Jesuit historian O'Malley goes beyond the myths to study what actually happened at the Council of Trent (1545-63), at which the Catholic Church codified its teachings. In clear, crisp prose, he clears up misconceptions about the Church at the time (e.g., that Catholics did not read the Bible and priests did not give sermons), shows that many ideas widely considered ... Read more Tridentine actually arose after Trent, and corrects misconceptions: that the council mandated the Mass be in Latin, and that it established a Tridentine liturgy. Using the Acts of the council as his source, O'Malley gives an almost day-by-day account, putting the council's debates in political and religious context of the issues of the day, especially the counter-Reformation and the battle between Pope and princes...Making use of telling details about the very human men who made up the council, O'Malley deftly weaves the story of reformers and traditionalists, to offer an enlightening view of this most influential Church council that will appeal to those interested in church history or in the history of modern Europe.
Augustine J. Curley Library Journal 20120915 Show Less