Tried by Fire: The Story of Christianity's First Thousand Years Kindle Edition

William J. Bennett’s latest book, Tried by Fire, is a guided tour of the events and people of the first thousand years of the Church’s life, and it tells history that needs to be told in a way history should be told. This fast-paced survey is certainly a must read for everyone who already has a commitment to Christianity, because the book shows how the Church developed and spread in the millennium after the Apostles died. But Tried by Fire is also for those who are not predisposed to this particular faith commitment, yet who genuinely want to have a better understanding of the people and events that are foundational to much that puts the “West” in Western Civilization. From the heroic perseverance of the Church’s earliest martyrs in the face of brutal persecution, through the wranglings to refine and preserve the sound doctrine inherited from Christ’s Apostles, to the schism that shattered the unity of the Christian Church in the Early Middle Ages, Tried by Fire fills in much of the important background of Western Civilization that wasn’t covered in our high school and college history survey classes.

Tried by Fire also is a good read because Dr. Bennett writes history as history should be written: not as a dry historical chronicle, but with a human-interest approach that gives both color and texture to the story line. He introduces his readers of all faith commitments (or none at all) to a myriad of unfamiliar but must-know people, from Arius to Zosimus. In the pages of Tried by Fire, you’ll meet people you’ll love and others you’ll love to hate…along with some noble examples of people worthy of emulation today. For instance, the account of the struggles of the stalwart defender of orthodoxy, Athanasius, serves as an inspirational model of dogged perseverance in the face of unrelenting personal and political opposition. Bennett’s choice of highlighting the unvarnished reality of persecution and struggle in Christianity’s progress reminds us that ideas have consequences, and it makes many of the courageous people we meet in the book’s pages the embodiment of the truth that commitment often comes with a hefty price tag.

Tried by Fire is sprinkled throughout with first-person quotations taken directly from the characters in the story line, and this makes the book a very accessible account of the progress of Christianity for the first half of its life. The time and money invested in reading this book will repay rich dividends, not just in entertaining and informing our minds, but when we take its content to heart, it will also strengthen and enrich our souls.

We read some authors to gain knowledge; however, there are others we seek to read because we know we will gain wisdom. William Bennett fits the latter class. No average writer. No average mind. No average experience. Maybe known for his roles as our nation’s former Secretary of Education and Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Maybe known especially for his The Book of Virtues: A Treasury of Great Moral Stories, drawing on the wisdom of centuries passed down in “the classics” and by the sages of philosophy. It surprised me, but then didn’t surprise me to see him write this book. It was meant for someone like Bennett to write. It was meant for someone who would tell history with the integrity it deserves.

He tells it by referring to the giants: those who stand out in the world because of their lives, their teachings, and their willingness to suffer for both! If you were to go to Notre Dame looking for your Masters in Theology, or some other in Christianity, the works of these people would be required reading, simply because they are historical and history of Christianity cannot be told without them. These people meant what they said and died for what they said, beginning with the Early Church, those who followed them—who were taught by the Apostles—who took their places. Then, century by century, the men and women appear, who stood up against fierce persecution and “brutal opposition.” Here Bennett shows us that Christianity has never been for the feint of heart. It also has never been wholly accepted. It has never lived without some form of persecution. Make no mistake! This was the Catholic Church. The great Schism had not yet taken place. The advent of Protestantism was still centuries away. What we are seeing now in the world is simply history repeating itself in some way, to some degree.

Bennett’s new work will stand with a few other great books I have read lately: When the Church Was Young: Voices of the Early Fathers,Angels and Saints: A Biblical Guide to Friendship with God's Holy Ones,How The Catholic Church Built Western Civilization, and The Case for Jesus: The Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ. Each contains a wealth of knowledge and insight to help us know on which side our bread should be buttered.

This is the most comprehensive book I have seen on the first 1000 years of Christianity. William J. Bennett outdid himself. I can only look forward to the second 1000 years if Mr. Bennett has the time and energy to do it. This book shows how Christ is with us always until the end of time despite our sins. I met a Cardinal in Rome who said: "It is the true Church because we have been trying to destroy it for 2000 Years."
May Our Lord Bless you for this work.

Gerard Beer

I am not a scholar, but have two master degree's in Bible and theology, church history, etc. This is not a scholastic approach, but more of a layman's presentation. However, I really enjoyed it. Bill presented the facts and the early church controversies in a very clear, honest, and easy to understand way. I highly recommend this book.

Wanted a history written in bite-size chapters; and it is all of that. Wonderfully laid out in small readings that hold you spell-bound for the next.

I'm really enjoying the book. It is so full of history and hard cold facts, that it is a slow read for me. I don't want to miss anything, but at times it had me close to tears. Man's cruelty to man is exhausting at times, and Mr. Bennett's skill. At bringing this cruelty to life is a masterpiece. Thank you for sharing the early Christian life with a fellow Christian. Ron.

Bill Bennett shows no bias in this historically accurate account of the first thousand years of not only Christianity, but also accounting for regional Kings and Emperors. While most wrongs give accounts leaning toward or away from the Catholic faith, this writing, refreshingly, does no such thing. Insightful, studious, and wonderfully written. Loved it.

great history of the church. Very readable.