
Witness to Hope
The Biography of Pope John Paul II
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Narrated by:
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Sam Tsoutsouvas
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By:
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George Weigel
About this listen
Now, with an updated preface, the latest edition of the definitive biography of Pope John Paul II that explores how influential he was on the world stage and in some of the most historic events of the 20th century that can still be felt today.
"Fascinating...sheds light on the history of the 20th century for everyone." (New York Times Book Review)
Witness to Hope is the authoritative biography of one of the singular figures - some might argue the singular figure - of our time. With unprecedented cooperation from John Paul II and the people who knew and worked with him throughout his life, George Weigel offers a groundbreaking portrait of the Pope as a man, a thinker, and a leader whose religious convictions defined a new approach to world politics - and changed the course of history. As even his critics concede, John Paul II occupied a unique place on the world stage and put down intellectual markers that no one could ignore or avoid as humanity entered a new millennium fraught with possibility and danger.
The Pope was a man of prodigious energy who played a crucial, yet insufficiently explored, role in some of the most momentous events of our time, including the collapse of European communism, the quest for peace in the Middle East, and the democratic transformation of Latin America. With an updated preface, this edition of Witness to Hope explains how this "man from a far country" did all of that, and much more - and what both his accomplishments and the unfinished business of his pontificate mean for the future of the Church and the world.
©1999 George Weigel (P)1999 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"The book is rich in new detail....The book is well written and Weigel's command of the material is impressive." (Publishers Weekly)
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-
-
Insight into Pope John II the Great
- By Gil Michelini on 10-13-13
By: George Weigel
-
Lessons in Hope
- My Unexpected Life with St. John Paul II
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- Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins
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Performance
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Story
In Lessons in Hope, George Weigel tells the story of his unique friendship with St. John Paul II. As Weigel learns the pope "from inside", he also offers a firsthand account of the tumult of post-Vatican II Catholicism and the Cold War's endgame, introducing listeners to the heroes who brought down European communism. Later, he shows us the aging pope grappling with the post-9/11 world order and teaching new lessons in dignity through his own suffering.
-
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- By Anonymous User on 11-26-17
By: George Weigel
-
Witness to Hope
- The Biography of Pope John Paul II
- By: George Weigel
- Narrated by: Sam Tsoutsouvas
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Abridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Witness to Hope is the authoritative biography of one of the singular figures - some might argue the singular figure - of our time. With unprecedented cooperation from John Paul II and the people who knew and worked with him throughout his life, George Weigel offers a groundbreaking portrait of the Pope as a man, a thinker, and a leader whose religious convictions defined a new approach to world politics - and changed the course of history.
-
-
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By: George Weigel
-
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Even as historians credit Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II with hastening the end of the Cold War, they have failed to recognize the depth or significance of the bond that developed between the two leaders. cclaimed scholar and best-selling author Paul Kengor changes that. In this fascinating book, he reveals a singular bond - which included a spiritual connection between the Catholic pope and the Protestant president - that drove the two men to confront what they knew to be the great evil of the 20th century: Soviet communism.
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-
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Okay for some purposes
- By ReviewAmazon384 on 08-23-21
By: Peter Seewald
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Evangelical Catholicism
- Deep Reform in the 21st-Century Church
- By: George Weigel
- Narrated by: David Cochran Heath
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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The Catholic Church is on the threshold of a bold new era in its two-thousand-year history. As the curtain comes down on the church defined by the 16th century Counter-Reformation, the curtain is rising on the Evangelical Catholicism of the third millennium: a way of being Catholic that comes from over a century of Catholic reform; a mission-centered renewal honed by the Second Vatican Council and given compelling expression by Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.
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The Life I Have Tried To Live
- By Gil Michelini on 04-05-14
By: George Weigel
What listeners say about Witness to Hope
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- Andrew
- 03-04-13
If you want to learn more about Pope John Paul II
What did you love best about Witness to Hope?
This book gave me insight into the Pope that I did not have before. I really enjoyed learning more about him as a person!
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5 people found this helpful
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- Frederick
- 09-10-20
An amazing story of a truly amazing life
A modern day “man for all seasons”.. a most challenging life so very well lived.
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- Chris Trummer
- 06-03-16
Outstanding!
A beautiful account of the life of the greatest man of the 20th century! A must read (or listen!) for anyone who cares about the history of the last century and the direction of the future, not only of the Catholic Church, but of the world.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Fred Hayward
- 12-11-20
Time will tell...
My premonition is that 200 years from today, looking back, most of the world will agree that Karol Wojtyla was the greatest anthropologist and philosopher that ever walked the earth. It will take that long perhaps because the current prejudices against the other facts of his life, for example that he was also a brilliant theologian, a compassionate and pastoral Pope of the Catholic Church and declared a Saint, will take that long to fizzle out and give way to objectivity.
His brilliant work on human anthropology and sexual expression known now as the “Theology of the Body” is enough by itself to urge me to make such a bold claim. His life accomplishments in other areas only augment the assertion.
Time will tell.
In the mean time I am grateful for this excellent abridged Audible edition of George Weigel's work, giving the world a chance to become better acquainted with the much celebrated Saint John Paul II in less than ten hours of listening. I doubt that I'd have made it through the over 1000 pages unabridged hard copy version, so I for one am happily in debt to both Mr. Weigel and the editors who made this "quick" edition available. As a student at the Theology of the Body Institute, it has greatly enriched my perspectives on this great friend and servant of God, whose work I shall continue to study and propagate as long as I'm able.
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- John doe
- 06-03-21
Beautiful
A beautiful reading of a beautiful book. Very powerful and inspiring. if you enjoy religious or inspiring books give this one a try.
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- Billy
- 12-03-22
Inspirational
JP2 is the finest example of true masculinity for the 21st century. The author and narrator did a great job in showing this.
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- sms
- 08-20-07
Outstanding
This is an incredible story; the story of a man who challenged adversity at every turn and rose to the occasion. I'm proud of this leader and his contributions to the beginning of this new millenium. I wish I could get the unabridged edition.
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9 people found this helpful
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- Jo Hawke
- 05-23-21
A Great Example of Catholicism
I absolutely love this. I started studying JP2 before I was even Catholic, and I joined the Church in 2010. I feel like John Paul is a part of my family. He is filled with so much love. He played a great part in my conversion.
I highly recommend that everyone take the time to read this book. You will finish it before you know it, and be longing for more. (There is a sequel.)
You could spend a lifetime studying him, and it wouldn’t be wasted. He is a fascinating man, and a saint.
The narrator is wonderful. I will read the story over and over I’m sure.
Enjoy.
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- Ruth E. Tapio
- 11-04-23
JP II the Great, Pray for the Church
We need him now. Hear our prayers. Will the Church hold through the perils ahead? The beloved John Paul II gives us hope.
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- David McConnell
- 01-24-15
Deep insights into a Pope I already respected.
My favorite is when John Paul II is elected, a moment that changed our world forever. Great narrator great book.
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2 people found this helpful