Product Description

This fascinating dictionary gives concise accounts of every officially recognized pope in history, from St Peter to Pope Benedict XVI, as well as all of their irregularly elected rivals, the so-called antipopes. Each pope and antipope's entry covers his family and social background and pre-papal career as well as his activities in office. An appendix provides a detailed discussion and analysis of the tradition that there has been a female pope. The entries are arranged chronologically making this a continuous history of the papacy over almost 2,000 years. It reveals how, for much of that history, spiritual and temporal power have been inextricably mingled in the person of the pope. A fascinating read for students of theology and history, as well as the general reader with an interest in Christian history.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #133645 in Books
• Published on: 2006-01-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

Review
a fascinating volume ... handy, readable, illuminating ... Each entry is a little masterpiece. Daily Telegraph

Daily Telegraph
"a fascinating volume ... handy, readable, illuminating ... Each entry is a little masterpiece."

About the Author
Dr J.N.D. Kelly was a distinguished church historian and former principal of St Edmund Hall, Oxford. He was a Canon of Chichester Cathedral and a Fellow of the British Academy.

Customer Reviews

A Female Pope?!?
Any book that deals with the topic of Pope Joan, the only female Pope, and does not do it with guffaws for comic relief, is a keeper in my library. It also includes a Pope whose four day papacy before his death, never gave him the time to be "sworn in"! Now that is a complete study. Feminism and curiosity aside, though, this is a valuable reference that is also enjoyable reading. My favorite attraction is that for each Pope, Kelly directs you to the best sources for more information on everyone of the Popes he has studied. As interesting groups of people go, it just doesn't get any more interesting than these guys!

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