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Church History in Plain Language, 5th Edition
Do you suffer from historical amnesia? Many Christians do, holding knowledge of the church from the New Testament and of their current church denomination, but ignorant of the centuries in between. Sometimes that's less true for homeschoolers who have a stronger emphasis on world history and thus know something of the Church in ancient and medieval times. However, whichever camp you identify with, this is a book you will want for your library. Written to be understood by the layperson, it traces the history of the Christian church from the Age of Jesus and the Apostles (6 BC AD 70) through the Age of Catholic Christianity (AD 70-312), the Age of the Christian Roman Empire (AD 312-590), the Christian Middle Ages (AD 590-1517), the Age of the Reformation (AD 1517-1648, the Age of Reason and Revival (AD 1648-1789), the Age of Progress (AD 1789-1914), the Age of Ideologies (AD 1914-1989), and finally through the Age of Global Expansion and Relocation (AD 1900-). Each section is prefaced with a helpful timeline showing its key personages and events. A few helpful maps, additional timelines, and portraits provide the only other illustrations. Although large, this book is highly readable meaning two things: firstly, I found it easy to flip anywhere, read a few paragraphs and come away with a nugget of historical information I had not known or had forgotten. Secondly, the book lays open easily; the result of a superior binding, I suppose. Reading up on church history may not be your choice free time activity, but there are likely to be times when high school students or homeschooling moms/dads will need a good, approachable reference. This is it! 596 pgs, pb. ~ Janice
Bruce Shelley's classic history of the church brings the story of global Christianity into the twenty-first century. Like a skilled screenwriter, Shelley begins each chapter with three elements: characters, setting, plot. Taking readers from the early centuries of the church up through the modern era he tells his readers a story of actual people, in a particular situation, taking action or being acted upon, provides a window into the circumstances and historical context, and from there develops the story of a major period or theme of Christian history. Covering recent events, this book also:
- Details the rapid growth of evangelical and Pentecostal Christianity in the southern hemisphere
- Addresses the decline in traditional mainline denominations
- Examines the influence of technology on the spread of the gospel
- Discusses how Christianity intersects with other religions in countries all over the world
For this fifth edition, Marshall Shelley brought together a team of historians, historical theologians, and editors to revise and update this father's classic text. The new edition adds important stories of the development of Christianity in Asia, India, and Africa, both in the early church as well as in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It also highlights the stories of women and non-Europeans who significantly influenced the development of Christianity but whose contributions are often overlooked in previous overviews of church history.
Product Format: | Paperback |
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Brand: | Thomas Nelson |
Author: | Dr. Bruce L. Shelley |
Grade: | AD |
ISBN: | 9780310115960 |
Length in Inches: | 9 |
Width in Inches: | 6 |
Height in Inches: | 1.375 |
Weight in Pounds: | 1.8 |