Customer Reviews

Great Leaders of the Christian Church

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This 1988 book compiled by John D. Woodbridge contains 65 mini biographies of Christian leaders that cover the 2,000 years of Church history from Peter to Billy Graham. Each is written by authors including J.I. Packer and D.A. Carson This is not the type of book you have to read from cover to cover. You can pick and choose depending on what your interested in since each entry is for the most part self contained. I do argue with the inclusion of Soren Kierkeaard in this book. Though my favorite philosopher, he does not deserve to be put in the ranks of Luther,Calvin, and Tyndale;Although not the best book I've ever read,if you are intersted in Christian History and wanta biography of a great Christian leader that will only take a matter of minutes, this is the book to get.

I read this book when I was in college, and I loved it. It really lit the fire for my passion for church history. You could see how God used flawed saints to do His will, guiding different personalities to do His work. The book is a must for those who are interested in the life of Christians throughout the church history. I recommend this book because:
1. It covers from Apostle Peter and Paul to Evangelist Billy Graham (the book covers 64 people). The book is not meant to be comprehensive work, but an introduction to their lives so that we can BEGIN to acquaint ourselves with them. And if you want to further study the individual(s), there is a "Further Reading" section at the end of the book.
2. It covers most influential "Christians" (the term is in quotes, because not all will agree whether they were really Christians or not) throughout church history. So the book includes: Roman Catholics and Protestants alike. However there is a limited treatment for Eastern Church Fathers (i.e., there is no coverage for Cappadocian Fathers).
3. The book is colorful and has many pictures to make the reading interesting and inspiring. It also has a helpful chart of "time line" for each person to show the glimpse of their life quickly.
4. The binding and pages are strong and solid. It is a quality work.

Overall, this book is highly recommended for those who want to know those who influenced and shaped the church.

We ordered Great Leaders of the Christian Church for a class our son was taking. We enjoyed reading it too. Amazon gave us great service.

A great source for studying this subject. Each person has a good well-rounded description of who they were and their importance to the subject. Beautifully illustrated, too.