A History of Christianity

by Michael Collins

Who really was Jesus Christ? How did Christianity spread around the world? How has Christian belief changed over the last 50 years?

Providing the answers to these and many other questions, A History of Christianity charts the 2,000-year-long history of the world’s largest religion.

This richly illustrated overview covers everything from the Old Testament to the present day, including topics such as the early martyrs, the birth of the monasteries, the Crusades, the Reformation, and the rise of the Church in the Americas and Africa. It examines the wide-ranging beliefs and doctrines found within the Church and illuminates the role Christianity plays in ordinary people's lives. With its fresh, highly visual approach, A History of Christianity introduces the key events, figures, and movements that helped shape the Church.

Beautifully illustrated, clearly presented, and written in an accessible style, this unique guide is the perfect companion for believers, seekers, and historians.

Genres: Christianity

240 pages, Hardcover

Published March 19, 2024

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
(5)The Vatican

Author Biography: Father Michael Collins, an Irish Catholic priest, was a protocol adviser to Pope John Paul II. He is currently a consultant to the Vatican Committee for the Millennium and Associate Professor of History at the American University in Rome. (from "The Story of Christianity")

Reviews

[Caden Coble · Rating 4 out of 5]

I debated over whether to give this book 3 or 4 stars. In the end I opted for 4 stars simply because it does a great job of ensuring more obscure eras and locations are represented in spite of the relative brevity of the book. However, the edition of this book I possess also has some editing problems that were significantly distracting when they occurred (a major one is in an inset biography for Thomas Aquinas, the last sentence of the inset is simply a copy-paste of the last half of the penultimate sentence), and the book has a clear Roman Catholic bias on many theological topics that are raised. With that being said, it serves its purpose fairly well, although I’d recommend reading it alongside some other works if for no other reason than to have a fuller picture of different perspectives.

[Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A proper big-picture outlook on how Christianity as faith came to be and grow over the past two millennia. I really enjoyed how this work strikes a balance between painting a broad brush, yet still manages to include essential details that leaves you wanting to know much more deeply on the intricate nuances. It is a foundational work that is sufficient both of believers and non-believers alike.

[PottWab Regional Library]

O

[erica vollbrecht]

major overview but I marked many things I want to further research. this copy has some typos!