Indulgences

Thomas Schirrmacher. Indulgences. A History of Theology and Reality of Indulgences and Purgatory.  Vol. 24. Culture and Science Publishing: Bonn, 2012, 2nd ed., 160 pp., ISBN 978-3-86269-023-7.

This history of indulgences and purgatory has established itself as a standard summary of the history of the theological development in stages leading to the full orbed view of the 15th century and a praxis that led to split the church. The author follows the further history through the centuries through to the major changes made after the Second Vatican Council. Even though the last chapter of the book contains a detailed Protestant and Orthodox criticism of the dogmatic foundations of indulgences, the book is seen as a fair contribution by many reviewers and has earned the approval of Catholic theologians, who regret, that the planed abolition of indulgences by the Second Vatican Council did not take place finally.