The Story of Christian Spirituality: Two Thousand Years, from East to West [Hardcover]

Gorden Mursell (Author), Gordon Mursell (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0800632893 | ISBN-13: 978-0800632892 | Publication Date: January 2001 | Edition: 1st Fortress Press ed

There is growing interest today in spirituality, an area ripe for serious yet accessible exploration. In this major, fully illustrated book, the great riches of the Christian spiritual tradition are revealed to both the general reader and the student.

Drawing from East and West, the authors present a full and fascinating picture of humanity’s desire for the divine—across the centuries. Highlighting the contribution of key individuals, this volume explores the ways in which Christians from the earliest times to the present day have sought to express and live out the deepest truths of their faith.

Contents
--Introduction
--The Early Church Fathers
--Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Spirituality
--Saints and Mystics of the Medieval West
--The Eastern Christian Tradition
--The Russian Spirit
--The Protestant Tradition in Europe
--Catholic Saints and Reformers
--The Anglican Spirit
--The Protestant Tradition in America
--Spiritualities of the Twentieth Century
--Epilogue
--Further Reading

Beautifully illustrated throughout, The Story of Christian Spirituality is a readable and vivid guide to the spiritual riches of one of the world’s most influential religions. This beautiful and highly informative book provides the historical development of Christianity to both the student and serious religious reader.

Great for gift giving as well.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This art-driven, coffee-table survey is comprised of 10 discrete sections of uneven caliber; it offers, nonetheless, a rewarding introduction to the varieties of Christianity. Spanning the first centuries through the present day, the book also includes chapters on topics such as "Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Spirituality" and "The Russian Spirit." Not all of the entries succeed: David Farmer's "Saints and Mystics of the Medieval West," for one, reads like a series of expanded entries from his own reference, The Oxford Dictionary of Saints. It is infused with an artlessness evident, for example, in his appraisal of Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225-74), who, he contends, "quietly corrected much of the work of his predecessors," and about whose spirituality he writes nothing at all. On the other hand, John McGuckin offers a enjoyable foray into the spiritual legacy of the Eastern Christian tradition, by way of brief entries concerning the lives and writings of such formidable religious thinkers as Basil of Caesarea (c. 330-79) and Isaac of Nineveh (died c. 700). A timeline accompanies each chapter, highlighting key moments and prominent individuals, and making for easy cross-reference among personalities. Numerous exquisite color illustrations grace these pages, and it is unfortunate that this lavish display is not better utilized to augment the written documents of Christian spirituality. The book's tantalizing tastes of a vast array of Christian literature may, however, seduce readers into sampling fuller versions of the texts presented, surely reason enough to go digging here. (Feb.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Spirituality can be defined as the effort to seek out, experience, and live continually in the presence of God. This volume describes how Christians have done that through the ages and across cultures. It is a rather formidable undertaking to deal with the entire 2000 years of Christian spirituality in one book, but general editor Mursell, dean of Birmingham Cathedral, and his nine contributors are well qualified. They present a compelling introduction in the book's ten chapters, which run from the church fathers through Celtic, medieval, Eastern, Russian, Reformed, Anglican, European, and American Protestant spirituality and finally to "Spiritualities of the Twentieth Century." This book is well suited as a textbook for an introductory course in spirituality or as a reference tool in a variety of libraries, but it is also appropriate for casual readers curious about the story of Christian spirituality. John Moryl, Yeshiva Univ. Lib., New York
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Publishers; 1st Fortress Press ed edition (January 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800632893
• ISBN-13: 978-0800632892
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,249,839 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surveys two thousand years of the diverse Christian movement, March 18, 2001

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Story of Christian Spirituality: Two Thousand Years, from East to West (Hardcover)

The Story Of Christian Spirituality surveys two thousand years of the diverse Christian movement, with its evolving history and theology in terms of the spiritual heritage of the Christian faith, from East to West. The contributors present a full, fascinating, and informative portrait of humanity's desire for the dive across the centuries. The Story Of Christian Spirituality highlights the contributions of key individuals as they explored the ways in which Christians from earliest times to the present day sought to express and live out the deepest truths of their faith. A variety of traditions are showcased including the early church fathers, the Celts and Anglo-Saxons, the saints and mystics of the Medieval Wet, the Eastern traditions, the Russian contributions, the Protestant tradition in Europe, the Catholic saints and Reformers, the Anglicans, the Protestant tradition in America, and the 20th century international profusion of spiritualities arising from Christian traditions and innovations. Superbly and beautifully illustrated throughout, The Story Of Christian Spirituality is a remarkable and highly acclaimed addition to any personal, church, seminary, academic, or community library collection.