In two thousand years, the Catholic Church has yielded countless saints, artists, mystics, and scholars. But among them are figures that are truly pivotal—men and women who not only shaped the life of the Church but changed the course of civilization.

In this vibrant book based on the multi-part film series CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players, Bishop Robert Barron draws readers into the life and work of twelve Pivotal Players—from great saints such as St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas to literary masters such as G.K. Chesterton and Flannery O’Connor—who personally demonstrated the dynamics of the Christian faith in their distinct time and place. These stories capture both the great variety of personalities and vocations in the Catholic Church and the harmonies between them, all oriented to its ultimate purpose: to be salt and light for all the nations.

Elegantly designed with full-color images and photography, The Pivotal Players is a unique journey into the truth and beauty of Catholicism as exemplified in the concrete lives of some of its most fascinating figures.