HISTORICAL ATLAS OF CHARITY
- Category: Religions
- Author/Editor: Juan María Laboa
- Format: Illustrated/Hardback
- Dimension: 21,5 cms x 27 cms
- Pages: 240
- Price: 49 €
- Year: 2013
- Rights Sold: English, Spanish
- Signs:
Review
Now it is known that the history of the Church cannot be reduced to the history of the Popes and of the great characters of the various periods. It is acknowledged the importance of monastic and religious movements, of the saints of charity and of congregations, which have had a big impact on the social life even in the contemporary age. In this work the historian of the Church, Juan María Laboa, in 40 chapters focuses on charity in the life of the Church and in the figures that most expressed it, from the first Christians up until figures of our times like Mother Teresa or Soeur Emmanuelle. This volume starts with the figure of Christ, from his teaching and behaviour. Then are dealt the first Christian communities and how they helped the weakest and the needy people. During the big changes of history it can be noted an inventiveness of Christians that, while finding new forms of life as monasticism or religious orders, found as well new forms of charity. The big city development brought new needs which grew alongside the metropolis. In contemporaneity, just when the Church seemed to be on the fringe, the Christian inventiveness in fulfilling man’s needs found figures and movements that intervened not only in the cities and world’s most wretched places. Thus charity becomes also witness of justice and renovation. Charity’s fruits are often hidden and anonymous and go alongside figures that stand out and are known in all the globalized world. These are the signs for a possible better world. This is a brief look of all the history of the Church, an important way to watch again history itself.