Loading...
175th out of 191 books
—
56 voters
My rating:
add to my books
A People's History of Christianity: The Other Side of the Story
For too long, the history of Christianity has been told as the triumph of orthodox doctrine imposed through power and hierarchy. In "A People's History of Christianity," historian and religion expert Diana Butler Bass reveals an alternate history that includes a deep social ethic and far-reaching inclusivity: "the other side of the story" is not a mode
...moreHardcover, 368 pages
Published
March 3rd 2009
by HarperOne
(first published February 20th 2009)
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
268)
James (JD) Dittes
added it
This just in: Christianity is in a state of flux--wrestling with cultural & religious pluralism, lampooned by mainstream media, and "defended" by the likes of Newt Gingrich and Uganda's Yoweri Museveni.
Ms. Bass explains this milieu with her People's History, a look back at the countercurrents of Christian history that drove the faith forward. She keeps the book moving, interspersing anecdotes from today with historic examples from five different eras, including today, which she calls...more
Ms. Bass explains this milieu with her People's History, a look back at the countercurrents of Christian history that drove the faith forward. She keeps the book moving, interspersing anecdotes from today with historic examples from five different eras, including today, which she calls...more
Diana Butler Bass has very openly used Howard Zinn's successful history of the other sides to her specialty, Church History. In A People's History of Christianity she attempts to draw attention to the threads of hospitality, openness, welcoming and love that purport to be at the center of Christianity, but so often seem missing from Christian history. Much like the history of textbooks, Christian history is generally reduced to conflicts and their victors. What's often ignore (or seen only in in...more
I picked up this book because of the title, and assumed that it would tell a lot of untold stories, like Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States. In a sense this is what Diane Butler Bass attempts to do. She says she wants to tell an alternative history to the militant story of "Big C Christianity -- Christ, Constantine, Christendom, Calvin and Christian America" (p. 4). Instead her goal is to tell a story of "generative Christianity, a kind of faith that births new ...more
The author spoke in Roanoke a couple weeks ago. One comment she made that struck me was when the church does not know its own history, it is like a person who has Alzheimer's. That was a striking image, but it seems to me an exaggeration. She seeks to bring out the good figures and events in Christian history--as a sort of inspiration to liberal/progressive Christians. She may be right that many Christians do not know that history, but it was pretty familiar to me.
One amazing thing I...more
One amazing thing I...more
Terence
rated it
Recommends it for:
Christian progressives (but everyone could learn from it)
Recommended to Terence by:
Library newsletter
A People’s History of Christianity is not so much a “history” (either scholarly or general) as it is an argument for a return to the roots of Christianity that finds fault with both modern expressions of “liberal” and “conservative” religion. As Bass argues in her introduction, liberal theologians and congregations tend to lose their “devotional” memories; their conservative cousins lose their “ethical” memory. The result is a liberal tradition that’s often little more than a social club; and a ...more
view all 5 comments
I have a friend who says that a book earns 5 stars for her if it is better the second time she reads it. I think that's a wonderful system to use. My system for rating a book 5 stars is if it makes me cry. I found myself sobbing through the last 30 pages of A People's History of Christianity.
I picked up this book because it was recommended by a friend. When I found out that Bass counts Phyllis Tickle, Marcus Borg, Brian McLaren, Barbara Brown Taylor, Jim Wallis and Lauren Winne...more
I picked up this book because it was recommended by a friend. When I found out that Bass counts Phyllis Tickle, Marcus Borg, Brian McLaren, Barbara Brown Taylor, Jim Wallis and Lauren Winne...more
This is a good book for those who don't know a lot about the history of Christianity and want a broad view while also being a reasonable length and easy to read. Be warned however, that her goal is to highlight broad trends in christian thinking over the centuries and to bring out the good over the bad. She does not pretend certain events did not happen; rather she is trying to record christianity at its best. I think she does meet this goal but someone who wants more depth and a more complete h...more
Bass treads lightly around the more difficult and dirty issues surrounding Christianity, switching seamlessly between social reporting and personal anecdote. She posits Christianity as best realized in its post-dogma, post-church, post-conservative form, and though my personal sympathies lean slightly this way, I've heard this message countless times before. I didn't care for Bass's interest in Christian syncretism; mixing and matching your personal faith is all well and good, but she never poin...more
I was between giving this 4 stars or 5 stars and ended up going for 5 based on how much I highlighted and how many things I wish everyone knew about Christianity. I found her to be fairly accessible, regardless of one's personal belief system, and very straightforward. I highly recommend this book to anyone who thinks the militant "Big C" Christianity (as she calls it) is the only form of Christianity that exists, as well as to anyone who wonders how Christians in the first few centuri...more
i've been a churchgoer most of my life so i thought i knew what christianity was all about, and that the way it is now is the way it has always been. I was amazed to find so much information in this i had never heard before, people and ideas that have hugely influenced the version of Christianity we have today in the United States. This and the other book I reviewed, "The House Church" were big influences on my decision to join a house church network.
