Inside the Vatican: Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church |
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TJ Reese
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Pages: 322 (Paperback)
ISBN: 0674932617
Pub: Harvard University Press
Pub date: 1998-03-31
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 328404
Reader Reviews:
Accessible but in-depth review of the vatican organisation (3/4 people found this helpful)
I was fascinated by this easy-to-read and accessible analysis of the vatican organisation. The author seems to have an intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the catholic church. Admirable!
Lacking (3/6 people found this helpful)
In a word, disappointing. Reese sets out to document the machinations of the Catholic hierarchy, satisfactorily covering the structure and official mission of its various parts. The energy he devoted to questioning Vatican officials is apparent, yet is also the book's shortfall. As an insider, Reese writes what could easily pass for an authorized biography; the Pope could read this with nary a blush (was that the intent?). Interspersed with the occasional slap on the wrist for good measure, the book seems to have only one source for information on how (in)efficiently the Vatican functions: the Vatican itself. Missing is any analytical scrutiny, external sourcing, or simply a ounce of skepticism of anything emanating from Vatican lips. Some utterances are downright banal: "...everyone agrees that the Vatican is better run and more efficient than the Italian bureaucracy." It would be hard to contrive a more meaningless analysis. Reese is an insider's insider; those looking for a documentary or expose can look elsewhere. But if you want the sanitized version, I recommend calling the Vatican and avoiding the middleman.
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Amazon.co.uk places this book into the following categories:
Books -> Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Church History -> Catholic
Books -> Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Church Institutions & Organizations
Books -> Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> General AAS
Books -> Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Catholic -> General AAS
Books -> Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> General
Books -> Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> General AAS
Books -> Subjects -> History -> Religious History -> Christianity
Books -> Subjects -> History -> Academic History
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