Customer Reviews

Church History Volume One: From Christ to Pre-Reformation: The Rise and Growth of the Church in Its Cultural, Intellectual, and Political Context

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I purchased and read Dr. Ferguson's Church History Volume One because I had previously read and enjoyed his Backgrounds of Early Christianity. I have read several other accounts of church history, and I would recommend to someone with no prior exposure to church history that they read a simplier, more superficial overview before reading Dr. Ferguson's. But Church History Volume One would be the next read. The explanations of the theologic issues that the early church dealt with are thoroughly delineated. The book was very helpful in explaining events, culture, thinking that has impacted the organizational church we see today. Dr. Ferguson often offers helpful insights from his breadth & depth of knowledge. Explanations of difficult issues are clear and helpful without being judgmental. My only negative is that Dr. Ferguson's writing style is in a few places hard to follow. One example from page 518. "A thirteenth-century chronicler recorded that the peasants in Alsace did not object to their priests having concubines, for in such circumstances there was less concern for the virtue of their daughters." In reading this sentence I can not tell whose daughters there was less concern for, the priests or the peasants.

In this day and age when Liberals and their ultraliberal ideologies (such as Borg and Spong and E. Pagels) run amok, spouting the most insane and (lots of time) inane theories and considerations toward early Church History, it is wonderful to know that there are scholars such as Ferguson to not only bring balance and bring some sanity back to the discussion of the events after the Resurrection. Ferguson is one who believes in the truth of the Bible, and yet he is able to take the story of Christ and move it along through the first few centuries of the church's growth and population. Ferguson is able to look at all sides of the equations when dealing with points of views held in various theological factions throughout the centuries. The book is finely structured and well developed. Chapters are precise in their overall arc and aim, and the writing style is very crisp and leaves one wanting to read more and more. When I take my classes on Church history in seminary I know for a fact that I will use this book to its fullness. If you are looking for a book that can help you make some sense toward all that occurred after the resurrection up through the next few centuries after the death of the Apostles, and see why such situations as Gnosticism grew and flourished in some circles, along with the Church's canonization of the entire Bible, you will find the answers (along with answers to other questions you may have) in this book.

READ THIS BOOK BEFORE YOU ENTER SEMINARY! It is VERY helpful, and you'll have a baseline knowledge for the first semester, and this book covers many issues and people YOU WILL encounter your first week. Conservative - not crazy liberal - point of view. Kinda dry, but so helpful, you don't even notice.

This book covers the history of the christian church. It is written like a textbook. However, the author sprinkles in a bit of personality here and there (ie a few wisecracks of the sort a college professor might throw out during lecture). The book is a good general reference that covers the church leadership, philosophers, theologins, and writers. It explains the relationship between the church and the political leadership of the various times. It covers intangibles associated with the various personalities. For example, Augustine's improbable upbringing, the Original Benedict's extreme acetacism, and St. Francis' sweet optimism. I think that what I learned most from this book was that, while the world was in a rather constant state of upheval and stagnation throughout Roman times and the dark ages, the church always continued to evolve and progress philosophically. Now what I'd like to know is: When is Volume II coming out?

I was asked to teach a class on Church History and I ordered this book to help prepare. It is very complete, well organized and thorough. I would highly recommend it - you must realize that it is a history book.

Fergusson's Church History Volume One is a perfect introduction to the first millenium and more of church history. Not overly academic, but just enough to get someone's feet wet, and Fergusson gives a suitable offering of references at the end of each chapter for those interested in more specific study. Students and lay people alike should own this and read through this as a foundation for knowing their own history as Christians. I currently use this for a lay class on church history and it's a good reference for me and the students.

This is the text we are using at the seminary that I attend. I recently graduated from the University of Sioux Falls (SD) with a major in Theology and Philosophy. In the Church History class there, we used Justo Gonzalez's book The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Present Day, and I greatly enjoyed that book. Ferguson's book is fine, but it is a fairly choppy read compared to the longer but steadier flow of thought in Gonzalez's. I recommend the latter if you want a good book on church history.

Good.. going through this book for a class and it seems to be good.. got it in time and good condition thanks..

I was hoping for a history, not a summary of the Bible. I am a theology student, not a Christian. I'm still reading it, but I was hoping for more citations. In Ferguson's defense, I know from my other research that he is making correct conclusions (sometimes), but it NEEDS MORE CITATIONS. Even making simplistic statements like, "There were already a large number of Christians in Rome by this time," I want to know where he got that information. I'm sure it came from some sort of census, but I want to know. This seems like a poorly researched, biased, under-cited waste of money. But if you're a Christian that only likes reading what you believe and not challenging yourself, by all means, it's a great read.

The book was in perfect condition, it got here in a timely fashion, and it was exactly what i needed! Thanks so much!