The Invention of Power

The Invention of Power
Author: Bruce Bueno de Mesquita
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Total Pages: 339
Release: 2022-01-18
Genre: History
ISBN: 154177440X

In the tradition of Why Nations Fail, this book solves one of the great puzzles of history: Why did the West become the most powerful civilization in the world? Western exceptionalism—the idea that European civilizations are freer, wealthier, and less violent—is a widespread and powerful political idea. It has been a source of peace and prosperity in some societies, and of ethnic cleansing and havoc in others. Yet in The Invention of Power, Bruce Bueno de Mesquita draws on his expertise in political maneuvering, deal-making, and game theory to present a revolutionary new theory of Western exceptionalism: that a single, rarely discussed event in the twelfth century changed the course of European and world history. By creating a compromise between churches and nation-states that, in effect, traded money for power and power for money, the 1122 Concordat of Worms incentivized economic growth, facilitated secularization, and improved the lot of the citizenry, all of which set European countries on a course for prosperity. In the centuries since, countries that have had a similar dynamic of competition between church and state have been consistently better off than those that have not. The Invention of Power upends conventional thinking about European culture, religion, and race and presents a persuasive new vision of world history.

The Pope who Would be King

The Pope who Would be King
Author: David I. Kertzer
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 508
Release: 2018
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0198827490

Days after the assassination of his prime minister in the middle of Rome in November 1848, Pope Pius IX found himself a virtual prisoner in his own palace. The wave of revolution that had swept through Europe now seemed poised to put an end to the popes' thousand-year reign over the Papal States, if not indeed to the papacy itself. Disguising himself as a simple parish priest, Pius escaped through a back door. Climbing inside the Bavarian ambassador's carriage, he embarked on a journey into a fateful exile.Only two years earlier Pius's election had triggered a wave of optimism across Italy. After the repressive reign of the dour Pope Gregory XVI, Italians saw the youthful, benevolent new pope as the man who would at last bring the Papal States into modern times and help create a new, unified Italian nation. But Pius found himself caught between a desire to please his subjects and a fear--stoked by the cardinals--that heeding the people's pleas would destroy the church. The resulting drama--with a colorful cast of characters, from Louis Napoleon and his rabble-rousing cousin Charles Bonaparte to Garibaldi, Tocqueville, and Metternich--was rife with treachery, tragedy, and international power politics.David Kertzer is one of the world's foremost experts on the history of Italy and the Vatican, and has a rare ability to bring history vividly to life. With a combination of gripping, cinematic storytelling, and keen historical analysis rooted in an unprecedented richness of archival sources, The Pope Who Would Be King sheds fascinating new light on the end of rule by divine right in the west and the emergence of modern Europe.

The Pope

The Pope
Author: Lp Lovell
Publisher:
Total Pages: 262
Release: 2018-10-19
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9781944975302

I'm a priest, a messenger of God, a good man. At least that's what I would have them all believe. She's a lost lamb, cast adrift from her flock and seeking shelter from the wolves snapping at her heels. She's looking for salvation, protection, forgiveness for her sins. I'm not the man to give it to her. But for the first time in my life, I want to be. Little does she know... For even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

The Pope, the Kings and the People. Volume 1

The Pope, the Kings and the People. Volume 1
Author: William Arthur
Publisher: Nova Snova
Total Pages: 341
Release: 2020-05-20
Genre:
ISBN: 9781536179781

The Pope, the Kings and the People, by William Arthur traces the history of Vaticanism from 1864 through 1869. The sources of the information contained in this work are, 1. Official documents; 2. Histories having the sanction of the Pope or of bishops; 3. Scholastic works of the present pontificate, and of recognized authority; 4. Periodicals and journals, avowed organs of the Vatican or of its policy, with books and pamphlets by bishops and other Ultramontane writers; 5. The writings of Liberal Catholics.

