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Popes and the Papacy: A History
More than a billion Roman Catholics throughout the world today look to the pope for guidance and leadership. Despite the papacy's enormous influence, how much do you really know about this ancient and powerful institution?
Catholics and non-Catholics alike will enjoy these 24 illuminating lectures about this remarkable institution. Professor Noble gives you priceless insights into the dramatic history of the papal office and the lives of the men who represented it.
You'll follow four critical strands of papal history over 2,000 years: the history of the "Petrine" idea; the history of an institution; the history of popes and antipopes; the history of Western civilization; and you'll look inside the Vatican's doors and discover fresh views on the institution's people, ideas, traditions, and routines, as well as the important roles played by organizations like the Curia and the Secretariat of State. You'll investigate the mechanisms by which the church not only ministers to its worldwide flock but also deals with the practical realities of its administration.
Filled with interesting stories and remarkable insights, this course promises to educate, enlighten, and entertain you.
Catholics and non-Catholics alike will enjoy these 24 illuminating lectures about this remarkable institution. Professor Noble gives you priceless insights into the dramatic history of the papal office and the lives of the men who represented it.
You'll follow four critical strands of papal history over 2,000 years: the history of the "Petrine" idea; the history of an institution; the history of popes and antipopes; the history of Western civilization; and you'll look inside the Vatican's doors and discover fresh views on the institution's people, ideas, traditions, and routines, as well as the important roles played by organizations like the Curia and the Secretariat of State. You'll investigate the mechanisms by which the church not only ministers to its worldwide flock but also deals with the practical realities of its administration.
Filled with interesting stories and remarkable insights, this course promises to educate, enlighten, and entertain you.
Audible Audio
First published January 1, 2005
10 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
About the author
Thomas F.X. Noble
160 books20 followersProfessor, Department of History, University of Notre Dame.
Medieval, Mediterranean, religious; the city of Rome, the papacy, late antiquity, the Carolingians, the West and Byzantium.
Medieval, Mediterranean, religious; the city of Rome, the papacy, late antiquity, the Carolingians, the West and Byzantium.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
April 30, 2025
این دوره نسبت به دورهٔ «تاریخ کلیسای کاتولیک» جزئیات بیشتری داشت، اما مدرس به اندازهٔ اون دوره خوشبیان نبود.
از این دو دوره به عنوان منبع برای جلسهٔ کلیسای کلاس «آشنایی با مسیحیت» خودم استفاده کردم.
از این دو دوره به عنوان منبع برای جلسهٔ کلیسای کلاس «آشنایی با مسیحیت» خودم استفاده کردم.
October 12, 2022
There's really quite a lot of interesting stuff to be found under this headline, but somehow this fairly shallow course managed to render a lot of it exceptionally boring... and the fact that I found the lecturer's voice and manner of speech rather irritating didn't help.
August 23, 2020
Thomas Noble PhD’s 2006 instant audio book “Popes and the Papacy” was first released by The Teaching Company in 2005. His audio book, presentation dvd, and course book of 24 lectures cover significant Catholic papacy events from Saint Peter to Pope Benedict XVI. Noble’s lectures explain the “dark periods of Papacy failures” as well as the Papacy’s “bright and inspiring periods” since 30 AD. The lectures have 4 central themes:
1. history of the Petrine ideal,
2. serial biography of 265 popes,
3. Papacy as an institution, and
4. Papacy history as a microcosm of Western Civilization.
Noble’s voice inflictions are fascinating; and his attention to detail is amazing. I enjoyed very much his instant audio presentation and his very engaging teaching style. Professor Noble served many years as a Distinguished Professor of History at Norte Dame University. (P)
1. history of the Petrine ideal,
2. serial biography of 265 popes,
3. Papacy as an institution, and
4. Papacy history as a microcosm of Western Civilization.
Noble’s voice inflictions are fascinating; and his attention to detail is amazing. I enjoyed very much his instant audio presentation and his very engaging teaching style. Professor Noble served many years as a Distinguished Professor of History at Norte Dame University. (P)
February 11, 2024
I'm not personally of the Roman Catholic church. But there's no denying the impact the Roman Catholic Church and the papacy has had on the world, and on world history.
