This masterful overview of the Western Christian church and its contexts begins with the times into which Jesus was born and concludes in our early 21st century world. Brief stories bring to life the people of the early church and the communities in which Christianity struggled and grew, providing remarkable perspective for the contemporary reader. Boone allows readers to put themselves into sixth century shoes and contemplate traveling as missionaries to "world's end" to bring Christianity to England. She puts you into the home of a woman, widowed after her husband was martyred, who hides her son's clothing so he can't go out and do the same.She carries us through the very beginnings of Christianity in a part of the world where only 1 in 10 could read through the centuries where printing made religious ideas (and the Bible itself) easily accessible, from small groups of believers worshiping in homes to the Holy Roman Empire and then the church's post-Reformation fragmentation, from colonists intent on establishing their own beliefs as tax-supported churches in the Americas to religious revivals and the growth of new church movements in the US.Each chapter focuses on roughly one century in the life of the Christian church, providing an even-handed view of both early Catholic and Orthodox traditions and the emerging Protestant world. The discussion questions at chapter end offer opportunities to reflect on parallels to church life in more recent times, relevant considerations in a Bible passage, and opportunities for application in your home church. The format makes this an excellent text for a half-year study group at church.If you think history is boring, and also think you should know more about the history of the Christian church, this book is for you.
- | Author: Mark Boone, Julie Boone
- | Publisher: Spirit Media
- | Publication Date: Jan 27, 2023
- | Number of Pages: 384 pages
- | Language: English
- | Binding: Paperback
- | ISBN-10: 1958304433
- | ISBN-13: 9781958304433
