Justo L. González

An excellent little book covering the major “heretics” of the first five centuries. The authors do not try to present these men as evil or anti-Christian at all. On the contrary, they were sincere people trying to understand the Christian faith in their own context, asking important questions and seeking to lead others to what they took to be a fuller understanding of the Gospel. The authors eventually describe a “heretic” as a person who carries one truth about God too far, such show more that it distorts other doctrine. For example, who can comprehend the Trinity? The divine mystery gets out of balance by focusing too heavily on any one aspect.

You’ll see how Marcion’s early ideas shaped Christianity; heretical views did serve a role in sharpening Christian theology. You’ll learn how Augustine battled Pelagius. You’ll learn about the Ebionites, Docetists, Gnostics, and Montanists. You’ll learn how Christology developed and the Trinitarian battles, which the authors explain with a cute baseball analogy.

All of this is extremely well-written, informative yet friendly. The book goes into just enough theology as necessary to paint a descriptive picture of each Christian offshoot. Very highly recommended and fun to read.

Westminster John Knox Press, © 2008

ISBN: 978-0-664-23205-4

Reviewed on Logos Bible Software show less

In The Story of Christianity, Volume II, Justo L. González continues to chronicle Christianity, but where his first volume covers 1500 years in 490 pages, the second volume takes slightly longer to cover a shorter period of time – a testament to the diversity and complexity of the story of God’s people as it continues to unfold. Beginning with the corruption that plagued the leadership of the Catholic Church, the story quickly moves to the response of and contributions of the estimable show more Martin Luther. After discussing the contributions of Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin in the Reformation and the rise of Protestantism, the story quickly moves to the contribution of the English to the grand mix of Christian denominations. Since González is presenting only the most influential highlights from this period, one assumes the content at this point could be considerably expanded to examine the effects on Christian theology and doctrine as the Catholic and Anglican Churches collide.

A significant development begins to take shape as The Story, once dominated by an intertwined church and state, develops into the history of an increasing distance between government and church. Those that sought deeper reform for the Church began postulating various theological positions which tested the resolve and liberality of world governments as they dealt with the increasing desire for self-expression. Of course, even as some began movements that improved the theology and spirituality of changing Christianity, others initiated movements that tended toward separation and isolation. Yet that same separation and isolation also led to an atmosphere ripe for a new religious zeal in The Great Awakening – individual pietism asserting against established rigid religiosity. The arch of Christianity has moved from reliance upon to independence from government, from well-established form to individual expression, and from sluggishness at the center to vitality at the periphery. As Christians, we should seek ways to embrace the ever shifting environment of Christianity while remaining true to the Word of God. show less

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 show more exclusively on the West; the only time the East is mentioned after about AD 400 is in its relationship with the West. Outside of those two relatively minor complaints, though, this book was excellent. show less

For my Lenten reading in 2009, I delved into a history of the world since Jesus, which generally corresponds to the history detailed in The Story of Christianity. This omnibus edition (two-volumes-in-one) covers most of the major individuals, historical periods, doctrinal battles, and denominational divisions of the last two millennia. Interestingly, the book also covers Christianity in areas rarely noted, like in South America and Africa.

The book does tend to follow people more often than show more doctrines, so there are times when the narrative bounces back and forth in time and seemingly repeats itself.

Obviously, one book can't cover everything in great detail, but there were a few notable omissions. Perhaps strangest was the six sentences about the Inquisition scattered over a handful of paragraphs. While it's not Christianity's proudest moment, it's a major historical event that probably needed to be included. show less