Despite potentially dry subject matter, the lecturer is very enthusiastic, infectiously so.
Given the vast subject matter, this is necessarily a very broad overview, whirring through the centuries at great speed, lightly touching on politics here and there, and changes in beliefs and doctrines, leaving my head spinning. This could easily have been twice as long and would probably still have been an overwhelming amount of information.
If I had taken a course on the Middle Ages along with this series of lectures, it would have been easier to follow.
There was no real mention or discussion of the Inquisition, or of the sexual abuse scandal; the most positive interpretation of this is that the lecturer was purely focusing on the papacy, not the problems the church dealt with. Although it's hard to imagine how these scandals didn't affect the popes. The less generous interpretation is that the lecturer was trying to put the Catholic church in a good light.
In other news: I need to get hold of a biography of John Paul II.
Would I re-read: no.
Despite potentially dry subject matter, the lecturer is very enthusiastic, infectiously so.
Given the vast subject matter, this is necessarily a very broad overview, whirring through the centuries at great speed, lightly touching on politics here and there, and changes in beliefs and doctrines, leaving my head spinning. This could easily have been twice as long and would probably still have been an overwhelming amount of information.
If I had taken a course on the Middle Ages along with this series of lectures, it would have been easier to follow.
There was no real mention or discussion of the Inquisition, or of the sexual abuse scandal; the most positive interpretation of this is that the lecturer was purely focusing on the papacy, not the problems the church dealt with. Although it's hard to imagine how these scandals didn't affect the popes. The less generous interpretation is that the lecturer was trying to put the Catholic church in a good light.
In other news: I need to get hold of a biography of John Paul II.
Would I re-read: no.
July 31, 2025
This 24 lecture course by Thomas Noble is a decent overview. It goes well with a prior Great Courses that I have listened to "The History of the Catholic Church" by Professor William Cook. Professor Noble has a pleasant speaking voice with no distracting speech patterns. There are several interesting lectures within this course, with the lectures on Pope John Paul II, The Papacy in the Age of Charlemagne, and the Papacy in the "Age of Iron" being the most fascinating lectures.
My main problem with this course is that it is too brief. Teaching the 2000 year history of the Papacy in just 24 lectures does not give enough space to the topics at hand. Since it is an overview, the detail is slight. I would have much preferred a 36 lecture course, to give more time to develop the material in depth. Also, there is a heavy emphasis on recent history. Five lectures cover the period since 1960, but only one lecture covers the entire 1700's, making for a very uneven glance at the historical development of the papacy.
My main problem with this course is that it is too brief. Teaching the 2000 year history of the Papacy in just 24 lectures does not give enough space to the topics at hand. Since it is an overview, the detail is slight. I would have much preferred a 36 lecture course, to give more time to develop the material in depth. Also, there is a heavy emphasis on recent history. Five lectures cover the period since 1960, but only one lecture covers the entire 1700's, making for a very uneven glance at the historical development of the papacy.
October 21, 2024
What stood out to me was just how political the Popes have been. It was, like, their main gig for more than a thousand years. It seems they haven't tended to be more upright/spiritually appearing until the most recent popes. An interesting conjecture in the series was that the popes just didn't understand the reformation at all and really missed the boat. Similarly that the papacy did not understand the transformation of nations into modernity. On another note, I feel that papal infallibility really boxed the papacy into a corner and made reform of the institution that much harder. It's that much harder to admit mistakes and to make changes. But the series was a good historical overview of the popes and significant times and events.
October 31, 2022
Expired before I had a chance to finish. Very informative.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
abandoned
April 6, 2025Very quickly turned into names and dates and not enough context for me to follow. I’ll try again later, maybe after going through the history of the Catholic Church course
May 12, 2015
As always Dr. Noble presents an excellent series of lectures. In this series he covers a large period of history and navigates the interesting and sometimes convoluted world of the Papacy. He does it with his usual skill and humor. He is able to make difficult topics understandable for the average person. This series is highly recommended for anyone interested in one of the most important and interesting subjects in Western History.
