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The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Reformation and Protestantism [Paperback]

James S. Bell (Author), Tracy Macon Sumner (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)


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Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  • Paperback: 408 pages
  • Publisher: Alpha; 1st edition (February 1, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0028642708
  • ISBN-13: 978-0028642703
  • Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 7.4 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #593,858 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

10 Reviews
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4 star:
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3 star:    (0)
2 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book from Jim Bell, April 22, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Reformation and Protestantism (Paperback)
If you liked Complete Idiot's Guide to The Bible, then you'll like this one. I've known Jim Bell from his well-known Christian books, so I'm glad to see the Idiot's people have picked up one of the best for their religion books. He really breaks down what Protestants believe and why in an easy to understand way that doesn't make you feel stupid. I'm going to use this in my Bible class over the summer.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great overview of church history., February 8, 2003
By 
D. Bach (Milwaukee, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Reformation and Protestantism (Paperback)
I found this book to be an engaging and interesting overview of events that constitute the roots of today's protestant "church". It provided me with a framework from which much "church" history can be understood. It includes Apostle Paul, papal history, Anabaptists and relationships between protestant denominations. Although lightweight in many areas, it covers a wide range of church history, which makes it very readable. Many topics may not go into as much depth as you like but there is enough to identify interest. This lack of depth is what makes the book so readable, never becoming bogged down in uninteresting topics, it keeps moving while providing stepping stones for additional reading.

What I did not like about the book is its tendency to deviate from a mostly chronological presentation. I found this was particularly annoying in the first several chapters. Later, I got use to it. There are "Protestant Pearls" (quotes) thrown throughout the book. Literally, they seem to have been thrown, having no relationship to the text. I think they should have been presented in the context of the relevant text. I would liken it to getting blips within a documentary movie have no bearing on the current scene. I found them distracting, breaking the flow so to speak. I adjusted by reading the "pearls" separately or when reviewing previously read text.

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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Mostly excellent - but has a weak ending, August 25, 2004
This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Reformation and Protestantism (Paperback)
Overall, this book provides an excellent introduction to the history of Christianity in general and the Protestant Reformation in particular. The first 20 chapters that cover the period from the dawn of Christiantiy through 19-th century Europe are written extraordinarily well. I thorougly enjoyed reading this portion of the book. Unfortunately, the style and quality of the book change abruptly beginning with Chapter 21 through to the end - and the change is definitely for the worse. That portion of the book covers the impact of the Protestant Reformation on North America. Since there are two authors, it appears to me that the work was divvied up between them, with one of them writing the bulk of the book and the other writing the last few chapters. Unfortunately, the editor has done a very poor job of ensuring a consistent style and quality throughout. In summary: I highly recommend the first 20 chapters, but if you are particularly interested in reading about the impact of Protestantism on America, don't be surprised if you are disappointed.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
If you're going to have a reformation, the first thing you need is something to reform. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
absolute righteousness
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Catholic Church, Martin Luther, Protestant Reformation, Protestant Pearls, Going Deeper, John Calvin, New Testament, Great Awakening, Roman Empire, Jesus Christ, Middle Ages, Lord's Supper, Ulrich Zwingli, John Wycliffe, Brethren of the Common Life, Catholic Reformation, Charles Wesley, George Whitefield, John Knox, Holy Roman Emperor, The Least You Need, Council of Trent, King James, Peace of Augsburg, Holy Spirit
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