.
There is a verse in the gospel of Luke where Jesus replied to the Pharisees: "I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." It was the occasion of Jerusalem entering Jerusalem which triggered much joy for the people hoping for a new king. Many people openly expressed their excitement by laying down their cloaks on the ground; singing and shouting out their praises; and many other expressions of happiness. When asked by the Pharisees to Jesus to keep his disciplines quiet or to drown out the revelry, Jesus told them that such joy couldn't be suppressed. In the same way, the objects described in this book all have a story to tell. We could ignore them but they all contain a story of long ago, something that we could learn from. When given time and discernment, we could trace a pattern, link up isolated events, and to form a picture of the past. This is what the 100 objects had been used, to link up the major events of history from the first century to the present. Of course, one may argue about the exact number of objects. Why not 200? Why not 500? Why not 1000? Aren't there other objects yet to be discovered? It would take a lifetime or more to just tell part of the story. I gather that the ability to piece the parts together also depends on the author's personal knowledge of historical happenings and circumstances leading to the discovery of these relics. It is thus fair to see this book as a snapshot or a glimpse of the past, and to help us appreciate more of the history, the tradition, and the sacrifices made for us to keep the faith. The Christian Church has a checkered history, and the objects do not prejudge. They merely describe what happened, especially what happened to them.
Perhaps, this book and the way the stories are told could inspire us to do the same where we are. Indeed, Mike Aquilina has given us a literary time capsule!
Rating: 4 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Ave Maria Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
1) The First Century Church (Apostles and Martyrs)
2) The Roman Empire (First to Third Centuries)
3) The Dark Ages (4th to 8th Century)
4) The Middle Ages (5th to 15th Century)
5) The Renaissance and Reformation (16th to 17th Century)
6) The Age of Revolutions (18th to 19th Century)
7) The Global Village (Our Modern 21st Century World)
The key idea is that these objects tell a story. Beginning with the first century Church right through to modern era, readers get to see real stuff being used as pointers to the past. The silver star in Bethlehem's Basilica of the Nativity confirms what the ancients had seen prior to the birth of Christ. Not only does it represent eye-witness accounts, it affirms the story as depicted in the Bible. We read about paving stones, wooden posts, ancient amulet, catacombs, and many fascinating events in history. The chains of Peter show us how the apostle Peter was imprisoned, even tortured. As we move on to the Roman era, the monuments like the Colossus bring us back to the times of persecutions and political chaos prior to the Edict of Constantine. Even soil in Jerusalem's Basilica of the Holy Cross were used to remind us about the purpose why they were there in the first place.
The Dark Ages is a time of transition amid the uncertainty after the fall of Rome. With Christianity losing ground to Islam, books were preserved. Relics were kept. Icons, vessels, and coins are all symbols of the past. Even a wine vessel gives us a glimpse of a time of disappearing infrastructure, ransack by bandits; risky travel; loss of social graces; and a world in need of leaders. The coin of the Umayyad Caliphate reminds us of a time in which the Muslims dominated large parts of Europe and the Middle East at a time where the author perceives: "Christianity had spread by persuasion. Islam was spreading by force." Interestingly, objects during the Dark Ages are few when compared to the later periods. This is probably due to the disarray and confusion happening at that time with no order or infrastructure in place to maintain a library or a sense of history.
The Middle Ages is time where religious art flourished due to the monarchs becoming patrons of the arts. It was the golden years of a society defined by the marriage of religion and state. Literature were written. Written language was either invented or improved. Missionary activities increased and the Church had unprecedented growth. With it came corruption as well as the ugly crusades. Religious wars ensued and contributed to lots of disillusionment with religion playing her role in society. Then came the Renaissance (printing press, compass, science, arts) for the general public and the Reformation (symbolized by the Wittenberg door) for the Church. Both are movements that pushed back against the ills of the Middle Ages. Gradually, we move on to the objects depicting the Age of Science, Politics and Revolutions. There was the Declaration of Independence of the New World out in North America. The guillotine was an advanced form of executing criminals, also used to eradicate political opponents. The Holy Water bottles showed the continued influence of the Church in spite of the declining popularity of the religious institutions. Readers who prefer an era more relevant would be intrigued by the last section of the book, which deals with the "Global Village." Here, there are familiar things like newspaper headlines; voting ballots; fountain pen; the radio; parking passes; the abortion pill; and so on. The author tries to go global by including a Korean cathedral; a San Salvador altar of sacrifice; as well as offerings given by pilgrims from all over the world. All of these give readers a tiny glimpse of the oceans of history and events in the past from a tiny perspective through the eyes of the author. A different author might retell the story in a different way but that does not change the facts of history. So, what will we get out of reading this book? We read about a big story of human progression from the eyes of the Church.
There is a verse in the gospel of Luke where Jesus replied to the Pharisees: "I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." It was the occasion of Jerusalem entering Jerusalem which triggered much joy for the people hoping for a new king. Many people openly expressed their excitement by laying down their cloaks on the ground; singing and shouting out their praises; and many other expressions of happiness. When asked by the Pharisees to Jesus to keep his disciplines quiet or to drown out the revelry, Jesus told them that such joy couldn't be suppressed. In the same way, the objects described in this book all have a story to tell. We could ignore them but they all contain a story of long ago, something that we could learn from. When given time and discernment, we could trace a pattern, link up isolated events, and to form a picture of the past. This is what the 100 objects had been used, to link up the major events of history from the first century to the present. Of course, one may argue about the exact number of objects. Why not 200? Why not 500? Why not 1000? Aren't there other objects yet to be discovered? It would take a lifetime or more to just tell part of the story. I gather that the ability to piece the parts together also depends on the author's personal knowledge of historical happenings and circumstances leading to the discovery of these relics. It is thus fair to see this book as a snapshot or a glimpse of the past, and to help us appreciate more of the history, the tradition, and the sacrifices made for us to keep the faith. The Christian Church has a checkered history, and the objects do not prejudge. They merely describe what happened, especially what happened to them.
Perhaps, this book and the way the stories are told could inspire us to do the same where we are. Indeed, Mike Aquilina has given us a literary time capsule!
Rating: 4 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Ave Maria Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
March 3, 2018
Although I express my Christianity as a Protestant I am fascinated by the Catholic Church and our joint and divided history. This topic was shown well in this book which I found very interesting. Some of the topics I was surprised by, such as Arms and Armor, but when brought into context made sense. I was also surprised but pleased to find Barney, the purple dinosaur mentioned.
This was an enlightening read and is a recommended primer for those interested in the history of the Catholic Church.
I was given this book by NetGalley and the publisher. This is my voluntary and impartial review.
This was an enlightening read and is a recommended primer for those interested in the history of the Catholic Church.
I was given this book by NetGalley and the publisher. This is my voluntary and impartial review.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews