From Pre-Reformation to the Present Day: The Rise and Growth of the Church in Its Cultural, Intellectual, and Political Context

Church History #2

by John D. Woodbridge, Frank A. James III

Church history is the story of the greatest community the world has known and the greatest movement in world history. Yet, just as the biblical record of the people of God is the story of a mixed people with great acts of faith and great failures in sin and unfaithfulness, so is the history of the people who have made up the church down through the ages. Church History, Volume Two is an account of the ups and downs, the triumphs and struggles, of the Christian movement. It offers a unique contextual view of how the Christian church spread and developed from the just prior to the Reformation and through the next five-hundred-plus years into the present-day. This book looks closely at the integral link between the history of the world and that of the church, detailing the times, cultures, and events that both influenced and were influenced by the church. Filled with maps, charts, and illustrations, gives primary attention to the history of Christianity in the West (western Europe and North America), but given the global and ecumenical environment of the twenty-first century, it also covers Africa, eastern Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

Genres: Church History, History, Theology, Christian, Nonfiction, Religion, Reference

864 pages, Hardcover

First published July 22, 2013

About the author

John D. Woodbridge (Doctorat de Troisieme Cycle, University of Toulouse, France) is Research Professor of Church History and History of Christian Thought at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, where he has taught since 1970. Woodbridge is the recipient of four Gold Medallion Awards.

Reviews

[Todd Miles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very solid volume. Easy to read. Lots of details. My major criticism is that the story is not woven together as well as it could, because of the commitment to provide all the detail. I fear the story of church history gets lost at times. The material on 20th century theology was good. An excellent job with evangelicalism and fundamentalism. I am not sure that some of the figures written about (see emergent church) will stand the test of time. They will not even be a blip on the radar screen in fifty years, let alone 500. But that is the risk of writing of current events in a comprehensive history. A very good resource that will serve well as a reference volume.

[Dave Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book. If you want to have a better understanding of the church and why things happen as they do, read this book. It is very detailed but largely accessible and clear. I highly recommend it.

[Brad Hough · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 // Not sure I am in any position to give a review here, as the last time I read a history book was high school. But I learned lots of things, and I was engaged almost the whole time.

[John Houston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable and fun. I enjoyed it much more than the first volume, but I do have to take away a star for only mentioning J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis once… in passing. Cmon now.

[Isaac Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic survey of Church History starting in pre-Reformation ideas through to the current day. It was thorough without being dense and touched well on all major ideas, both Christian and not.

[Eustacia Tan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume is a continuation of volume one but by two different authors. This means that the writing style is somewhat different (personally, I preferred the first volume), but the way they present the history is largely similar. This volume is from pre-reformation (1300s) to the present day.

Like in the previous volume, I appreciated the mini-explanations of the theology involved and the biographies of key figures. I also liked the fact that the book also looks at the political, societal and economic of the time (especially political), since Christianity was very closely tied to politics.

Bits of information that surprised me include:

- Martin Luther's marriage to Katie. It started out as a loveless marriage, but Luther fell in love with his wife and the fact that such a key figure in the reformation had such an unusual marriage shaped attitudes towards marriage in society.

- I didn't know that predestination "was not the wellspring of Calvin's theology", because that is what I remember most clearly (and struggle with, for that matter).

But while the book is easy to read, it does try to cram about 700+ years of history into 800 ish pages, which means some extreme simplifications are made. For example, the book says that "Catherine [Catherine the Great] did little to improve the plight of serfs during her reign".

Since I just finished a biography about her, I found this simplification a little insulting because she had a plan to free the serfs, but eventually abandoned it for practical reasons. The book also made no mention of her Nakaz, which I thought was a pity since she did consult many people about it and their reactions would have been helpful to explaining attitudes in Russia.

More importantly, I thought that this volume was too focused on Europe, specifically the British Isles and France, and later on America. Russia was given several sections, but not whole chapters, while Asia, Africa and the Middle East were largely left out (they did appear in the last one third, but I thought their presence was far too little). The persecution in Japan was almost entirely left out, and a lot of the history in India and China greatly summarised.

It is a pity, because there is a history, and in the case of Africa, the book even admits that "it [Christianity] has a continuous history on the continent of Africa of nearly two thousand years." So even if there weren't many theological debates going on, I think the development of Christianity in those regions should have been given more space.

