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The Oxford Dictionary of Popes Hardcover – June 5, 1986
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The Dictionary contains concise accounts not only of all the officially recognized popes from St. Peter to John Paul II, but also of all their irregularly elected rivals, the so-called antipopes; it also has an appendix recording the once generally credited but long discarded, tradition that at some date in the ninth, tenth, or eleventh century there was a femal pope called Joan. Each pope and antipope is assigned an entry which covers, except where (as in the early centuries) no information is available, his family and social background and pre-papal career as well as his activities in office, and each entry has its separate select bibliography, usually including references to the primary source for the pope's life and his official acts.
The popes have been deliberately arranged in chronological rather than alphabetical order so that each can be studied in his own historical context. The arrangement also means that the book is in effect a continuous history of the papacy. Based on careful research, but eminently readable, it provides revealing vignettes of the extraordinary variety of men who have claimed to be successors of St. Peter, and their varying involvement on great power politics, personal or family aggrandizement, theological controversy, or spiritual leadership. It also presents a graphic and moving picture of the fluctuating fortunes of the Christian church centered in Rome, sometimes submerged by secular forces, but at other times, under popes of determination and vision, staging a spectacular revival and confronting the world (as today) with a daunting challenge.
About the Author:
J.N.D. Kelly is formerly principal of St. Edmund Hall, Oxford.
Features:
A matchless resource on the history of the Papacy
BL Chronologically arranged and fully indexed
BL Filled with compelling vignettes and portraits
- Print length368 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherOxford University Press
- Publication dateJune 5, 1986
- Dimensions5.75 x 1.28 x 8.75 inches
- ISBN-100192139649
- ISBN-13978-0192139641
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From Library Journal
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product details
- Publisher : Oxford University Press (June 5, 1986)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 368 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0192139649
- ISBN-13 : 978-0192139641
- Item Weight : 1.4 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.75 x 1.28 x 8.75 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #2,776,020 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4,459 in Bird Watching (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
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Customers find the book informative and interesting. It answers many questions in a technical way that surprises them. However, some readers find the typography and layout difficult to read.
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Customers find the book informative and interesting. It answers many questions in a technical way that surprises them about this sort.
"...Instead I found it compelling to see it all with "Warts and all"." Read more
"...It answers a lot of questions in a technical way that surprised me about this sort of history...." Read more
"From what I have read so far, I find it interesting and informative. However I do find it somewhat dry." Read more
Customers find the book difficult to read due to poor typography and a poor layout on the Kindle.
"The layout in the Kindle is horrible. I have it one star because it was impossible to give it zero stars. Save your money." Read more
"This book is a typographical monstrosity! How could Oxford Univ. Press and Amazon allow it to be published? jb" Read more
"The Kindle version is pretty much illegible. I've tried looking at it on multiple devices; there's no spacing between words." Read more
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Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2022Thank you for the quick service.
5.0 out of 5 starsThank you for the quick service.Timely Delivery carefully wrapped clean copy.
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2022
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- Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2019The layout in the Kindle is horrible. I have it one star because it was impossible to give it zero stars. Save your money.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2010I frankly found this book to be a extremely well balanced and researched about the rise & fall of the Popes of the Roman Catholic Church. Most books on this subject are either a complete diatribe against Mother Church or full of praise with no complaints. Instead I found it compelling to see it all with "Warts and all".
- Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2015I was looking for a book that was easy to carry around and had just enough info on each pope to begin my daily meditation. This work meets all the criteria I was looking for. I only wish it was updated with Pope's Benedict and Francis.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2018This book is a typographical monstrosity! How could Oxford Univ. Press and Amazon allow it to be published?
jb
- Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2013Obviously, with the recent retirementof Benedict and the eventual election of Francis, I had a few questions, and needed a resource. It answers a lot of questions in a technical way that surprised me about this sort of history. So if you absolutely have to know the answer (or do a lot of crosswords) this is the book for you.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2019Excellent
- Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2012There was very small print, but that is nobody's fault. I just wanted more information about Catholic popes. Fine book.Fine book.
Top reviews from other countries
- Randy LiewickiReviewed in Canada on May 29, 2013
5.0 out of 5 stars Getting Know the Popes
This dictionary by the late J. N. D. Kelly proves that he knew the subject well and is easly read. If you need infromation regarding the popes, then this is the one for you.
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2nimmReviewed in France on September 12, 2011
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent dictionnaire complet mais sans illustrations
livre relié rigide soigné (cuir et dorures) format moyen de 1986; dictionnaire recensant tous les papes et anti-papes en leur consacrant un article de quelques lignes à plusieurs pages; aucune photo ni illustration: ouvrage de référence indispensable pour toute personne s'intéressant au sujet
- Matthew TurnerReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 8, 2007
5.0 out of 5 stars A quick guide to the Popes
This is an excellent little reference book on the Popes, benefiting greatly by being updated to include Benedict XVI.
This work presents each pope, and anti-pope, in chronological order, which enables the reader to have a continuous history of the papacy. Each pope or anti-pope is provided with a brief biography including birth and death dates, parentage, relationships to other popes or church luminaries, and their careers before and during (and sometimes after) their papacy. In some cases these biographies are surprisingly in-depth for such a work. At the end of each biography is a list of references which can be used to guide the interested reader to further reading on a particular pope or anti-pope.
The end appendix on the possibility, at least tradition, of a female pope is a good addition as well.
Handy to have on your bookshelf. Recommended