O'Grady, an American correspondent living in Rome, weaves a compelling narrative that examines the Catholic Church's transformation of the role Rome has long played at the center of Western culture. The story follows four key figures: Jerome, who was involved in major controversies during five pontificates; Augustine whose confessions helped Christians look deeper into themselves; Gregory the Great, who gave a strongly pastoral imprint to the Western Church and found ways to convey the faith to the unlettered and sent missionaries to the Anglo-Saxons; and Boniface, who evangelized much of Germany and reformed the Frankish Church.
