Catholic Christendom versus Revolutionary Disorder - by John C Rao (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

If Christ came to "bring a sword" into history, it was a sword that was meant to fight on behalf of the personal and common good of individual human beings and the communities through which they work to perfect themselves. Everywhere that sword cut, it did so to fashion a true, good, and beautiful civilization in which men could live with a freedom and a dignity that surpasses all purely natural understanding.

The enemies of the Incarnation and its central "practical" consequence for the temporal history of the world-the establishment of the Social Kingship of Christ-have sought in a myriad of ways to bring the construction and maintenance of a truly Catholic Christendom capable of leading fallen man away from sin and towards eternal salvation to naught. Revolutionary "modernity," with its emphasis upon the "liberation" of the individual and society both from the easy yoke and light burden of the Incarnate God, as well as from their mutual complementarity, has led to nothing other than the enslavement of the human person and community life to the triumph of the strongest wills.

This volume of essays seeks to bring the full meaning of the "sword" of Christ in history to life, but in mortal combat with a diabolical modern revolutionary ideology that works to blunt it, break it, and, in C.S. Lewis' words "abolish mankind" in the process.

Review Quotes

Can the Catholic Church be reconciled with progress, liberalism, and modern civilization? An adequate response to such a question can only be given if we understand what modern civilization is, what the Church is, and what the results of various approaches of the later to the former have been. John Rao's wide ranging and profound writings are indispensable for coming to such an understanding. -Pater Edmund Waldstein, O.Cist., lecturer in moral theology, Heiligenkreuz, Austria

Whether you read John Rao's articles or hear him lecture, the experience is exhilarating. At a time when historiography is in something of a melting-pot, Professor Rao is invariably a breath of real fresh air and an exciting source of renewed understanding. -Fr. John Hunwicke, Senior Research Fellow emeritus, Pusey House, Oxford

Professor Rao's learning, devotion to history, love of the Faith, eye for telling incident, and vivid writing are all on display in his multifaceted presentation of the struggles of the Church in the modern world. Readers will deepen their understanding of the current state of the Church, how it came about, its deep background, and how it can be bettered. -James Kalb, lawyer, writer, and Catholic convert