Catholic Thought discussion

I know that I for one always enjoy Dr. Carroll's wrtings. He has taught me so much and I always leave feeling like I need to take a course in the time period in which we've been reading. I cannot even begin to imagine how much time this man has spent researching the material for this series of books!!! Holy cow!

I especially have enjoyed learning more about the Muslim experience. I had some background in this coming in to our read, but, as always, Dr. Carroll puts such an interesting and unique spin on time points that I find myself considering things completely differently. I keep wishing this man were alive so that I could tell him how much I have appreciated the enormous amount of time he spent into putting these books together. I wish I could have audited one of his classes too.

As you wrap up your thoughts, please share with us the places you'd like to go in the future for future reads. I know at some point I'd like to move on to Vol. 3. I really do apologize that as a moderator I was faced with so much difficulty in leading you. It honestly has never been this hard for me. Just a weird time in life I suppose.

Take care. Many blessings to each of you for your patience, generous sharing of your thoughts, and I hope each of you has a wonderful Christmas!

I would like to recommend Tim Staples new book "Behold Your Mother" for a future read. It's his own research into the Biblical basis of Mary's Immaculate Conception. I listened to a terrific program on this yesterday on Catholic radio. Along the same line, Fulton Sheen has a book I've been wanting to read on Mary as well.

Leslie

Frederic Ozanam (1813-53), French historian, and one of the founders of the Society of St. Vincent DePaul, wrote a history of Christianity in the fifth century. He writes in the introduction about how Gibbon, the generally recognized authority on the period, conceived the idea of writing his histories—which cover the period from about AD 100 to the beginning of the fifteenth century. Gibbon was in Rome in his youth. He saw a procession of Franciscan friars in the street issuing from a basilica. He was struck with indignation, Ozanam writes, conceiving that it was the Christians that destroyed the Roman Empire. Gibbon was inspired to “avenge” the antiquity with his version of the history. Ozanam also saw monks in Rome and writes:

I rejoiced therein as in a victory of love over force, and resolved
to describe the history of progress in that epoch where the English
philosopher only saw decay, the history of civilization in the period of barbarism, the history of thought as it escaped from the shipwreck of
the empire of letters and traversed at length those stormy waves of
invasion. . .
(“History of Civilization in the Fifth Century, Volume 1”)

Warren Carroll’s and Frederick Ozanam’s histories help a great deal in setting the record straight.

I enjoyed this second volume of Dr. Carroll’s, but not as much as I did the first. Also, “The Building of Christendom” did not read as smoothly as “The Founding of Christendom”. At times I was overwhelmed with the numerous people, places and events that were mentioned and found it hard to remember who was who. Additionally, I would like to have seen more narrative regarding the saints who lived during the period (324 AD – 1100 AD). But given the fact that he is covering 800 years of history in approximately 600 pages, it is understandable.

I do plan to read the third book, “The Glory of Christendom” (1100 AD – 1517 AD) whether or not we decide to read it as a group. His third book has 774 pages, which includes the footnotes, bibliography, and index. Not light reading for sure!

Galicius, I will have to check out the Frederick Ozanam books you mention. Leslie, thank you for the book recommendations. I don't think I have read any of Tim Staples' books, but I hear that he is a good author.

Congratulations Galicius , good job on the “Building of Christendom”; you were tenacious and very complete in examining each chapter. I appreciate your very persistent leadership in completing this book.

Mike wrote: "Congratulations Galicius , good job on the “Building of Christendom”; you were tenacious and very complete in examining each chapter. I appreciate your very persistent leadership in completing this..."

Thank you Mike. It is good having you here looking over our efforts.

Galicius wrote: "Mike wrote: "Congratulations Galicius , good job on the “Building of Christendom”; you were tenacious and very complete in examining each chapter. I appreciate your very persistent leadership in co..."

It is good to have you both here!