The Popes

The Popes
Author: John Julius Norwich
Publisher: Arrow
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2012
Genre: Papacy
ISBN: 9780099565871

John Julius Norwich examines the oldest continuing institution in the world, tracing the papal line down the centuries from St Peter (traditionally - but by no means historically - the first Pope) to the present. Of the 280-odd holders of the supreme office, some have unquestionably been saints; others have wallowed in unspeakable iniquity. One was said to have been a woman, her sex being revealed only when she improvidently gave birth to a baby during a papal procession. Almost as shocking was Formosus whose murdered corpse was exhumed, clothed in pontifical vestments, propped up on a throne and subjected to trial; or John XII, of whom Gibbon wrote 'his rapes of virgins and widows had deterred the female pilgrims from visiting the shrine of St Peter'. John Julius Norwich brings the story up to date with lively investigations into the anti-semitism of the contemptible Pius XII, the possible murder of John Paul I and the phenomenon of the Polish John Paul II. From the glories of Byzantium to the decay of Rome, from the Albigensian Heresy to controversy within the Church today, "The Popes" is superbly written, witty and revealing.

The Complete Sermons of Martin Luther, Volume 1

The Complete Sermons of Martin Luther, Volume 1
Author: Luther, Martin
Publisher: Delmarva Publications, Inc.
Total Pages: 673
Release:
Genre:
ISBN:

Martin Luther’s collected sermons for the church year were originally called postil or postilla (in German: Postille) which was originally a term for Bible commentaries. It is derived from the Latin "post illa verba textus" (after these words) referring to Biblical readings. Luther's postil was published in two series: the Church Postil and the House Postil. His published sermons and catechisms were by far his most popular. They did more to teach people the Reformation than any other book. Luther intended his postils to serve common pastors and people, and therefore was one of the greatest educational and devotional books of the Reformation. From the time Martin Luther published the first part in 1521, every annual cycle of sermons on the lessons, whether consisting of homilies or formal sermons, is termed a postil. This unabridged edition of Luther's writings of the works of Martin Luther is an accurate and clear translation. We have Presents the Church Postil as the mature Luther wanted it to be. It includes Luther’s extensive revisions to his own work. For those who are not familiar with the Church calendar year we have elected to number and title each sermon accompanied with a short description of the contents accompanied by the Bible verse. Thus it will look something like this: NO. 1 A KING ARRIVES FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT A Discourse on Christ Coming into Jerusalem TEXT: Matthew 21:1-9. The primary basis for the work is the comprehensive the 1905 translation of Luther's Church Postil by John Nicholas Lenker of which volumes 1-5 were originally published in Minneapolis by Lutherans of All Lands, 1904-1906, and volumes 6-8 were originally published in Minneapolis by The Luther Press, 1908-1908. In 1986 Baker Books reprinted this work. For convenience we have maintained the volume numbers of the more recent Baker Books reprint rather than the original volume numbers. Vol. 1. Sermons on Gospel Texts for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany (a reproduction of Vol. 10, The Precious and Sacred Writings of Martin Luther [Minneapolis: Lutherans in All Lands, 1905]). Vol. 2. Sermons on Gospel Texts for Epiphany, Lent, and Easter (a reproduction of Vol. 11, The Precious and Sacred Writings of Martin Luther [Minneapolis: Lutherans in All Lands, 1906]). Vol. 3. Sermons on Gospel Texts for Pentecost (a reproduction of Vol. 12, The Precious and Sacred Writings of Martin Luther [Minneapolis: Lutherans in All Lands, 1907]). Vol. 4. Sermons on Gospel Texts for the 1st to the 12th Sundays after Trinity (a reproduction of Vol. 13, The Precious and Sacred Writings of Martin Luther [Minneapolis: Lutherans in All Lands, 1904]). Vol. 5. Sermons on Gospel Texts for the 13th to the 26th Sundays after Trinity (a reproduction of Vol. 14, The Precious and Sacred Writings of Martin Luther [Minneapolis: Lutherans in All Lands, 1905]). Vol. 6. Sermons on Epistle Texts for Advent and Christmas (a reproduction of Vol. 1, Luther’s Epistle Sermons [Minneapolis: The Luther Press, 1908]). Vol. 7. Sermons on Epistle Texts for Epiphany, Easter, and Pentecost (a reproduction of Vol. 2, Luther’s Epistle Sermons [Minneapolis: The Luther Press, 1909]). Vol. 8. Sermons on Epistle Texts for Trinity Sunday to Advent with an Index of Sermon Texts in Vols. 1-8 (a reproduction of Vol. 3, Luther’s Epistle Sermons [Minneapolis: The Luther Press, 1909]).

