This work is a biography of Pope Innocent III. It offers a balanced portrait of the man and his pontificate, and its chronological organization enables the reader to see how the pope was usually dealing with many different subjects at the same time.

This book is a biography of Pope Innocent III. Avoiding the many scholarly controversies concerning the pope, it offers a concise and balanced portrait of the man and his pontificate. Its chronological organization-unusual in biographies of Innocent-enables the reader to see how the pope was usually dealing with many different subjects at the same time, and that the events in one aspect of his life could influence his views of other topics. This structure, together with the thorough documentation, can provide new insights even for scholars well-versed in his pontificate. Written in clear, jargon-free English, the book also gives the students and general reader a good sense of this pope and of the medieval papacy.

?Thank goodness that John C. Moore?s biography of Pope Innocent III is finally available in an affordable format. His clarity of language, nuanced analysis, and evident mastery of both the sources and the wealth of studies devoted to this pope, whose pontificate was a major watershed in Western history, make Moore?s study a ?must have? addition to the library of every medieval student and scholar.? ? Alfred J. Andrea, University of Vermont ?Moore?s analysis of Innocent?s pontificate operates on two levels: he explains the papal approach towards events according to their theological background, which is recorded by his sermons, and he constantly examines the facts, as they are recorded in the papal registers. . . . In his conclusions, Moore depicts Innocent as ?fluctuating? between the signs of God and his papal leadership. Thus Innocent 'expanded the theoretical rights and the actual power of the papacy as he inherited it, and he passed it on to his successors to expand even further.? ? ?Journal of Ecclesiastical History

This book is a concise and balanced biography of Innocent III. While giving the student and general reader a good sense of this pope and the medieval papacy, it can also provide insights for scholars well-versed in his pontificate.