The Modern Scholar: Upon This Rock: A History of the Papacy from Peter to John Paul II

By: Thomas F. Madden

Narrated by: Thomas F. Madden

In this compelling series of lectures, widely esteemed author and professor Thomas F. Madden illustrates how the papacy, the world's oldest institution, gave birth to the West.

Since Jesus Christ instructed the foremost of his Apostles, Peter, that he would be the rock upon which Christ would build his church, the papacy has survived the rise and fall of empires while continuing to assert an undeniable influence on world events. The men who have served as pope are a fascinating collection of larger-than-life personages who have touched millions of lives, changed the course of history, and even launched crusades that have altered the balance of global politics.

With a learned approach and incisive analysis, Professor Madden not only provides a history of the papacy, but sheds light on the personalities of the popes and the flavor of their pontificates. At the same time, Madden demonstrates how the papacy has survived the tumultuous cauldron of history and offers a studied commentary on the future of this resilient institution.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2006 Thomas F. Madden (P)2006 Recorded Books, LLC

Super solid. Orthodox. Historically accurate.

this was very well-constructed and very faithful to church teaching while remaining objective in its historical accuracy. I'm very grateful to have had it to listen to in the car.

wonderful professor and interesting topic

Pros:
- interesting, well-organized lectures
- enjoyable speaking voice, especially as I wind down in the evening
- professor with a dry sense of humor
- interesting topic even for non-Catholics

Cons:
- a pro Catholic, slightly conservative slant, which didn't bother me but I wanted to note
- not enough time in this course to get into as much of the early church and medieval history as he tackles in some of his other series; if that's your interest, I would start with another lecture series

Overall, highly recommended. If you are just starting with Prof. Madden, I would start with his audios on Venice or his two-part series on the medieval world.

wonderful intro to the history of the papacy

Mr. Madden has done his homework. This work is a fine introduction to the long and sometimes sorted history of the papacy.

Strong but not incredibly Detailed

This lecture series was excellent overall. Still, because it covers such a large span of time it is difficult to really get very detailed. It would jump so quickly through different popes, decades, and even centuries, it was difficult to follow. All in all, very educational and a great listen.

Great narrative style, but it omits Papal Infallibility

I like most of this series. I felt like the story of the different Popes represented more like a natural narrative story – it felt like a friend talking to me and explaining what happened. So on almost everything I would say this is great.

However, I was greatly disappointed that papal infallibility was not seriously discussed. As many may know, papal fallibility is the single most divisive Catholic doctrine in existence. It has been Challenged by many Catholic scholars including Hans Kung, Bryan Tierney, and August Hasler. These scholars claim and many historians admit this doctrine evolved and appeared much later in Christian history. The Great Courses Plus lecture series: “The Catholic Church: A History” admits this as well.

Since this was a history, specifically of popes, I was hoping for a robust defense of this doctrine. I wanted this presenter to pinpoint the origins, give evidence, site church fathers in favor of an early doctrine of people and availability. Instead, this presenter simply stated towards the end of his series that “the Catholic Church had always believed in papal infallibility“. Even if he disagreed with these other scholars that I’ve mentioned, he owes it to the reader/listener to at least engage with those other voices. If he believes they’re wrong, he needs to demonstrate why they’re wrong.

I am currently a catechumen discerning the Catholic faith. I have been wrestling with this issue in particular – and I sought out this course in particular because I thought it would address it. It does not.

On the other hand, everything else was great. It greatly improved my understanding of the relationship between the church and the state, the European kings and the pope, and the tricky dance they played out over the centuries. That part was very enlightening.