Great Debates: where to read more

After our series on Great Debates at Tuesday Hub, a few people have asked me what they could read to find out more. If you’re interested in reading some church history, here’s two titles I recommend (and yes, camp people, I have read them!):

Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley

This book takes you through the whole history of the church in one volume, from the days of Paul right through to the present. As the (somewhat hokey) title suggests, it’s extremely easy to read and easy to understand. While it looks like a brick at almost 600 pages, the writing is so light you could actually knock it over in a few sittings. And at the end you’ll have a solid grasp of where the church has come from. Sometimes it feels like you’re listening to an old Southern grandpa – Shelley like to call people ‘folks’ and present them speaking in homey dialogues – but if you can get past the ‘plain language’, it’s a very worthwhile read.

The Story of Christianity by Justo Gonzalez

While it isn’t an academic work, this one’s a bit more in-depth. Gonzalez’s Story of Christianity is in two volumes: the first from the Apostles to the Reformation, and the second bringing the story up to the present. For my money, this is the best general church history you could read. Gonzalez’s history is accomplished and thorough. He is a brilliant writer – he’s very easy to understand, but doesn’t sacrifice subtlety for simplicity. Gonzalez has worked hard to present the history of Christianity as a coherent narrative, with important characters and events, conflicts and tensions. He therefore takes a sweeping overview of church history, punctuated by occasional dives into short biographies of influential Christians and crucial events. It’s one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read this year.

Both of these books are on the shelves at Koorong, or follow the links to Amazon.