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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An indispensable guide, May 21, 2001
In his latest work, Professor Harrington has created an indispensable guide to the great mosaic of lives and perspectives that form the history of western Christianity - a most valuable work for the undergraduate student and the interested layman, as well as a rich source of data for advanced students of the subject. Commencing in the years of the early Church, 'A Cloud of Witnesses' presents a series of original documents, both personal and official, which reflect the consolidation and development of Christian thought in the last 2000 years. Each chapter gives a succinct introduction to discrete historical eras of Christendom, from antiquity through the Middle Ages, Reformation, Enlightenment, to the contemporary world; particular themes within these broad eras are illustrated by excerpts from central texts such as the Confessions of Augustine, the Spiritual Exercises of Loyola, Luther's Bible commentaries and Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion - as well as by those voices that have helped to define Christianity's borders through the centuries, such as the Gospel of Thomas, the writings of Arius, the sermons of Eckhart and the thought of the Anabaptists. Whilst not designed as an exhaustive history, Harrington's collection of original sources gives a wonderful sense of the living history of Christianity, and offers a fine alternative to any dry introductory tome; from the sixteenth century 'confessions' of witches to the testimonies of the persecuted and condemned in the jail correspondence of Martin Luther King and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, here are gripping accounts from the long and chequered story of the followers of Jesus. When focussing on more recent themes that have shaped Christianity such as feminism, liberation theology and bioethics, 'A Cloud of Witnesses' deals sensitively with the plurality of worldviews within contemporary Christianity and demonstrates its author's breadth of learning. Timelines and a thematic contents page make for easy navigation, and contemporary illustrations accompany each chapter. A highly recommended work...
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