March 31, 2016
Noble, Notre Dame's lead historical expert on the Catholic Church, offers a great introduction to the world's oldest management system in a logical and engaging manner. Full of wonderful and insightful observations, even the experience student scholar will leave feeling enlightened by Noble's knowledge. Useful and easily accessible for everyone.
July 13, 2017
Good history of the Papacy highlighting significant popes and/or significant periods of history. It would not be possible to cover every pope (and anti-pope) thoroughly, although this year Flocknotes is providing a paragraph on each pope daily (M-F). This course is somewhat dated now as it ends with the beginning of Pope Benedict XVI's term as pope. (Audio course with guidebooks)
July 11, 2023
I engaged with this as an audiobook loaned from my library, but I needed to check it out multiple times in order to get through the relatively short course (I can fly through a 22-24 hr course if it's interesting to me). After my first attempt , I was about halfway through and remembered almost nothing (except that the Investiture Controversy DID involve the issue of investiture!). As a person who was not raised Catholic, I felt like there were countless assumptions made about what ~the listener~ would already know. Unlike a real college course, the Great Courses don't have "prerequisites" so that is a risky assumption to make.
I am a person who is SUPER into religious history: I have read and loved books (some of my favorites as audiobooks/courses that were 22-24 hours long) about everything from the early development of Christianity, to the canonization of the New Testament, to the history and writings of the apostolic fathers, and to Martin Luther and the protestant reformation (not to mention the history of pre-christian Jews, Jerusalem, the history of Islam, the history/culture of Hinduism...etc.). I've even listened to a podcast called Pontifacts, which spends an episode on each pope throughout history.
And yet I STRUGGLED to listen and understand these courses. As an illustration of why, I will provide a direct quote from the lectures, with the speech conveyed, to the best of my abilities , using punctuation:
" The first major decree on papal elections of which we really have any knowledge came in a Roman synod — A synod means running together. A synod is a meeting ; typically the word "synod" is used in an ecclesiastical context to mean a meeting of bishops.
So there was a Roman synod in the year 769. And it was decided in this Roman synod (this synod I might add, it decided a lot of things. It was not just about papal elections.)
But in the course of its deliberations, it decided that only the Roman clergy could serve as electors. The People, in other words, are moved out of the process explicitly, and then that only the Cardinals, Priests and Deacons (we will come to who cardinals were in a few minutes) But only the cardinal priests and deacons were eligible as candidates. Now as we go through this lecture, you're going to see who the Roman clergy was exactly, therefore we can figure out who these electors will have been.
So 769, people are out, clergy are in, and only Cardinals, Priests, and Deacons are henceforth to be eligible as candidates"
Otherwise the course did have a lot of good information. I felt like it was layed out weird, the last few lectures described the structure of the Catholic Church (today). I felt like that should have been at the beginning. There was WAAYY too much time spent fanatically defending John Paul II. Like, I legitimately had no opinions going into this but then the instructor kept emphasizing that basically no one who criticizes Humanae vitae has "bothered to read it" and that although it DOES reject birth control, even the use of condoms to prevent the spread of AIDs, and it condemns homosexuality, the real message is how beautiful and sacred life is! I feel as if that is only compelling if you make at least one of two assumptions: 1.) You, the listener, also value life 2.) You, the listener, are not homosexual. The first time the lecturer said this I was like "hm. Okay. Are we supposed to feel like opposing women's (or other peoples') rights using the ~pro life~ argument is some obscure philosophical concept? The lady doth protest too much, methinks! And a quick wikipedia search reveals fun facts about John Paul II such as the fact that he argued that the proper way to prevent the spread of AIDS was not condoms but rather "correct practice of sexuality".
And if you really understood that what he's saying is "life is beautiful" maybe you'd stop being such a fag, too.
