{"product_id":"book-7608","title":"The Vatican Diaries","description":"\u003cp\u003eA revealing inside look at one of the world's most powerful and mysterious institutions\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor more than twenty-five years John Thavis held one of the most fascinating journalistic jobs in the world: reporting on the inner workings of the Vatican. His daily exposure to the power, politics, and personalities in the seat of Roman Catholicism gave him a unique, behind-the-scenes perspective on an institution that is far less monolithic and unified than it first appears. Thavis reveals Vatican City as a place where Curia cardinals fight private wars, scandals threaten to undermine papal authority, and reverence for the past is continually upended by the practical considerations of modern life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThavis takes listeners from a bell tower high above St. Peter's to the depths of the basilica and the saint's burial place, from the politicking surrounding the election of a new pope and the ever-growing sexual abuse scandals around the world to controversies about the Vatican's stand on contraception and more.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerceptive, sharply written, and witty, \u003ci\u003eThe Vatican Diaries\u003c\/i\u003e will appeal not only to Catholics-lapsed as well as devout-but to anyone interested in international diplomacy and the role of religion in an increasingly secularized world.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Blackstone Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":49301371978032,"sku":"BD7608","price":22.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Audio CD","offer_id":49301372010800,"sku":"ZE7608","price":32.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Audio MP3-CD","offer_id":49301372043568,"sku":"ZM7608","price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2784\/9264\/files\/7608-Square-cover.jpg?v=1775718047","url":"https:\/\/downpour.com\/products\/book-7608","provider":"Downpour","version":"1.0","type":"link"}