Thankfully, things did get more globalised towards the end, and I found the discussion on the new centres of global Christianity and the modern theological trajectories to be fascinating (especially the contextual theologies, since I haven't heard of most of them). It's an area that I'd like to read more about so hopefully I can find more recommendations some day.

If you've read volume one, you'll want to read volume two. The style of the book is largely the same, and it's a good way to get an overview of the history of the Church (even if it is very European-centric). And to end, a quote I liked:

"The ultimate value of history lies not in its predictive ability or even its capacity for elucidation, but in its aptitude to teach humility."

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile

[Laura Bazal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written version:
Accessible and understandable overview of the history of the Christian church and it's varying paths to modern day. This is a must-have for any serious Christian believer - layman or pastor or bible study leader or seminary student alike. Get Church History Volume I, too.

Audio version:
While the content covered in the audio version reflects major themes, events, and historical figures in the written book, the audio version comes in a lecture style that is absolutely with your time to read in companionship with the written book. If you cannot take a course from either Woodbridge or James, this audio book is much like being in class. I can say this from taking 3 courses with Dr. Woodbridge, and his style and care come through very well.

[Lance Crandall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really my first foray into church history. I found many things fascinating. Though I don’t have much to compare it to, I thought it was a good volume.

[John Andrew Szott III · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very helpful resource that I will be returning to in the future.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a mammoth book: 2 authors, 22 Chapters covering 8 centuries, 16 pages of contents, 4 maps, 103 black and white illustrations in 843 pages. It covers the period from the “Babylonian Captivity of the Church" in 1309 to January 2012 when Boko Haram, a violent Islamic terrorist group, committed 54 murders.

The book has a number of goals: to provide an academically responsible engagement with the facts of history; to provide a global perspective; to be contemporary and relevant to the church today; not to avoid controversial issues, but not make final judgments; and to evaluate actions according to the cultural norms of the times but mindful that Christians affirm doctrinal and ethical standards that are culturally transcendent; and finally to be respectful of all Christian traditions.

Far too often history has been written by white men about other (usually dead) white men. How then does this book fare? It is written by two white men, but women do get a share - albeit a small one - of mentions. So, for example in the first chapter we have mentions of Birgitta of Sweden, Catherine of Sienna.The book aims to be global and it does avoid being too Euro and American-centric.

Inevitably, there is more focus on Protestantism than Roman Catholicism and on Europe and North America than Africa or Asia. But that is perhaps more a statement about the nature of history and the available documents rather than the book; until the nineteenth recently most Protestants lived in Europe, in 1900 81% of Christians were white - it is estimated that by 2015 this will be 30% - and in 1900 70% of all Christians lived in Europe and by 2025 this will be 20%. This global shift from Europe to North America and now to the Global South is certainly reflected in the later chapters of the book.

Why don’t Christians study more history? One problem has been a lack of good introductory resources. Woodbridge and James have addressed the that problem, they have produced a good overview of the story of history. However, as John Fea in his Why Study History? points out “Historians are not mere storytellers. Not only do they have the responsibility of making sure that they get the story right; they are also charged with the task of analyzing and interpreting the past.” Woodbridge and James are great story tellers, but at times I was wanting a little more analysis and interpretation.

Having said that though there is a brief helpful analysis of Calvin. The accusations that Calvin’s emphasis on predestination led to a lack of evangelism and missionary emphasis are examined and found wanting. They point out that “Contemporary scholars generally agree that predestination was not the wellspring of Calvin’s theology.” And they provide evidence of church growth that supports Phillip Hughes assertion that “Calvin’s Geneva was nothing less than “a school of missions … and a dynamic centre of missionary concern and activity.” (Churchman 78(4))

This is a great resource for those who want to know more about Church history. It provides enough detail in its overview to be also satisfying to undergraduates. At the end of each chapter is a “For further study” section which highlights several key books which will be helpful to those who want to take church history further.

[Ylva · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, 850 pages of Church History might probably sound a little dry and not like something you would read for fun, right? But I enjoyed reading this book very much and yes, I read all 850 pages. And probably other resources really are dry and boring... but Woodbrigde and James made it easier and even more fun to read than I expected.

