There’s an unintentional (I think) irony in this title, because there’s nothing “easy” about this whirlwind voyage through church history.
“Simplified” might be a better word. Written for those interested in getting a snapshot of the big picture of church history, Christian History Made Easy: 13 Weeks to a Better Understanding of Church History includes a leader’s guide in the back, suggestions for how to structure a Sunday school class or small group study on this topic, and a list of other materials to enhance the experience.
Covering 2,000 years in 141 pages of text, author Timothy Paul Jones paints a summary in broad strokes. Punctuated here and there with sometimes tone-deaf attempts at humor, the language and perspective are simple and beginner-friendly. At the start of each chapter is a list of key terms, names, and events to be learned for each period. The margins contain pictures, relevant links, concepts and questions, and quotations from historic figures.
The voyage is anything but “easy,” though. The story of the church’s evolution from the teachings of Jesus and the apostles through bloodshed, flirtation with political power and wealth, and split after split on issues of doctrine, is a harrowing and often heartbreaking tale. Because it moves at such a fast pace, the text raises lots of questions. But as a person who learns in layers, I value this book as a foundation, a timeline and broad overview of its subject.
Overall, based on this reading, my favorite era was the early centuries of church history. I think I’ve always had a skepticism, or at least a wariness, of constructed creeds and theology. I still do. Yet in these early chapters of the story, I see their purpose. Their preoccupation was in preserving a clear and correct view of who Christ was, and I could see why this was needed. Later in the story, the disputes become more peripheral, and reflect the ideological biases of their age.
I found in these pages a number of books and people I had already read, but that weren’t anchored in a firm context in my thoughts. I knew more of the story than I realized, but have never considered it all at once, as a sub-category of history. I’d like to go back and fill in more details now, perhaps with Church History in Plain Language, before reading any more of the “living books” of the time. An overview helps to carve a path through the mind, to be embellished and clarified later with more readings of those who were there.
I agree that a big-picture overview is a great way to start with church history, but whew! 2000 years is a lot to pack into 140 odd pages.
Amen! So much more to learn.
I think the title is funny, too, Janet. “Made Easy.” Hmmmm. It does sound like a good starting place, though.
Good for you for investigating such an important topic!
Is “Cliff Notes-ish” a literary category?
It’s a good starting point though, as you say. I think it’s Mortimer Adler who says it’s a good idea to read the intro, read the table of contents, and skim a book before settling down to really read. This book serves a similar purpose. In the intro, the author writes, “The average Christian’s knowledge of church history ends with the apostles and doesn’t begin again until the twentieth century.” Here is a road map for learning about that middle territory. To actually make the journey is the next step.
I also learn in layers so I appreciated your description of this book in that way! It sounds like a good resource to have on hand. Thanks for reviewing it! I hadn’t seen it before and it’s a good book to know of! I have a copy of The Church in History by B.K. Kuiper which is a more simplistic history as well. Perhaps it is a bit more detailed than the one you reviewed here but I’m speculated it to be a good next level.
Thanks for the title! It’s new to me, and I’d like to check it out.
I took a semester-long course in Church History in college, and felt like we barely scratched the surface. It’s a fascinating topic, to be sure. I’ve read bits and pieces of Eusebius, and I keep meaning to just read through Ecclesiastical History cover to cover. Maybe this will be the year.