Hart's focus on world Christianity makes this casual history read both valuable and very interesting. I loved reading it. ( )

Restorationists are often accused, and often rightly so, of not knowing a whole lot about the Christian tradition in general. Yet such is true of most Christians, and really, society at large.

There are lot of expansive histories of Christianity which are good and profitable yet would probably be too long and arcane for the purposes of a general audience.

In The Story of Christianity: A History of 2,000 Years of the Christian Faith, David Bentley Hart (DBH), a notable theologian, has done well at describing the story of Christendom over the past 2,000 years with clear prose and short chapters.

Yes, I said “Christendom,” not “Christianity.” While certain doctrinal arguments are described, much of the book is about the behaviors of European kings and societies which were nominally “Christian.” DBH has done well to broaden the scope to include the churches of the East, India, and Africa, but by necessity much of the work is about the events and developments of Europe in the medieval and modern eras. DBH is Eastern Orthodox and so the “institutional” and Christendom emphases are not terribly surprising; if you’re expecting a lot of detail about the rise and nature of Evangelicalism, you’ll be disappointed, but a lot more will be brought out regarding the Catholic and Orthodox heritage.

As an overall introduction this works well to explain the influence of Christendom over the past two thousand years. In the end, it is the story of “big men” and the “big ideas,” and not about daily life and practice throughout time. I suppose the latter is yet to be written or might be found elsewhere. ( )

Readable survey with excellent illustrations. ( )

I wish I could give this six stars. This is far and away the best book I have ever read (and, I think, will ever read) on Christian history. The illustrations are great, the explanations insightful, and the flow and pace are perfect. Hart tells the story of Christianity from its beginnings all the way to today, never missing an important event and all the while subtly undermining the fallacious myths of Christianity's modern-day detractors (the "assassination" of Hypatia, the "persecution" of witches, the "attacks" on scientists, etc.). Unlike most other history texts, Hart also doesn't forget to include the Christian world outside of Europe -- reminding us of the frequently forgotten stories of the Assyrian, Ethiopian, and Indian Churches. If anyone wants to learn about the history of Christianity -- this is THE book to read. ( )