I am a person who is SUPER into religious history: I have read and loved books (some of my favorites as audiobooks/courses that were 22-24 hours long) about everything from the early development of Christianity, to the canonization of the New Testament, to the history and writings of the apostolic fathers, and to Martin Luther and the protestant reformation (not to mention the history of pre-christian Jews, Jerusalem, the history of Islam, the history/culture of Hinduism...etc.). I've even listened to a podcast called Pontifacts, which spends an episode on each pope throughout history.
And yet I STRUGGLED to listen and understand these courses. As an illustration of why, I will provide a direct quote from the lectures, with the speech conveyed, to the best of my abilities , using punctuation:
" The first major decree on papal elections of which we really have any knowledge came in a Roman synod — A synod means running together. A synod is a meeting ; typically the word "synod" is used in an ecclesiastical context to mean a meeting of bishops.
So there was a Roman synod in the year 769. And it was decided in this Roman synod (this synod I might add, it decided a lot of things. It was not just about papal elections.)
But in the course of its deliberations, it decided that only the Roman clergy could serve as electors. The People, in other words, are moved out of the process explicitly, and then that only the Cardinals, Priests and Deacons (we will come to who cardinals were in a few minutes) But only the cardinal priests and deacons were eligible as candidates. Now as we go through this lecture, you're going to see who the Roman clergy was exactly, therefore we can figure out who these electors will have been.
So 769, people are out, clergy are in, and only Cardinals, Priests, and Deacons are henceforth to be eligible as candidates"
Otherwise the course did have a lot of good information. I felt like it was layed out weird, the last few lectures described the structure of the Catholic Church (today). I felt like that should have been at the beginning. There was WAAYY too much time spent fanatically defending John Paul II. Like, I legitimately had no opinions going into this but then the instructor kept emphasizing that basically no one who criticizes Humanae vitae has "bothered to read it" and that although it DOES reject birth control, even the use of condoms to prevent the spread of AIDs, and it condemns homosexuality, the real message is how beautiful and sacred life is! I feel as if that is only compelling if you make at least one of two assumptions: 1.) You, the listener, also value life 2.) You, the listener, are not homosexual. The first time the lecturer said this I was like "hm. Okay. Are we supposed to feel like opposing women's (or other peoples') rights using the ~pro life~ argument is some obscure philosophical concept? The lady doth protest too much, methinks! And a quick wikipedia search reveals fun facts about John Paul II such as the fact that he argued that the proper way to prevent the spread of AIDS was not condoms but rather "correct practice of sexuality".
And if you really understood that what he's saying is "life is beautiful" maybe you'd stop being such a fag, too.
October 28, 2022
Professor Noble is a truly good lecturer, and until the 23rd lecture I was with him on this journey, because the focus was a historical one, and didn't come across as personal. John Paul II, who I agree warranted a full lecture, received here a rather passionate defense by Dr. Noble, which really rubs me the wrong way. He did some really big things in terms of making the Roman Church more visible, and more connected around the world. But for many of us, he was the reason, ultimately, that we could not remain Roman Catholic. Noble is rather dismissive in this lecture of the people who were deeply harmed by JPII's actions against LGBT* people and women. There is no religious, intellectual, or spiritual defense that is worth any consideration when it comes to harming other people. This pope was WRONG when he said that homosexuality was an affront to human life. Simple as that. I'm grateful that the independent Catholic movement exists, because those of us who do not want to remain in a House of Abuse should not have to give up our Catholicism to protect ourselves from further harm.
The dismissiveness of critics continues in the final lecture, about Ratzinger and the future of the church, and I lost all respect for this course.
The dismissiveness of critics continues in the final lecture, about Ratzinger and the future of the church, and I lost all respect for this course.
