The Story of Christianity: Volume Two - The Reformation to the Present Day by

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	• The Story of Christianity: Reformation to the Present Day Justo L. Gonzalez, 1985 - 432 pages average customer review:based on 13 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The Story of Christianity: Volume Two - The Reformation to the Present Day by

Great book and it is an easy reader. It is very helpful for the Reformation Period in Church History.

Strong historical survey

This is a very accessible, readable history, but it's extremely thorough, and useful for many applications. Highly recommended.

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Highly Informative

This second volume of Justo Gonzalez III is more intriguing than the first one. This work renders to the reader an overview of many of the religious leaders and the times in which they lived, and how forces, both internal and external, shaped their theology. Dr. Gonzalez presents such historical figures as Luther, Zwingli, Cramner, Ignatius, Elizabeth I, as well as many contemporary leaders and the legacy they left they behind.

Why I enjoyed this book so much is that it provides the readers with answers to questions that we do not think about but should. Questions like when was the term "Protestant" coined? What were the circumstances which gave rise to the American Sunday School? What does a Quaker believe? Why did England remain Protestant despite repeated attempts to re-unite with the Papacy? These and other answers are provided including the origins of many religious movements which either died out (like the Shakers) or gained popularity and became institutionalized as churches (such as the Methodists). Gonzalez takes the reader from the Reformation to our modern world presented in the light of Vatican II and the world wide mission movement and evangelism.

Greatly appreciated and similar to the first volume, Dr. Gonzalez presents Christianity not as an isolated faith but one that is influenced and challenged by society and in returns has interacted with it throughout the centuries. This latter work is highly readable, highly enjoyable, and highly informative.

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Very Engaging

When it comes to Christian history, it is quite easy to become overwhelmed. 2,000 years and much of it unknown to modern Christians, evangelicals and liberals alike. We are like children who have no knowledge of who we are because we have little information of where we came from.

Our schools have recognized that cultural diversity in the classroom is a good thing - instead of a flat, uniform mass, we are to see the contours and difficulties, the strengths and the weaknesses of a variety of peoples and environments. Unfortunately, this idea is almost completely missing from the Church. We have very little sense of where we have been and the struggles previous generations faced.

Gonzalez, in Vol. 2, takes the reader from the Reformation through to the present in an easy, engaging style. There is much to praise here - he brings out so many valuable gems from church history and encourages greater reflection and study in each area. If you have never done any reading on church history, this is a good place to start.

A couple of quibbles: as with most historians, he gets less objective the closer he gets to the modern period. This is understandable, simply because of the nature of historical analysis. We're too much entangled with the issues of our day and time to see things from a long perspective. Consider it like this - a telescope is an excellent tool for searching the stars, but it becomes less valuable when trying to drive down the highway. The last section of the book is the least valuable in terms of objectivity.

Secondly, Gonzalez does tip his hand regarding "confessionalism" and scholasticism - as is evident from the last section of the book, he is very interested in the ecumenical developments during the late 20th century. By the very nature of ecumenical discussion, theological distinctives must be downplayed or ignored. So, it isn't shocking to me that he repeatedly views eras in church history where theologians attempted to clarify their beliefs as low points. However, clarity is not something to be dismissed or ignored - and it isn't fair to pit clarity against genuine belief. If you haven't, I'd suggested reading the Heidelberg Catechism which was penned during a time of high confessionalism and scholasticism.

Final quibble - like many, Gonzalez makes the mistake of pitting Calvin against the Calvinists (the Puritans). According to this interpretation, the Puritans misread and misapplied the simple and genuine faith of Calvin by making it cold, arid, and rigid. This view is compounded by books like "The Scarlet Letter" and "The Crucible" which paint such a gloriously awful picture of Puritans that only a fool would support them. If you are interested in re-examining this caricature, consider reading Muller's "Post-Reformational Dogmatics." He puts this debate to bed for good.

Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Good job.

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The Story of Christianity Volume 2

This review is more of a continuation of the review for Volume 1. This book covers the turbulent years of the reformation and its aftermath. The Reformation triggered decades of relgious war between Catholic and Protestant and had ramifications across the western world. Gonzalez analyses these events and carries the history forward to the establishment of America (which has its own challenges).

Again, this book should be part of any interested person's reference library. It is well written and very readable.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3

Beginning with the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century, this 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.

Gonzalez presents an illuminating record of the lives, impelling ideas, and achievements of such prominent figures as Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, and John Calvin??movers and shapers in the emerging Protestant church. His biographical insights, in conjunction with vivid historical accounts, reveal how individual lives mirror and clarify core theological concerns and developments.

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.

Gonzalez's richly textured study discusses the changes and directions of the church in the traditions of Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, and Eastern Christianity. The Story of Christianity covers such recent occurrences as the World Council of Churches, the Second Vatican Council, the movement toward Christian unity, and much more. It concludes with a thoughtful look at the major issues and debates involving Christians today.

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