As with all major world religions, the Web is an excellent source for information about the history of the Catholic religion. The Catholic Church has figured prominently in the development and progression of many major religions, and there are many sites on the Web providing information and history about this esteemed institution. From sites about Benedictine monasteries in the Dark Ages, to sites detailing the fighting between Catholics and Protestants in sixteenth century France, to an online version of the Catholic Encyclopedia, the array of sites on the Web relating to Catholic history is diverse and interesting. There are sites dedicated to the biographies of individuals who have been integral to the development of Catholic doctrine through the years, such as St. Thomas Aquinas and Benedict of Nursia, who founded the Order of Saint Benedict. Visitors can read writings by these famous Catholics and others, as well as the complete texts of Catechisms, articles, and research papers on various subjects dealing with the study of Catholic history.
Many sites offer search engines so visitors can find exactly the information they are seeking.
Sites detailing religious wars include maps and illustrations of scenes, in addition to narrative descriptions of the events leading up to battles. Other sites discuss the reforms the Catholic Church has seen in this century as a result of important events such as the Second Vatican Council, and the Church s involvement in recent international issues. Although the history of the Catholic Church is long and intricate, with many tangential issues, every site has its own viewpoint and approach to presenting information, whether historical fact or opinion. The many web sites devoted to the history of Catholicism are an invaluable resource for anyone searching for a Catholic historical perspective on just about any topic. A Study in Church History Read about the history of the Church s understanding of itself, including a detailed eight-part historical survey that provides an outline of church history.