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The Story of Christianity: Volume 1: The Early Church to the Reformation (The Story of Christianity #1)
" The Story of Christianity, Volume 1," is an informative, interesting, and consistently readable narrative history. It brings alive the people, dramatic events, and ideas that shaped the first fifteen centuries of Europe, such as the Spanish and Portuguese conquest of the New World. Historian Justo Gonzalez shows how various social, political, and economic movements affec...more
Paperback, 448 pages
Published
July 18th 1984
by HarperOne
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I had never before read church history. I was really impressed with this book. Joel taught it at a class I took, and I had no idea how fascinated I was with religious society throughout history. Though seemingly obvious, it was so spiritually freeing to think that at one time there were no church "norms" and that everyone was once a heretic--based on who was in leadership. It frees me to question my faith openly and deal with my doubts honestly.
I was a little nervous in the beginning as Gonzalez quickly disregarded the apostle John as the writer of Revelation. I thought this was setting the page for a rather liberal recitation of Christian history, but to my delight, I was proven wrong. Gonzalez does a great job of presenting an extremely large scope of history in an easy to read and engaging manner. I think overall he did a great job of presenting the highs and lows of the movements, while still providing a healthy balance.
I think he...more
I think he...more
I found this volume really helpful as an entry-level work on the history of the church. Gonzales weaves a rich tapestry of the first 1500 years of the church with the various historical threads coming together as a coherent and compelling whole. His writing style is engaging and accesible. Some parts of the book even read like a good novel. He manages to cover lots of ground as well, even covering topics like Eastern Christianity which are sometimes neglected in church history overviews.
Readers...more
Readers...more
For a very general introduction to the early history of the Church up until the Protestant Reformation, I would recommend this book. But only as a primary introduction.
Its chief virtues are that it is highly readable (high school reading level) and easy to understand; the chapters are brief and generally well-organized; it also provides a basic orientation of Christian history within the context of the larger "secular" history. For these reasons, I would recommend it to anybody remotely curious...more
Its chief virtues are that it is highly readable (high school reading level) and easy to understand; the chapters are brief and generally well-organized; it also provides a basic orientation of Christian history within the context of the larger "secular" history. For these reasons, I would recommend it to anybody remotely curious...more
By far the best introduction to the history of Christianity that I have yet read; definitely the most fair, balanced, and unbiased, a real rarity in a field filled with competing confessional "scholars." This book is the place to start if you're interested in the history of Christianity. I only have two complaints: 1. he includes the typical baseless conjecture about the ministry of women in the early Church and 2. once the book gets out of the early Church, the author focuses almost exclusively...more
I've become more interested in church history lately, though generally I'm not that interested in reading history type books. So I thought I would give this one a try.
I was pleasantly surprised to find it easy and interesting reading. In spite of the size of the book, the story kept me turning pages and moving along in the history of Christianity from the time of Christ.
It did get confusing with pope rivalries happening during the Middle Ages and more than 1 pope being in power at one time and...more
I was pleasantly surprised to find it easy and interesting reading. In spite of the size of the book, the story kept me turning pages and moving along in the history of Christianity from the time of Christ.
It did get confusing with pope rivalries happening during the Middle Ages and more than 1 pope being in power at one time and...more
Jul 27, 2011
James
added it
A fairly good read. If I could excise one thing, it would be the recurring section in several chapters that does little more than list the popes of the era in question. They aren't covered in enough detail to know much about them, but there is enough text to annoy those looking for a dynamic narration.
Reading other reviews, I'm not sure what people were looking for "in other places." Christianity didn't take substantial hold in Africa. In China, it existed but didn't last long. Perhaps other rev...more
Reading other reviews, I'm not sure what people were looking for "in other places." Christianity didn't take substantial hold in Africa. In China, it existed but didn't last long. Perhaps other rev...more
Sep 19, 2007
DeborahMichael
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
those who love great chroniclers and real history
i love justo! this history book really reads like a story, quite painless. he is honest and i respect that about him.
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An easy to read survey of the history of Christianity from the early church up through the reformation.
