The second volume of this definitive history of the Catholic Church covers the period from the Renaissance to the French Revolution, a time of great change and reform in the Church's history. Written by a distinguished historian of Catholicism, and drawing on a wide range of academic and ecclesiastical sources, it provides a comprehensive and engaging account of the Church's response to the challenges of the modern era. Combining scholarship and readability, this volume is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the history of the Church. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.