The authors provide an excellent overview over the most important events in ca. the last 700 years of church history. They give information on shifts in theology, the history of the different denominations and they do not only look at what happened in Europe and the United States, but they also take a look at global Christianity and very recent developments. Since it is only an overview, it does not always go into detail, but the reader gets a good idea of what happened in that period, learns about the most influential persons and the religious ideas that emerged in these different periods. The book is organized in a chronological order, but the chapters are for example focused on regions (for example France or the UK) or theological topics and therefore there's sometimes a bit of an overlap in time, but I didn't mind. It might even be better that way because the reader can search for specific topics and only read the relevant chapters.

This book is meant as an introductory textbook for theology students, I think, but I think it's very helpful for anyone interested in theology and church history because it is easy to understand without much previous knowledge, too. I could also use what I learned through this book for my bachelor thesis (which was about worship songs from a linguistic perspective). It is also great to look up things from time to time.

So I would recommend this book for anyone that might be interested in church history. It is a comprehensive and comprehensible resource that I really enjoy having on my (virtual) book shelf.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

The At first, this textbook looks like a standard textbook. The fantastic imagery used in the pictures helps to take you back into pre-reformation to present days addressed in the text. I would say it looks very much like your typical world history textbook in high school or middle school. But I have found this masterpiece to be much more interesting than those I have seen in my grade school days. In fact, even the tone expressed throughout was much better, in my view. I am glad to see a genuinely forthcoming history book on the market these days. It would be a fantastic day to see more like this church history book produced and sold across the world, and no more blanketed whitewashing or omitting of facts, no more twisting of the facts anymore.
From what I have come to understand, the two scholars that so very graciously put time and thought into this book took on an incredibly vast and thorough endeavor to include all the eloquent details about each historical person included in the text. The authors provide an excellent overview of the most critical events in the last 700 years of church history. They give information on shifts in theology, the history of the so many different denominations of the church, and take a very close look at what happened in Europe and the United States; however, they also look deep into global Christianity and recent developments. The reader can perceive a perfect idea of what happened in that period and can learn about the most influential persons and the religious beliefs that emerged in these different periods. 
The book’s brilliant organization is in chronological order, and the chapters focus on regions (for example, France or the UK) or theological topics, and therefore there's sometimes a bit of an overlap in time, but this should not hinder anyone from learning any particular issue in their sections. I actually like it much better than your average run-of-the-mill history books. The reader or student might even benefit better because the reader can search for specific topics and only read the relevant chapters.
I appreciated the overall approach that Church History volume II takes for several reasons. First, though, it is an introduction and functions as an excellent educational textbook. This second volume of Church History seems to be quite thorough for the time period that it covers. Second, though the authors acknowledge that all church history is “culturally conditioned” (691), I believe this will be of service to anyone interested in understanding Christianity’s history from various traditions. Third, the table of contents will be an excellent resource for a layperson like myself who will need to quickly find information about specific people, events, or issues from church history later on. For example, when someone has questions about the influence of the Renaissance, the well known John Calvin and the Spaniard heretic Servetus (168), or the young Nazi soldier in Hitler’s army Jurgen Moltmann (721), they can easily find the sections of church history that are most appropriate.
As most extraordinarily brilliant church history professors will tell you, especially mine, it is most likely one of the most neglected topics in reformed evangelical theological traditions today. I not only find this unfortunately true but particularly concerning. In too many conversations today, I see the Gospel and other related topics, all the time, missing a replenishment of interest in our church history. While the Puritans and Reformers, in general, have become unavoidably popular among many reformed evangelicals, textbooks like this will hopefully bring a revival to the broader body of church history as an essential academic throughout the reformed theological communities, especially for the younger generations. 
Understanding church history is essential for several reasons. The comprehension of this topic will lead to the insight of our Church teachings, how the Church has taught it, and how it has defended the Truth of biblical Christianity. And it is imperative that we bring church history into the minds of these younger generations. This book, Church History From Pre-Reformation to the Present Day The Rise and Growth of the Church in Its Cultural, Intellectual, and Political Context, written by Drs. John D. Woodbridge and Frank A. James III may very well be such a volume needed to do just that. This book is very engaging and highly fascinating. As I read this volume, what made a significant impression on me is that the authors contribute so much great insight into church history while showing why so much church history is so wholly essential and is so incredibly vital to the Christian church’s health and growth. 
The two chapters that I believe I received the most out of were chapters twenty-one and twenty-two. The best chapter being on Islam, where the authors discuss Christianity and Islam: The Challenge of the Future. In this chapter, the authors examine whether Islam and Christianity can possibly coexist or go to war with one another. This is an essential conversation that I whole-heartedly believe needs more coverage by those who know a great deal about the relationship between the religions of Christianity and Islam. However, the authors discuss the conflicts Christianity has had with Islam and even within the Islamic community. They rightly note, “The ultimate value of history lies not in its predictive ability or even its capacity for elucidation but in its aptitude to teach humility. Studying Church history, in particular, is an opportunity for self-reflection and, indeed, for self-correction. If the story of the Christian church can bestow on us a measure of this humility, then we will enter the uncertain future with a sure compass” (839). 
 
