A Portrait of the Church Through Its Early Ages

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	• The Story of Christianity, Volume 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation (Story of Christianity) Justo L. Gonzalez HarperOne, 1984 - 429 pages average customer review:based on 26 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Outstanding for what it is intended to be

Gonzalez tells history the way it is meant to be told--as a story. This book truly portrays events as a seamless narrative, giving this work remarkable readability. Gonzalez does not compromise information for ease of reading, however; his work is thorough and replete with the pertinent names, dates, locations, etc. Note, though, that this book is meant to be an introductory text. Gonzalez isn't aiming at overwhelming his readers with every minute detail; instead he whets the appetite and provides his readers with a solid foundation for further study. Recommended without reservations.

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Thorough and readable

As a former history major and social studies teacher I have read a lot of history books. Gonzalez's "The Story of Christinity: Vol. 1" is one of the best history books I've read b/c of its amazing readability. Like the title implies Gonzalez is telling a story and it was such a well told story that I found myself reading far ahead of the class reading assignments for my Ancient Church History class in seminary. The book covers Christian history from just after the time of the Apostles right through to the Renaissance. In addition to readability this book's main strength is that it covers Church history in Africa, Asia, and the South American in addition to Europe. This opens up a whole new world to most of us who have only heard the story of the Church in Europe. There were so many amazing stories that I want to know more and will read some of the suggested readings Gonzalez compiled at the end of each section. Lastly, this book is one of the best I've read b/c it does not shrink from telling the inspiring stories Christians need to spur us on to greater love for God, but it also tells the stories that we don't want to hear about the evil that has been done in the name of Christ by many well-meaing and not so well-meaning people through the ages. This book is a must read!

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A Portrait of the Church Through Its Early Ages

A readable book, the Story of Christianity Volume 1 will be a simple, but informative read especially for those who never have studied the historical roots and development of Christianity. Dr. Gonzalez takes you back to eras of the first Christians to the beginning of the Renaissance and the Spanish and Portuguese colonization. The first chapters present the first centuries of the church and the frequent persecutions and martyrdoms. Dr. Gonzalez captures the passion of the martyrs as they suffered under the Roman authorities. Later, he leads the reader through various events that shaped the Church, and its followers such as the legalization of the Christian faith under the Emperor Constantine, the various ecumenical councils to address heresies, and formalization of the Church as a legal institute. An interesting chapter was the development of monasticism as a reaction to the decrease in persecution of the Roman Empire and the austerity of monks. This follows growth of the Papacy and its continual tension between the Eastern Roman Empire and the conflicts between the two parties, which were political as much as theological. As the rift grew between the two empires, Western Christianity spread to the various European tribes and their conversion. Especially interesting were the chapters regarding the height of papal power and its political influence through Innocent II, and the Unum Sanctum following under Boniface VIII. The volume ends with the rise of Renaissance humanism and the colonial Altogether, the work provides tremendous insight into the origin of beliefs and practices that are held today by the church's contribution, and its followers through the ages. Dr. Gonzalez narrative is written well and seeks to capture the drama and the conundrums that Christians often found themselves. The one detraction of the book that is it focuses more upon the Western Roman Church and provides a much briefer account of the Eastern orthodox Churches in the latter half of the book and its institutional development and its various mission efforts to spread the gospel to other parts of the world.

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The Story of Christianity Volume 1

I bought this book because I was searching various college course syllabi to see what scholars are assigning their student these days. In this case I discovered a very good book I didn't know was out these. Gonzalez is a very detail-oriented writer and has a solid grasp on the subject he writes on. The reader will get an excellent overview of Christian history and an understanding of the great figures who have helped define what Christianity really is all about.

What started as a small group of believers in the Book of Acts eventually grew into one of the most formidable forces in world history. But the book is more than just a history of church development. It covers the ideas and the theology that went hand in hand with church organization. Those beliefs established orthodoxy in the Catholic church. They helped erase (for good or bad) the teachings of gnosticism. They went on crusade. They came to the new world.

Gonzalez is a leading church scholar and his effort is one not to be overlooked when searching for a good introduction to church history.

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Easy to read summary on Church History

This book provides insight into the development of the Church from the beginnings to the Protestant Reformation. It is written in chronological sequence and sheds light on the life of important and known individuals of Church history. The author brings in historical facts and mentions traditons leaving out his own interpretation and opinion about them. The easy-to-read writing style allows this book to be captivating reading material for personal interest as well as a helpful source for intensified research on early Church history.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

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 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 history of the church, while showing all the characteristics fo human history, is much more than the history of an institution or movement," Gonzalez stresses. "It is a history of the deeds of the spirit in and through the men and women who have gone before in the faith." 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.

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.

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