One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic

Madden's 14 lectures on the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages make for enjoyable listening. He groups his discussions by both period and context, addressing the development of universities, the various heresies, and other topics. Madden shares both the basic facts that one needs in order to grasp the outlines of historical developments (names, dates, places, etc.) and more colorful, even lurid, stories about some of the key figures. The only problem with the structure of these lectures is that they seem to stop in mid-development. Madden's delivery is largely clear and professional, but marked by some odd breaks and pauses, and the fairly regular use of "um." Otherwise, his affection for his topic comes through strongly. G.T.B. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine