A Pocket Guide to Christian History
by Kevin O’Donnell
GoodBookStall Review:
This compressed survey, more aide memoire than instruction for beginners, offers a conservative and generally Eurocentric summary of very diverse experiences. Its ‘Christian History’ begins with conventional descriptions of the early church, the doctrines of the Fathers, the Celtic and Orthodox Churches in schism, the medieval Western church. Then sections on the Reformation and the Enlightenment cite churchmen and philosophers alongside brief references to politics. Then the account fragments into summaries of modern sects, recent theologians, and historical movements such as the American Civil Rights Movement. The notes cite few sources and there is no serious advice about further reading, which is a shame.
Reviewer: Su Reid (30/10/09)
This compressed survey, more aide memoire than instruction for beginners, offers a conservative and generally Eurocentric summary of very diverse experiences. Its ‘Christian History’ begins with conventional descriptions of the early church, the doctrines of the Fathers, the Celtic and Orthodox Churches in schism, the medieval Western church. Then sections on the Reformation and the Enlightenment cite churchmen and philosophers alongside brief references to politics. Then the account fragments into summaries of modern sects, recent theologians, and historical movements such as the American Civil Rights Movement. The notes cite few sources and there is no serious advice about further reading, which is a shame.
Reviewer: Su Reid (30/10/09)
