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3.0étoiles sur 5
Good historical context but very ideosyncratic, Oct. 18 2009
This book tries to give both a broader historical context to the development of Christianity, and an encyclopedic listing of its facts, names, and dates. The historical overview is interesting and helps to one to understand the rise and spread of Christianity, something that few other histories do, and along the way it provides almost a refresher course in (mostly) Western history. The attempt at summarizing all the "facts" however, doesn't work nearly as well. The book was written as a textbook, for mostly young men, and it shows, being a bit dull and somewhat patronizing. The author is also rather ideosyncratic in his writing, at times trying to be formal and official, at other times getting carried away by personal enthusiams. While trying to organize everything chronologicaly, he jumps back and forth in way that is at times confusing. Some overlap would be understandable but the chapters could be better organized. In other places the author seems to be grimly intent on cramming in as much information as possible; you can almost hear him ticking off a checklist. In particular, the chapters dealing with one of the most crucial events in Church history, the Reformation, are so chock-a-block with names and schisms and dates that your head starts spinning. There is also at least one very glaring omission: he fails to even mention C. S. Lewis, surely one of the most important of modern theologians. Like many other similar histories, it is limited almost entirely to the Western church, with only cursory outlines of the spread of the Gospel to other parts of the world, which is something that interests me particularly. One thing that does deserve full credit however, is that the book is remarkably fair and balanced, at least from a non-denominational Protestant view. While there is a lot of criticism of the Catholic Church, and deservedly so most people except Catholics would agree, it also offers apt criticism of many other movements and leaders, and, except for the above noted exceptions, is quite comprehensive. Overall, it is a good starting point, but it could certainly be improved by editing and by filling in what is most clearly missing.
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5.0étoiles sur 5
Quality Introduction to Church History, Oct. 3 2001
Earle Cairns take the reader on an epic journey of the history of the church from the day of Pentecost to the middle of the last decade of the 20th Century. The 560-page volume gives the reader an overview of the people, events, movements, doctrines, and cultures that sometimes shaped the church and that the church often shaped. The author shares little known details (Charlemagne was 7 foot tall), while presenting the broad-brush stroke of two thousand years of history. The book was written from a conservative, nondenominational perspective. Though the author is from the Reformed tradition, I thought the book was thoughtful, fair, and balanced. It is easy to read and contains an abundance of pictures, photographs, maps and charts. Christianity Through the Centuries is an outstanding introductory presentation of Church history that I would heartily recommend. Earle E. Cairns is professor emeritus at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. He is a member of the American Society of Church History, the American Historical Association, and the Conference on Faith and History.
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2.0étoiles sur 5
Worst written and edited book I have ever read!!, Déc 31 2000
Book is the worst written and edited book I have ever read. Numerous errors, typos; Syntax that frequently defies interpretation. Frequent use of terms that are never defined. Poor maps; Useless diagrams. A real test. The editor must have been asleep on this one. What was Zondervan thinking?
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