When I picked up this book, my wife asked who the author was "is he a Catholic?" I responded that [a:Geoffrey Blainey|248532|Geoffrey Blainey|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1482893611p2/248532.jpg] is a well-known Australian historian, but I was conscious that that did not really address the question. A quick google revealed that he was a Methodist.

Of course, the question is not entirely trivial. The long coexistence of different groups described as Christian has not always been a happy one. And a history that seeks to span the 2000 year history of Christianity has to say a lot about Catholicism - for half that period there was only Catholics and heretics. For the next half millennia, there were Catholics, Orthodox and more heretics. Only in the last half millennium do we find them joined by Protestants (split into many groupings) and Christian sects (we are now too polite to call them heretics).

As it is, Blainey provides a sympathetic treatment of mainstream Christianity, including Catholicism. Indeed I get the impression that he quite admired many of the saints and Pope John Paul II (not yet canonised at the time of writing). Some of the various Christian sects sound weird - but that might just be unavoidable.

Some will find this treatment too sympathetic. There have been plenty of scandalous clerics and cruelty performed in the name of Christianity. Blainey identifies these but will put it in the context of the time. Not all can be redeemed, but the result is more balanced. In the end, Blainey sees Christianity as a force for good and considers that a revival of faith is entirely possible (although not quite predictable). ( )