What are you reading?

[canny]

okies, will check it out, thanks.

[iamowen]

I have it on my laptop, along with thousands of others. It will probably be a scanned copy as it is out of print and an old book

[canny]

why have you got thousands of lap tops..

[iamowen]

You can read it online here Life of God in the Soul of Man | Christian Classics Ethereal Library

[canny]

You can read it online here Life of God in the Soul of Man | Christian Classics Ethereal Library

Okies, I have bookmarked that, ta hun.

[iamowen]

Tis a good un

[Steveg]

At the moment I'm reading "The Catholic Reformation" by Henri Daniel-Rops. This is number 5 of a series of 10 books he wrote on the history of the (Catholic) Church from 30AD to 1959.

I'm finding it riveting reading. By the end of the 16th century the Church had sunk into scandal and corruption. There was an awakening and desire for reform well before Martin Luther famously posted his 95 theses in 1517. For example Cardinal Ximines (1436 - 1517) had already brought great reform to the Spanish church.

Ximines was a secular priest who renouced the world and assumed the habit of a Franciscan friar and lived in strict franciscan observance,. Then for 10 years he lived as a hermit in a wicker hut he had built. He was eventually summoned by the Queen and became her confessor and was made Archbishop of Toledo. He then proceded to reform the church in his diocese, particularly the clergy, founded a university, and more.

There are many other examples of an awakening to the need for reform, and actual reform at this time. Eventually this culminated in the great Council of Trent, which not only produced formal definitions of doctrines but produced many reforms in Church life.

The council itself was spread over 18 years, partly because of the problems of wars and partly due to the attempted interference of kings and princes. Daniel-Rops describes it as the most important council in the history of the Church.

[eddybear]

Have you read Bede's "History of the English Church and People", Steve? I think you'd find that fascinating as well. I've almost finished it, and it's been quite an eye-opener.

[Steveg]

Hi Eddybear,

No I haven't read that. I've read a bit about Bede himself but not his work. I've also read some snippets about the early Church in England - Aiden and Cuthbert and some other bits but nothing systematic.

I'll add it to my reading list.

[Lily]

I'm about to read the Beano.