John W. O’Malley gives us the most comprehensive account ever written of the Society of Jesus in its founding years, one that heightens and transforms our understanding of the Jesuits in history and today.

The book tells the story of the Jesuits’ great successes as missionaries, educators, scientists, cartographers, polemicists, theologians, poets, patrons of the arts, and confessors to kings.

A reliable, even-handed introduction to the to the Vatican Council II, "What Happened at Vatican II" is the first of its kind and a critical resource for understanding the Catholic church today, including the pontificate of Benedict XVI.

John W. O’Malley brings to life the bitter, schism-threatening conflicts that erupted at Vatican I. The pope’s zeal in pressing for infallibility raised questions about the legitimacy of the council, at the same time as Italian forces ...

This one-volume history, the first in modern times, explores the volatile issues that pushed several Holy Roman emperors, kings and queens of France, five popes, and all of Europe to the brink of disaster.

A History of the Popes tells the story of the oldest living institution in the Western world—the papacy.

The so-called Counter- or Catholic Reformation has traditionally been viewed as a monolith, but these essays decisively challenge this interpretation, emphasizing the variety, vitality, and complexity of Catholicism in the early modern era.

The term indicates clearly what this book so eloquently demonstrates: that Early Modern Catholicism was an aspect of early modern history, which it strongly influenced and by which it was itself in large measure determined.

O'Malley has continued to write about Saint Ignatius and the subsequent history of the Jesuits. This volume contains a number of such studies and presses forward the trajectory he launched two decades ago with his book.

Many of the essays highlight his expertise on the papacy and the papal curia, as well as the significance and legacies of the Council of Trent and Vatican II. By taking a historical approach, O’Malley shows how contemporary issues arose, ...