Upon This Rock: The Popes and their Changing Role

Description

The papacy is the greatest and longest-lasting institution in the history of the West. Paul Collins describes the evolution of the office of the papacy over the past two millennia, from St Peter to Pope John Paul II. Some recent histories of the papacy have treated it as a political or social phenomenon, this work examines the links between the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament, the interpretations of his teachings by the Apostles, and the changes and developments in the nature and understanding of the papal office under successive bishops of Rome. The role and power of the holders of the papal office have been redefined many times over the centuries. Paul Collins discusses in detail the attitudes, influences and teachings of each of the Popes and sets them in an historical and cultural context, offering an illuminating account of developments and changes in Catholic teaching, theology and liturgy.

Paul Collins is a Catholic priest. Trained in history at Harvard University and the Australian National University, he is a well-known broadcaster and writer of popular theology. His previous books include God's Earth (1995), which became an ABC TV documentary, and Papal Power- A Proposal for Change in Catholicism's Third Millennium (1997), which is currently under investigation by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) in Rome.