Pocket History of the Church - (IVP Pocket Reference) by D Jeffrey Bingham (Paperback)

About the Book

From Roman persecution to the early creeds, from the monastic movement to the Reformation, from the rise of liberalism to missionary expansion, Jeffrey Bingham chronicles the ups and downs of a people and a faith.

Book Synopsis

The story of Christianity is a fascinating tale. Here we find drama, vision and expansion along with failure, setbacks and tragedy. Yet during the past two thousand years the power of Jesus is felt throughout the interplay of human actors and the forces of world events.

How can you grasp the story played out on such a gigantic stage? This book is an ideal place to start. D. Jeffrey Bingham has skillfully selected the key people and episodes to tell a grand and humbling story. From Roman persecution to the early creeds, from the monastic movement to the Reformation, from the rise of liberalism to missionary expansion, he chronicles the ups and downs of a people and a faith.

This pocket history has been crafted for students, pastors and other busy people who want an informed, clear and concise presentation that feeds the mind and moves the heart. It is an account that nurtures the Christian virtues of faith, hope and love. For Bingham aims not only to uncover the treasures of the church's past but also to show how history aids your own spiritual journey today.

Designed for students and pastors alike, the short and accessible volumes in the IVP Pocket Reference Series will help you tackle the study of biblical languages, church history, apologetics, world religions, Christian spirituality, ethics, theology, and more.

Review Quotes

"Jeffrey Bingham has written a carefully etched series of postcards from a big country called The Past. Those who attend to these messages will be illuminated, instructed and edified. Many will soon realize that there is much, much more to learn about the bearing of Christian history on the present. But all should be thankful for the engaging introduction provided by this book."--Mark A. Noll, McManis Professor of Christian Thought, Wheaton College

"Professor Bingham's Pocket History of the Church is well informed and clearly written, a wonderful introduction to the history of Christianity. Specialists will debate the finer points of the story that he tells. But this is now the best survey of church history that one can read in a single sitting."--Douglas A. Sweeney, Associate Professor of Church History and the History of Christian Thought, and Director of the Center for Theological Understanding, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

About the Author

D. Jeffrey Bingham (Ph.D., Dallas Theological Seminary) is associate dean, biblical and theological studies, and professor of theology at Wheaton College. He is general editor for The Bible in Ancient Christianity Monograph Series from E. J. Brill (Leiden).