August 23, 2017
I did this course by listening to it on audible. It was interesting, in fact at times it was more than that. If you think about the popes as historical versions of what we've seen in our lifetimes, then you could not be more wrong, and this course will be very surprising. For a significant number of years the popes were not only lacking in what we would call spirituality or holiness, they often seemed to be more preoccupied with power, ruling and money than with the spiritual health of the church. There were some who were shocking in their personal lives, and there were times when there were 2 and sometimes three men all claiming to be the rightful pope. Then there were also true men of God who carried out difficult tasks in difficult times. I can look at the history of the papacy and come away convinced that the only way the church could have survived is by God's keeping. If church history interests you, this is a worthwhile adventure. The scary thing is that this is just an overview. I came away wondering about the details of some of the events and wishing i had time to dive in deeper.
September 13, 2023
This great course has a ton of information and Noble is a fast-talker, so be advised you're going to retain impressions and broad strokes. I don't think you get lost in the weeds; Noble tries to keep some through-lines in the reader's mind as he proceeds through 2,000+ years of history. I would love to hear his thoughts on the Benedict XVI and Francis papacies, as well as where things might be going into the second quarter of the 21st century.
November 14, 2022
Personally, I rate this at three stars. The only reason is that I wanted to learn a great deal more than I already knew. This series will no doubt be much better for people who have not learned much about the papacy. All in all, the professor does a great job, it just was not as detailed as I was hoping.
September 19, 2023
Unless you're a Roman Catholic who only wants an affirmation of that institution's worldview, don't bother. Noble starts well, but takes an increasingly apologist and defensive tone towards the modern end, and the snark he directs towards feminists, liberation theology, and other divergent views is pretty revolving. I'm sure he's horrified by Francis.
January 30, 2022
A lot of review for me but a really nice succinct summary with a lot of on the way basic explanations of history and papal terms. I enjoyed it! Good for anyone who would like a relatively quick overview of the worlds oldest institution!
February 15, 2021
For some reason these lectures washed over me more than other Great Courses I’ve listened to and I’m not sure why I had a harder time absorbing the info, especially pre-Renaissance.
March 2, 2021
Professor Noble, in 2005: No Pope has resigned since Gregory XII
Me, listening in 2021: Boy, are you in for a treat!
Me, listening in 2021: Boy, are you in for a treat!
June 15, 2022
Stopped early. Too shallow and somewhat provincial. Unfortunately the voice sounds like the Hengist character in Star Trek's Wolf in the Fold.
November 25, 2024
Concise overview.
June 18, 2025
Incredible amount of information in this audio book; some I found interesting and some less than interesting. In short, a history of the Papacy is a wild ride.
October 4, 2025
Excellent simultaneous history of the Popes, the Papacy, Catholicism, the Vatican, and European Christianity.
August 21, 2022
Overly apologetic for the actions of the papacy during the first half of the 20th-century, but otherwise a solid overview of the history of the papacy, its actions, and its institutions.
December 18, 2024
I found this lecture so enlightening. I think some sections could have gone more in depth but it definitely gives me a perfectly clear idea of the importance of the papacy and the institution it is today.
Highly recommend.
Highly recommend.
October 2, 2018
Although it was not as in depth as I had hoped there was good historical context. I learned a lot about Catholicism and European history in the process.
February 19, 2016
Audio download of 24, 30 minute lectures
This review is for those considering buying these lectures, so all the rest of you can just go out for coffee.
Dr Noble is a very good lecturer, well-prepared and obviously has had much classroom practice. The course is a survey...an overview...of the history of the papacy with no religious philosophy discussed. It does not get into a thorough review of the individual popes or their actions...no details are presented, but some very good references are provided for you to investigate more deeply. No one...and by that I mean NO ONE...can cover the histories of 265 individuals, within the context of their times in a 12 hour set of lectures. We, as the student or audience, have the responsibility to dig a little deeper. Dr Noble sets this up beautifully, (complementing other lectures by Drs Daileader, Harl, Hoak, Wallace, and even Ehrman, just to name a few), engaging these Catholic religious leaders of their times to the ongoing history of their particular age . If taken out of context, they, and the events of the time, lose their historic meaning.