With explicit reference to Howard Zinn, Diana Butler Bass provides an alternative view of Christian history by looking at what ordinary people of were doing in the midst of wars, schisms, church councils, and theological arguments. It's a refreshing and encouraging look at how the Spirit moves even in dark times. Unsentimental and surprising.
Highly readable and I almost wish Butler Bass had elaborated a bit more on certain historical points. No surprises in this book but a good, well-rounded summary of the tug of war between devotion and ethics, belief and practice, doctrine and faith.
Of course, I always love a good Jesus book.
Of course, I always love a good Jesus book.
Mixed feelings. Many of the "historical" snippets were helpful and encouraging that what is important about faith in Christ is rooted in real people throughout the Christian age. Some stories, however, left you with the feeling, "Gee, those medieval people were just like us postmoderns..." Perhaps a bit of a stretch.
I guess I was looking for a history book relating how real people lived out the command to love God and neighbor. But what left me queasy was a feeling ...more
I guess I was looking for a history book relating how real people lived out the command to love God and neighbor. But what left me queasy was a feeling ...more
In a day when Christianity seems to be appropriated by the religious right, Bass gives us a history of other, non-dominant, now-all-but-silenced voices that speak up for pacifism, social justice, radical love, and, yes, communism, etc.
Following the history of "Great Commandment" Christianity (as opposed to "Big C" Christianity), Basss offers a window into a Christianity that has made, is making, and will continue to make a positive difference in the world.
Rosemary
is currently reading it
Exciting so far - reclaiming "Christianity" from the stereotypes of popular media and the expectations of those in the church who have forgotten their own history.
someone else should try to tell that story. as it is, i found this disappointingly cliche-ridden, drab, and lifeless.
Highly readable so I gave her 4 stars instead of 3. Really I would have give 3 and half if we could do halfs. I like her prose and apperciate the way she tells the stories of Christian History, but as others have said, Bass hardly offers any new material or new inisights for someone who is already well read on the subject of Christian History.
Very interesting look at some more obscure and inspirational stories of the history of Christianity. Filled with anecdotes from Ms Bass's own life, it's not dry at all. So far as history books go, this is one of the more enthralling ones I've read.
This was a pretty fantastic view of the peoples' practice of Christianity throughout the years, as opposed to the institution of Christianity. It doesn't address the really negative effects of Christianity, but I don't think that was the point. Inspiring, and recommended to any progressive Christian or religious inquirer.
Definitely easy to read, but perhaps a little too easy, which takes away from the traceability of its sources. She has done her research, but it is difficult to trace where she gets most of her facts from. Broken down into worship (devotion) and action (ethics) common in Christianity over the centuries.
awesome book. a must read for anyone, even atheists to understand the history of christianity as it has been lived, not how it has been used for conquest and rule.
This is a very well written, well researched book on the history of Christianity. Very insightful to the people and the church, past and present.
Stunning. Challenging. Provcative. I've used this book as the text for my adult Sunday school class for the last 5 months. Great dialogue.
I was a little disappointed. I suppose I was hoping for something less personal.
Ct
marked it as to-read
Katie
marked it as to-read
Pam
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Readers Also Enjoyed
Diana Butler Bass is an author, speaker, and independent scholar specializing in American religion and culture. She holds a PhD in religious studies from Duke University and is the author of seven books, including the bestselling Christianity for the Rest of Us, released by HarperOne in 2006. It was named as one of the best religion books of the year by Publishers Weekly and Christian Century, won...more
More about Diana Butler Bass...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
