Maybe you've wondered just what the Church has to offer. Or maybe you've been tempted to give up on it as you realize its weaknesses. The Compact History of the Catholic Church sweeps through the centuries offering a clear-eyed view of the Church's development and contributions to world history. God's faithfulness and mercy are evident, too, as he continually renews the Church and raises it "e;again and again from the pit of trouble to new heights of faith, charity and peace."e; Now including a handy timeline highlighting major developments and figures from the time of Christ into the twenty-first century.