“Explores a range of writers in the period 1682–1870 who addressed, from contrasting Roman Catholic positions, questions about papal infallibility…beautifully produced, finely written, very well-documented, based on extensive and impressive scholarship, while being throughout very accessible.”—Heythrop Journal“A charmingly written work, thought provoking and stimulating and ought to be read by everyone interested in the history of the development of the theology of papal infallibility.”—Irish Theological Quarterly“This learned volume studies the works of nine men who wrote on papal infallibility in the two centuries between the Gallican Articles of 1682 and the first Vatican council of 1869–70. Makes a major contribution to our understanding of the background of Vatican I. There is no comparable study that focuses so precisely on these major authors’ teachings regarding the consensus of the Church in the making of papal declarations.”—Journal of Theological Studies“Will illuminate theologians, church historians, and canonists concerned with teaching authority…especially helpful for ecumenical dialogue, as it seeks to understand the papacy within an ecclesiology of communion.”—The Jurist“Few events in modern Church history have given rise to more theological polemics and misinformation than the teaching of the First Vatican Council (1869-70) on infallibility. While this comprehensively researched book obviously cannot resolve all the theological issues related to the teachings of Vatican I, it certainly provides the historical-theological basis for a correct interpretation of an important aspect of that teaching.”—Religious Studies Review
