5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Made a class more enjoyable., May 18, 2009
This review is from: Church History in Plain Language, 3rd Edition (Paperback)
I purchased this book for a class. I expected the class to be a very long list of dates and names and... very boring. This book helped make the class very enjoyable. Needless to say, this book is NOT a very long and boring list of whatever. I don't feel like the book made me any type of Church History scholar, but that isn't its intent. It's a great introduction, very enjoyable and readable.
There are 49 short chapters, covering seven "The Age of": Jesus and the Apostles, Catholic Christianity, the Christian Roman Empire, the Christian Middle Ages, the Reformation, Reason and Revival, Progress, and Ideologies. The book is a pinch over 500 pages.
Shelley believes that "clarity is the first law of learning" and so, instead of inundating the reader with dates, names, events, etc., he gets to the plot of the story rather than to every single detail. He writes in his prologue, "Taking this 'issues' approach admittedly leaves plenty of gaps in the story. Some readers will wonder why certain important people or events are not included. But this approach has the advantage of showing to the layperson the contemporary significance of church history. Many of today's issues are not unique. They have a link with the past." And this is where I think Shelley's genius comes out. The question everyone asks in a history course is, "What has this got to do with life NOW?" Shelley answers that. He writes in such a way that the reader immediately sees the connections between what has happened and what is happening. One purpose of the book is to show that church history is relevant and I think it does that very well.
I recommend the book as an introductory reader for other Church History students.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Readable and fascinating, July 27, 2011
This review is from: Church History in Plain Language, 3rd Edition (Paperback)
Very readable - once I got started, this book kept me reading. Fascinating history of the church. I found out why there are Sunni and Shiite muslims, why the crusade happened, why the Inquisition was carried out. In perspective, these events made more sense. I like this book very much. Interesting and not boring at all.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You'll see the bigger picture., July 7, 2011
This review is from: Church History in Plain Language, 3rd Edition (Paperback)
Church History in Plain Language provides one really, really amazing thing: perspective.
In the midst of this "movement" and that "movement" in the church and in the world today, it was refreshing for my soul to grasp the reality of Jesus' kingdom throughout the past two thousand years.
I recommend this for every Christian (really) because we must know the Story that we've entered into as the people of God.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