As the lectures progressed (lectures about Pious XII, John XXIII and John Paul II) the details of papal involvement becomes thicker and a bit detailed and interpretative...interesting because they happened within my lifetime...but somewhat out of place when compared to the earlier papacies. What papal nuances presented here have been lost about those popes of the earlier days?
And what about Pope Joan? Only briefly mentioned in the lectures, the mere mention of a female pope raises all sorts of Dan Brownian conspiracy thoughts...Mary as the Holy Grail, and Pope Joan as the Holy Father? While no truth is assigned to this Pope Joan myth, it does cause the imagination to wander...is there a secret papal male confirmation ritual? Is there any truth to: "Duos habet et bene pendentes" as has been alleged?
Recommended as an introduction to the popes, if you are, indeed, blessed with a sale and a coupon.
This review is for those considering buying these lectures, so all the rest of you can just go out for coffee.
Dr Noble is a very good lecturer, well-prepared and obviously has had much classroom practice. The course is a survey...an overview...of the history of the papacy with no religious philosophy discussed. It does not get into a thorough review of the individual popes or their actions...no details are presented, but some very good references are provided for you to investigate more deeply. No one...and by that I mean NO ONE...can cover the histories of 265 individuals, within the context of their times in a 12 hour set of lectures. We, as the student or audience, have the responsibility to dig a little deeper. Dr Noble sets this up beautifully, (complementing other lectures by Drs Daileader, Harl, Hoak, Wallace, and even Ehrman, just to name a few), engaging these Catholic religious leaders of their times to the ongoing history of their particular age . If taken out of context, they, and the events of the time, lose their historic meaning.
As the lectures progressed (lectures about Pious XII, John XXIII and John Paul II) the details of papal involvement becomes thicker and a bit detailed and interpretative...interesting because they happened within my lifetime...but somewhat out of place when compared to the earlier papacies. What papal nuances presented here have been lost about those popes of the earlier days?
And what about Pope Joan? Only briefly mentioned in the lectures, the mere mention of a female pope raises all sorts of Dan Brownian conspiracy thoughts...Mary as the Holy Grail, and Pope Joan as the Holy Father? While no truth is assigned to this Pope Joan myth, it does cause the imagination to wander...is there a secret papal male confirmation ritual? Is there any truth to: "Duos habet et bene pendentes" as has been alleged?
Recommended as an introduction to the popes, if you are, indeed, blessed with a sale and a coupon.
July 2, 2014
Course Lecture Titles 1. What Is Papal History? When Did It Begin? 2. The Rise of the Petrine Idea 3. Popes, Byzantines, and Barbarians 4. The Popes in the Age of Charlemagne 5. Rome, the Popes, and the Papal Government 6. The "Age of Iron" 7. The Investiture Controversy 8. The Papal Monarchy-Institutions 9. The Papal Monarchy-Politics 10. The Popes at Avignon 11. The Great Schism 12. The Renaissance Papacy-Politics 13. The Renaissance Papacy-Culture 14. The Challenge of Reform-Protestantism 15. Catholic Reform and Counter Reform 16. Absolutism, Enlightenment, and Revolution 17. Pius IX-Prisoner of the Vatican 18. The Challenge of Modernism 19. The Troubled Pontificate of Pius XII 20. The Age of Vatican II 21. The Transitional Pontificate of Paul VI 22. The Vatican and What It Does 23. John Paul II-"The Great"? 24. Benedict XVI, the Future, and the Past. Interesting.
June 18, 2014
Dr. Noble, a professor from Notre Dame, does an excellent job detailing the history of the Papacy and some of the more important popes of each era. Noble gives a fair look at the instituion and the men, often giving insight into why certain things happened the way they did. It's fascinating learning how certain traditions came to be and how the men and institution responded to different historical events (fall of Rome, the Reformation, World Wars I & II). I wish he had more time to go into greater detail into more individuals, including the infamous Alexander VI, but with almost 2,000 years of material, it would take a lot of time to cover it all.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews