Mitch Finley earned a B.A. in Religious Studies from Santa Clara University and an M.A. in Theology from Marquette University. He is the author of more than 30 books.

In his third edition of Key Moments in Church History, Mitch Finley enlivens a topic which, in a less talented writer's hands, could have been deadly dull. Instead, in his usual down-to-earth narration and flowing style, Mitch presents events seemingly far removed from us—-the Council of Trent, the Crusades, even the Reformation—-as precious parts of our own past, events that brought the entire Catholic Church to where it now stands, for better or worse. The thought occurs more than once—-what is happening today that may become a Key Moment for our descendents? Excellent and well-documented, worthy of being a must-read in any Catholic high school class, and beyond.

• Chapter 1 AcknowledgmentsChapter 2 IntroductionChapter 3 Jesus of NazarethChapter 4 The Early ChurchChapter 5 The Church Gives Birth to the New TestamentChapter 6 The Constantinian EraChapter 7 The Council of ChalcedonChapter 8 The Crusades, the Inquisition, Saint Dominic and St. Francis of AssisiChapter 9 The Protestant ReformationChapter 10 The Council of TrentChapter 11 Ultramontanism and the First Vatican CouncilChapter 12 Pius X and the Modernist CrisisChapter 13 John XXIII and the Second Vatican CouncilChapter 14 Epilogue: The Current State of the Church