Loading... Please wait...
By Related
Story of Christianity | Justo L. Gonzalez
Most Christians experience a dilemma regarding the study of church history. On the one hand, they personally find the study of history to be painfully boring. They recall their time in school, memorizing endless names and dates for tests which they did not hope to pass. So they expect church history to be just as tedious and unhelpful. But on the other hand, so many pastors and teachers recommend the study of church history as valuable—and it certainly is. More than anything, it tells a story which glorifies God, showing how the salvation of Christ has spread from an insignificant Roman province to penetrate most of the earth’s nations. Studying church history also answers such basic questions as, “Why are there so many different Christian groups?” and “Why does my church do the things it does?” We often do not know the full answers to these questions until we have studied the matter historically. Finally, studying church history grants a sense of perspective. We often assume that all we believe and do is correct, but for no other reason than that we were taught those things growing up. Studying church history—and encountering the various, divergent forms of Christianity which have existed over two millennia—challenges us to think more biblically about our beliefs and practices.
As helpful as church history is, we need a source for our study of it which teaches us what we need to know, but in a way more agreeable to us than a high school lecture. In The Story of Christianity, Justo Gonzalez has provided this. Formerly available in two, paperback volumes, this edition contains both volumes in a single, hardback book. It will take you from the days of the New Testament church into the present time, fully surveying Christian history. And yet, Gonzalez’s style of writing is easy to read and enjoyable. Many who normally do not like reading history do indeed find it much easier to read this book. This makes The Story of Christianity the ideal text for those just beginning to read about church history. Granted, Gonzalez is just one historian out of many, and sometimes they disagree with each other on precisely what happened and why. Therefore, the serious student of history will seek out other authors and will weigh the evidence as well as he can. But when it comes to a first church history book, few if any are better than Gonzalez’s. We gladly recommend this book.
Sample Pages: Contents | Sample
The Story of Christianity, Volume 1, is an informative, interesting, and consistently readable narrative history. It brings alive the people, dramatic events, and ideas that shaped the first fifteen centuries of the church's life and thought--including major events outside of Europe, such as the Spanish and Portuguese conquest of the New World. Historian Justo Gonzalez shows how various social, political, and economic movements affected Christianity's internal growth.
Gonzalez skillfully weaves in relevant details from the lives of prominent figures from the Apostles to John Wycliffe, tracing out core theological issues and developments as reflected in the lives and struggles of leading thinkers within the various traditions of the church.
The Story of Christianity demonstrates at each point what new challenges and opportunities faced the church, and how Christians struggled with the various options open to them, thereby shaping the future direction of the church.
Volume 2
Beginning with the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century, the second volume of The Story of Christianity continues narrative history to the present. Historian Justo Gonzalez brings to life the people, dramatic events, and shaping ideas of Protestantism, Catholicism, and Orthodoxy during this period, keynoting crucial theological developments while providing fresh understanding of the social, political, and economic forces that influenced the formation of the church. In particular, the author notes recurring themes of unrest, rebellion and reformation.
The interpretive overview of The Story of Christianity includes a thorough and timely analysis of the growth and maturation of Christianity, including events in Europe, the United States, and Latin America--the latter an area too often neglected in church histories, yet increasingly vital to an understanding of Christianity's historical development, present situation, and future options.
The Story of Christianity will serve as a fascinating introduction to the panoramic history of Christianity for students and teachers of church history, for pastors, and for general readers.
