Having survived 2,000 years of attacks, emperors, kings, traditions and philosophies, and heresies and schisms, the Catholic church and its place in history are the focus of this compelling chronicle. This miracle of constant regeneration, the book explains, is both the mystery of the church for nonbelievers and the confirmation of the truth for Catholics. Concise, erudite, and intelligent, the analysis provides a firm grasp and understanding of this longstanding religion's complex history.