I was especially intrigued to learn about the early church living and growing within the Roman empire and the ebb and flow of persecution, how the church changed after Constantine, the rapid spreading of controvery and the growing need to cannonize what was to be considered scripture and much much more. I definitely learned a lot about the church and the history of Christianity by reading this...more
I was especially intrigued to learn about the early church living and growing within the Roman empire and the ebb and flow of persecution, how the church changed after Constantine, the rapid spreading of controvery and the growing need to cannonize what was to be considered scripture and much much more. I definitely learned a lot about the church and the history of Christianity by reading this...more
Gonzalez somehow covers nearly 2000 years of church history in only 95 pages - quite a remarkable feat in itself. This book offers a great uber-basic introduction and outline to church history, but you better have your iPhone in hand as you read, or else you will remain relatively clueless about most major happenings. It is perhaps most helpful for constructing a chronology of significant figures and developments, and since you can read it in such a short period of time I definitely think it is...more
" The Story of Christianity, Volume 1," is an informative, interesting, and consistently readable narrative history. It brings alive the people, dramatic events, and ideas that shaped the first fifteen centuries of Europe, such as the Spanish and Portuguese conquest of the New World. Historian Justo Gonzalez shows how various social, political, and economic movements affected Christianity's internal growth.
Gonzalez skillfully weaves in relevant details from the lives of prominent figures from th...more
Gonzalez skillfully weaves in relevant details from the lives of prominent figures from th...more
For a long time, the Protestant paradigm was that the church had been completely corrupted somewhere around the time of Constantine, and that Christian history was completely fallen until the Reformation, over 1000 years later. This book does away with that myth, and does an excellent job of demonstrating some of the continuous strains that bind contemporary Christianity with orthodox Christianity throughout the millennium and a half preceding the Protestant Reformation.
Its strongest points are...more
Its strongest points are...more
This book is a general survey of the history of the Church from the primitive era until the beginning of the Reformation. Gonzalez is a very capable scholar, and writes in a style which is accessible, not only to the scholar, but to the laymen a well. Overall, I found the book engaging and thought provoking.
Gonzalez's treatment of the primitive church is extremely well written. He does a very good job of delineating the social and cultural issues that were at play during the development of the...more
Gonzalez's treatment of the primitive church is extremely well written. He does a very good job of delineating the social and cultural issues that were at play during the development of the...more
Good book that discusses the early history of Christianity and many of the characters who played a part in the “chain of custody”. I also discuss this topic in my book, “Cold Case Christianity” (Chapter 13: Were They Accurate?)
Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels
Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels
I have seen this book a bizillion times and thought about purchasing a bizillion more times. It appears to be the standard work (or working its way towards that) in Seminaries. I am borrowing it from a friend in our Church and am impressed with it thus far. It is extremely readable and chock full of great information. I was a little suspicious originally because it was published by Harper and wondered why a book with this "clout" in evangelical seminaries was not published by Baker Academic, Zon...more
I only read the first nine chapters, through the 2nd century, in preparation for a message, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. More dates would have helped make things a bit clearer, but maybe that's what made it feel more like a "story" (hence the name of the book) than a timeline. Everybody likes a story.
I own the book because I was assigned to read it in college or seminary. I'll be going to back to it again with more eagerness when I want more on other centuries.
I own the book because I was assigned to read it in college or seminary. I'll be going to back to it again with more eagerness when I want more on other centuries.
If you are looking for a quick glimpse of church history, this is the book for you. I learned quite a bit going reading through this account and Lord willing, will read the next volume. Having read it, I am interested in reading more in depth books on certain eras. I had some difficulty keeping track of the different popes/leaders from the Eastern and Western church but other than that had no problem reading this book.
I don't know what the alternatives are like, but this is a fair book. It's not Gonzalez's fault, but 500 to 1200 are boring and depressing. The first five hundred years were exciting. There were a few times, however, when I doubted Gonzalez's pro-Romish slant on things. The lead up to the Reformation is exciting, but the middle ages just got worse and worse. Still, I learned a lot. Now on to Volume 2!