Prisoner of the Vatican

Prisoner of the Vatican
Author: David I. Kertzer
Publisher: HMH
Total Pages: 388
Release: 2006-02-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 0547347162

A Pulitzer Prize winner’s “fascinating” account of the political battles that led to the end of the Papal States (Entertainment Weekly). From a National Book Award–nominated author, this absorbing history chronicles the birth of modern Italy and the clandestine politics behind the Vatican’s last stand in the battle between the church and the newly created Italian state. When Italy’s armies seized the Holy City and claimed it for the Italian capital, Pope Pius IX, outraged, retreated to the Vatican and declared himself a prisoner, calling on foreign powers to force the Italians out of Rome. The action set in motion decades of political intrigue that hinged on such fascinating characters as Garibaldi, King Viktor Emmanuel, Napoleon III, and Chancellor Bismarck. Drawing on a wealth of secret documents long buried in the Vatican archives, David I. Kertzer reveals a fascinating story of outrageous accusations, mutual denunciations, and secret dealings that will leave readers hard-pressed to ever think of Italy, or the Vatican, in the same way again. “A rousing tale of clerical skullduggery and topsy-turvy politics, laced with plenty of cross-border intrigue.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Let Us Dream

Let Us Dream
Author: Pope Francis
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 160
Release: 2022-03
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1982171871

The leader of the Catholic Church discusses what the COVID-19 crisis revealed about the cruelty and inequality of society, what it can teach about handling upheaval, and how to make the world safer, fairer, and healthier for all people. -- Provided by publisher.

One King's Way

One King's Way
Author: Harry Harrison
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
Total Pages: 547
Release: 1996-03-15
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1466823178

A craftsman, visionary, and warrior, Shef has risen from slavery to become king of a mighty Viking nation. But his growing kingdom menaces all of Europe, and he has made many powerful enemies. Chief among his enemies are the Knights of the Lance, a fanatical order of soldiers sworn to bring Shef down, no matter what the cost. To defeat Shef, they will go to extraordinary lengths to find the sacred spear of Christ--and resurrect the Holy Roman Empire. Driven by dreams, Shef battles to change the course of history, but even the gods themselves may be plotting against him.... At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Tell Them of Battles, Kings, and Elephants

Tell Them of Battles, Kings, and Elephants
Author: Mathias Énard
Publisher: New Directions Publishing
Total Pages: 152
Release: 2019-10-29
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0811227057

Michelangelo’s adventure in Constantinople, from the “mesmerizing” (New Yorker) and “masterful” (Washington Post) author of Compass In 1506, Michelangelo—a young but already renowned sculptor—is invited by the sultan of Constantinople to design a bridge over the Golden Horn. The sultan has offered, along with an enormous payment, the promise of immortality, since Leonardo da Vinci’s design was rejected: “You will surpass him in glory if you accept, for you will succeed where he has failed, and you will give the world a monument without equal.” Michelangelo, after some hesitation, flees Rome and an irritated Pope Julius II—whose commission he leaves unfinished—and arrives in Constantinople for this truly epic project. Once there, he explores the beauty and wonder of the Ottoman Empire, sketching and describing his impressions along the way, as he struggles to create what could be his greatest architectural masterwork. Tell Them of Battles, Kings, and Elephants—constructed from real historical fragments—is a thrilling page-turner about why stories are told, why bridges are built, and how seemingly unmatched fragments, seen from the opposite sides of civilization, can mirror one another.