Church History in Plain Language, 3rd Edition [Paperback]

Bruce L. Shelley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2, 2008

With more than 275,000 copies sold, this is the story of the Church for today’s readers. The third edition of Shelley’s classic one-volume history of the church brings the story of Christianity into the twenty-first century. This latest edition of the book takes a close look at the rapid growth of evangelical and Pentecostal Christianity in the southern hemisphere, addresses the decline in traditional mainline denominations, examines the influence of technology on the spread of the gospel, and discusses how Christianity intersects with other religions in countries all over the world.

The concise book provides an easy-to-read guide to church history with intellectual substance. The new edition of Church History in Plain Language promises to be the new standard for readable Church History.

Features include:

• Includes contemporary developments related to the spread of the gospel
• Discusses how technology has an impact on how the church worships and grows
• Covers the explosion of Christianity in the Southern hemisphere

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Bruce Shelley was Senior Professor of Church History and Historical Theology at Denver Theological Seminary. He held the M.Div. degree from Fuller Theological Seminary and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. Among his previous publications are The Church: God's People; Evangelicalism in America; and The Cross and the Flame.

Product Details

• Paperback: 560 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; 3rd edition (December 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0718025539
• ISBN-13: 978-0718025533
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #56 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Church History

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Made a class more enjoyable. May 18, 2009

By T. Blake

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

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.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good survey with a few faults April 1, 2012

By J. Oakes

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I read most of the older reviews on here before purchasing this book. Overall, it was a good read. It gave a good overview of the history of Christianity, from Christ's life to the turn of the 21st century. Shelley covers Christianity's rise and spread systematically, covering challenges to the church and the church's response in all different ages, from Gnosticism to post-modernism. He also ties the history of the church to the history of the parts of the world the church is found in; as a result, I ended up with a better understanding of 'secular' history, as I read how the church interacted with governments and important people to influence world history. One of the nice features of this book is that, at the end of each chapter, there are recommendations of books to read for further study on that chapter's topics.

As noted in other reviews, of course, this book has its faults. First of all, the author's tone toward the Roman Catholic church in general, but especially after the rise of popes in the late fifth century, is disapproving at best and hostile at worst (I say this as a life-long Protestant). However, this tone changes considerably once he reaches the post-WWII era and the Vatican II council, which he frames as the Catholic Church coming out of its Counter-reformation fortress. Secondly, the eastern churches are barely mentioned after the church council age. Russian Orthodoxy, for example, is mentioned in a passing paragraph, then ignored until the author describes the rise of communism in the 20th century. I would hope that, in a 4th edition of this book, Shelley would neutralize his tone toward the historical Catholic church, and add more information regarding the church in the East.

All in all, I am glad to have read this book. Even with its faults, I would recommend this book to someone who has not previously studied Christian history.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll see the bigger picture. July 7, 2011

By Brian Sun

Format: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.