A History of Christendom Vol 4: The Cleaving of Christendom

This fourth of Dr Warren H. Carroll's six volume fully documented history of Christendom is primarily concerned with the split in Christendom created by the Protestant revolt of Martin Luther and his followers, and consequently is entitled The Cleaving of Christendom. It covers in detail the years between the emergence of Luther as a major figure and the beginning of the personal reign of Louis XIV in France in 1661, with seperate discussions of the missionary efforts and accomplishments of the Church in America and the Orient during these years. It explores in depth how the great division of Christendom came about.

As did earlier volumes of this sweeping series, The Cleaving of Christendom reflects an unabashedly Christian and Catholic view of history, centering on the Popes and their leadership of the Church as the common theme and connecting threads in the history of every Christian country - all of which are covered at least in significant part. Dr. Carroll holds that God and individual men and women, not impersonal social and economic "forces", make history. The characters and actions of these history-makers, both good and evil, are vividly depicted as essential elements in the triumphs and tragedies of the following of Christ by the people of Christian Europe for over a hundred years (1517 - 1661).

Both a gripping, dramatic narrative and an indispensable work of reference for Christian history, this volume and the entire series of which it is a part belong in the library of every serious Catholic who desires to understand the work that Christ has done in the world through His Church.

Warren H. Carroll holds his Ph.D. in history from Columbia University and is Chairman of the History Department at Christendom College, which he founded in 1977, serving as its President until 1985. Since 1975 he has been at work on a six-volume history of Christendom, of which the first volume, The Founding of Christendom, was published in 1985, the second volume, The Building of Christendom, in 1987, and the third volume, The Glory of Christendom, in 1993.