I had to read this book for a graduate level course on Church History. For anyone wanting to read a readable, scholarly accurate story of the early church through the reformation--this is your book! I am quite familiar with Dr. Gonzalez' work and respect him for not compromising his theology for the mass market. This volume has been an excellent text for our course. On to Volume 2......
A great overview of Church history that's extremely readable. Gonzalez flies at exactly the right hieght for most readers - high enough to give you the big picture but low enough that you get a taste for what the influential people of the time were like. He's a master of the half-page biography. I highly reccomend Gonzalez for anyone looking to get into church history.
This is my prefered text for church history.
It is not as "pretty" as say Wright's An Introduction to the History of Christianity but the style is easy to read and the major points are hard to miss. There is also a hardcover version available that combines both vol 1. and vol 2. into a single binding, but I found it much less convenient to carry along.
It is not as "pretty" as say Wright's An Introduction to the History of Christianity but the style is easy to read and the major points are hard to miss. There is also a hardcover version available that combines both vol 1. and vol 2. into a single binding, but I found it much less convenient to carry along.
A surprisingly readable history. Gonzalez is right to title his volume The Story of Christianity, as his style is closer to prose than it is to the usual dry and lifeless writing of most history texts. The organization is a bit confusing at times--not precisely chronological, but grouped by periods and then thematically within the period--but with so many moving pieces, there really isn't a better way to present the information. All in all, it's a great introduction to the history of Christianit...more
This, with its companion volume (The Story of Christianity: Volume 2: The Reformation to the Present Day), comprises a good initial orientation to Church history. These heavy volumes (each over 500 pages) are a good overview of the depth and breadth of Church history. Gonzalez does an excellent job of calling attention to minority and non-western branches of the church. Despite its length, it still feels brief. Augustine, arguably the most influential theologian in the church, gets a mere 12 pag...more
Jan 12, 2011
Cbarrett
added it
Gonzalez' history of the Christianity is an excellent overview of the major movements, events, and individuals of the church. You can get both volumes in one through Prince Press. Reads well. If you want a big picture of church history in one volume (again, see the Prince Press one) then this is a good one.
Aug 15, 2012
Will Reitz
added it
Justo Gonzalez' work is not groundbreaking, in that there are no controversies or shocks in this narrative. However, it is a successful overview of Christian history. If someone wants to better understand Christian history (in the case of Volume 1, pre-Reformation history), and understand it reasonably quickly, you can't do better than this book.
This is a very well written church history book that covers a lot of ground. Rather easy to read and an excellent book for any person interesting in church history. Somewhat less scholarly than what I personally would have wanted, but that is probably a postive thing for most.
This is a great history book! Rather than breaking history down into unpalatable, terse facts, dates, and names, it keeps to the narrative of time and integrates movements to help readers better see the larger picture.
Mar 31, 2013
Brett Lee-Price
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
christianity
Volume I of The Story of Christianity by Justo Gonzalez is a brilliant popular survey of Church History. It is well written, and covers a well rounded content.
However, I feel at times that the book could improve in its academic scholarship -- as it lacks quite a lot of sources for the implications and assertions made. Again, though, I must say that this is still a worthy addition to any interested in Church History.
However, I feel at times that the book could improve in its academic scholarship -- as it lacks quite a lot of sources for the implications and assertions made. Again, though, I must say that this is still a worthy addition to any interested in Church History.
Wow. We've done some great and terrible things as a whole. Can we learn from our mistakes? I hope so. Truth and love are not synonymous and both are needed in a hurt and dying world.
this was a thick book with small print and I LOVED it! such a great, well written history book. just delicious. volume 2 is on my shelf to read as vol 1 doesn't even get to Luther.
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Justo L. González, author of the highly praised three-volume History of Christian Thought and other major works, attended United Seminary in Cuba, received his M.A. at Yale, and was the youngest person to be awarded a Ph.D. in historical theology at Yale. He is one of the few first generation Latino theologians to come from a Protestant background. He helped to found the Association for Hispanic T...more
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Oct 27, 2012 11:19am