Wiley-Blackwell A Brief History of Christianity (Wiley Blackwell Brief Histories of Religion)

Charting the rise and development of Christianity, Carter Lindberg has succeeded in writing a concise and compelling history of the world’s largest religion. He spans over 2,000 years of colorful incident to give an authoritative history of Christianity for both the general reader and the beginning student. Ranges from the missionary journeys of the apostles to the tele-evangelism of the twenty-first century. Demonstrates how the Christian community received and forged its identity from its development of the Bible to the present day. Covers topics fundamental to understanding the course of Western Christianity, including the growth of the papacy, heresy and schism, reformation and counter-reformation. Includes an introduction to the historiography of Christianity, a note on the problems of periodization, an appendix on theological terms, and a useful bibliography. An authoritative yet succinct history, written to appeal to a general audience as well as students of the history of Christianity. Written by internationally regarded theologian, Carter Lindberg, who is the author of numerous titles on theology and Church history. Review "There is much to praise here. Lindberg manages to explore many key events, issues, people and developments in a very concise manner. The text is very strong on theology and institutions with helpful historical context. I particularly appreciated the attention to Roman Catholicism as well as Protestantism in the modern period. The book is brief, but the history of Christianity is vividly portrayed here in all of its drama and complexity."Jeff Tyler, Hope College "This is a wonderful book: accessible, concise, clearly written, and thoroughly absorbing. Lindberg has chosen to present the Christian tradition through the history of its principal ideas, but these ideas are grounded in the flesh-and-blood reality of persons, their struggles for faith and for power, and the social and political worlds they inhabited. Reflecting the author’s erudition and wit, this cogent distillation of a complex past will serve beginners as an ideal introduction and old hands as a thought-provoking synthesis." Christopher Elwood, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary From the Inside Flap This brief history tells the story of Christianity from its origins to the present day. It spans over 2,000 years of colorful incident to give an authoritative history of Christianity for both the general reader and the beginning student. Ranging from the missionary journeys of the apostles to the tele-evangelism of the twenty-first century, this concise and compelling book also includes an introduction to the historiography of Christianity, an appendix on theological terms, and a bibliography. From the Back Cover This brief history tells the story of Christianity from its origins to the present day. It spans over 2,000 years of colorful incident to give an authoritative history of Christianity for both the general reader and the beginning student. Ranging from the missionary journeys of the apostles to the tele-evangelism of the twenty-first century, this concise and compelling book also includes an introduction to the historiography of Christianity, an appendix on theological terms, and a bibliography. About the Author Carter Lindberg is Professor Emeritus of Church History at Boston University. His recent publications include The Pietist Theologians (2004), The Reformation Theologians (2001), The European Reformations Sourcebook (1999), and The European Reformations (1996), all available via Blackwell Publishing.