Vatican II

By: John W. O'Malley

Narrated by: John W. O'Malley

Length: 4 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Join celebrated Church historian John O'Malley in exploring the biggest meeting in the history of the world.

The Second Vatican Council concluded 50 years ago, but it is a livelier topic today than it has been for decades. Basic questions are being asked. What did the Council do? Was it properly implemented? Are its decisions being systematically "rolled back"?

Good questions, but to answer them good information is needed. Such information is precisely what these 12 insightful lectures provide. You will discover the story of the Council from its convocation by Pope John XXIII in 1959 to its conclusion in 1965. They reveal a dramatic clash between a large majority (85% to 90%) and a small but determined minority. Why did these two groups take their positions so passionately, who were their protagonists, and how did Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI respond?

Explore the issues that rocked the Council. How should the Church deal with non-Christian religions, such as Islam? What is the true nature of the liturgy? How is the Church to deal with the "new churches" emerging in Africa and Asia? Is freedom to choose one's religion compatible with Catholicism? Is there any limit to the authority of the Roman Curia? Why did Pope Paul VI remove certain topics from the agenda?

These lectures will give you the orientation you need to understand one of the most important events of the 20th century, to appreciate the problems it faced, and to grapple with the questions being asked about it (and the Catholic Church) today.

©2009 Now You Know Media Inc. (P)2009 Now You Know Media Inc.

Great but quick overview of Vatican II

The author provides an overview of the inside baseball that went on at Vatican II in the drafting of the council’s texts. The author provides an easy to understand and conversational tone, and he clearly is an expert. To some extent, I wish this survey could have been more detailed, but he has a book that does that, apparently.

Outstanding

Deep, complex made understandable considering such a vast topic.

I am encouraged to learn more about the councils and Vatican 1

Fr. O’Malley is a gift an example of all that is good about the Catholic Church

really helps one understand the developments.

Especially for those of us who did not live through it, this is a great overview and gives context to the council.

A Second and Much Different Council

AT A GLANCE:
An eminent Catholic historian shows his mastery of controversial subject matter.

CONTENT:
There are many competing stories about “what happened at Vatican II”. Luckily the man who wrote the book by that name is here to help us make sense of things.
The lectures are presented as a story told chronologically. We learn about the calling and intentions of Pope John XXIII, compared subtly with Paul VI’s strategy of intervention. This is an intimate and systematic look at the driving participants, the composition and presentation of key documents, and the infighting of competing groups from around the Catholic sphere. There is very little focus on the relevant doctrine and this is at times frustrating; we are told one too many times that “we don’t have time to go into that now”. Expect a straight history lesson and you will be rewarded.

THE NARRATOR:
Professor O’Malley is an esteemed Jesuit author who had firsthand access to the council as a journalist. He has devoted much time and care to this series and gives the impression of being a trustworthy source. His tone of voice occasionally hints at his opinion but he stays consistently on-topic. His speaking tempo picks up and slows without warning, making it a dangerous business to deviate the playback speed from normal.

OVERALL:
Greatly recommended for Catholics and Church history buffs seeking an objective overview of the events during Vatican II.

Outstanding

Extremely informative about the events that actually transpired at V2 without any fluff. Citations are 👍🏻

John is amazing

The story of the council is summerized and pacted with details and drama which are explained by John in the clear and thoughtful manner that we have come to expect from such an eminent scholar. There is much here that requires requisite knowledge, but Google can help with that. If you want to know the issues under the issues at the council then this is for you.

excellent balanced overview of Vatican II

this was an excellent and very balanced overview of the successes and shortcomings of Vatican II

An excellent historical summary of Vatican ll

This is an excellent historical summary, in lecture format, about Vatican ll by Father John W O’Malley. The presentation is at a level the average Catholic “in the pew” can understand and obtain a perspective of the how, background, and results. Father O’Malley has kept this historical overview interesting, objective, and informative without it being a scholarly tome only understandable by scholars. Father O’Malley’s ends the lecture series with a great summation of the impacts of Vatican ll 50 years later. Highly recommend! This is only in AUDIO format and there is no accompanying written format to refer to for further exploration of Vatican ll. I plan to go on to “What Happened at Vatican ll” by Father O’Malley based on this lecture.

Superb

Superb intro to VII. Presented as a lecture series as opposed to a straight reading of an audiobook. Comes across as far more engaging and listenable. Recommended!

Excellent For Anyone

The author is a first-rate historian and we are lucky to live in an age where his work and research are so available to everyone.
This program opens with an overview of Vatican II and its background, then gives a rundown of what happened at each of the sessions, concluding with a summary of the Council's aftermath and consequences. The background to each session provides valuable information. And, as icing on the cake, we get occasional stories of behind-the-scenes personal conflicts, providing an appropriate amount of drama to the narrative without detracting from the information.
I consider myself a Vatican II, Francis-inspired Catholic; that said, I would describe the tone of this program as "moderate." O'Malley doesn't try to present the Council as a triumphant birth of "New Church" freed from medieval shackles; he shows how Vatican II fits into a long history of councils. But he also does not give any time to the conspiracy theorists or schismatics who question Vatican II's legitimacy---nor should he. Rather, he notes plainly what the various intentions and agendas were present, and only at the end does he offer some opinion about which areas he believes the Council has seen successes or failures in (he seems especially disappointed with a lack of progress in area of collegiality).
There is nothing very technical here, and i would recommend it for anyone: Non-Catholics, RCIA people, and certainly any Catholics who would like a fair and well-researched summary of what happened at Vatican II.