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Four Biographies of Popes You Should Read Even If You’re Not Religious
They’re a perfect mix of biography and history
If you’ve read even a few of my articles, you know I love history; I particularly love biographies of historical figures, because human stories are always more interesting than simple facts, figures, dates, and battles. If you’re a regular reader, you also know I like writing about the Church, including its history. One area that combines both of these interests is biographies of the popes, especially the ones who had a significant impact on the world as a whole.
Some of you may consider clicking away at the mere mention of the pope (though if that’s the case, the title should have given you sufficient warning), but you shouldn’t. Whether you’re a Catholic who’s not fond of Pope Francis, an Evangelical with a distrust of “popery,” or a non-Christian who thinks the whole position is ridiculous in the 21st century, the fact remains that it the papacy is an institution that has endured for 2,000 years; that alone makes it, and the men who have held the position, worth knowing about. The days of popes being able to topple kings and field armies are long gone, but riding herd over one billion unruly Catholics is never boring.