But it is also well worth highlighting their considerable wealth of forgotten information like “The growth of Christianity in Africa in the twentieth century was nothing short of spectacular. The African continent has the highest numerical Christian growth rate in the world. As one looks at the theological developments of Christian Africa, one must bear in mind three historical facts: the slave trade, European colonization, and conflict with Islam.” (747) and also “It is sometimes forgotten that Africa figures significantly in the story of Jesus. Egypt was not only a refuge for the infant Jesus and His family during Herod’s murderous rampage, but also a fulfillment of Hosea’s prophecy: “Out of Egypt I called my son” (Hosea 11:1; see Matt. 2:13-15).” (681) Another interesting fact that I had never heard of until reading this book was that I never knew there was such thing as a “Calvinist Methodist” (411) or that Methodists even had “played a pivotal role in the English Evangelical Revival”. (403)
Volume Two of Church History, published by Zondervan, is an absolutely excellent thought-provoking study on the Pre-Reformation to the present day. This well-written and highly conducive volume will help laypeople understand the story of church history from the Pre-Reformation to the modern day. I think more serious church history students will find help in this book by understanding trends and developments of church history. Regardless of where one is in their knowledge of church history (I am quite far behind), this volume would be a phenomenal addition to any bookshelf. I highly recommend this volume in the series and pray both volumes might lead to a bursting revival of interest in studies on church history.
I can not express enough how vital I believe, not just this book, but church history, in general, is to the future to the souls of Christians. We can not simply stand by and watch church history slip away into the abyss of the forgotten relics waiting to be rediscovered. The time is now! We need to remember and learn from past mistakes to prevent further deviation from the path God has laid out for each and every one of His elect. We need to wake His people up and teach them a better way to live by the gift of faith given to us from the one and only true LORD our God for our salvation and be grateful for the lives we have so graciously been given and the history that has brought us to this day, right here, right now.
    I have purchased the first volume and patiently await it in the mail. I look forward to its arrival, and I am confident that both volumes, one and two, will be excellent additions to my newfound collection of books on my shelves alongside many other theological, pastoral, covenantal, and historical texts. So with that, I will graciously leave you with this question; “Should history be viewed as a succession of random events whose ultimate causes are irretrievably lost to us?.... Do the events of days, years, and centuries, when contemplated through the eyes of faith, reveal not udder randomness but designs following a divine master plan?” (31)

[J. Alfred · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah, that'll do.
It's an account of a lot of history, and it intentionally tries to get context to help to explain the church and its actions and stances in various eras, so it's trying to do a lot. You can learn a lot from this text.
However, the writing is uneven and the whole seems redundant and blocky. Some of the editorial choices are baffling (for instance, there is a longish section on "Post Vatican II Theological Trajectories" twenty pages before the section introducing Vatican II), sometimes seemingly needed information is just left for the interested party to ascertain (Reinhold and Richard Niebuhr are actually different people and not a typo? Good to know!) and the "For Further Reading" section often seems kind of uninspiring. (And then the scholarly matter at the end lists "Recommended Reading for Enthusiasts"? How enthused do I need to be to want to be educated?)
Anyway-- it's a useful book.
(Even if Hugh Latimer is referred to by his unofficial nickname "Huge Latimer" on one occasion.)

[Robert Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

John D. Woodbridge and Frank A. James III write the second volume of a two-volume Church History. The first volume, written by Everett Ferguson, is 538 pages, but this volume, covering much less time, is 839 pages. If a good editor had cut out the redundancy, this second volume could have also been about the same length as Ferguson's first volume.
That said, the information is thorough and valuable. James is an expert on the Reformation, and he gives a more human view of Calvin than I have read in other histories. I think he gives Luther too much credit for making marriage romantic. Woodbridge appears to have written the last part of the book. Sadly, he almost totally neglects Jonathan Edwards. On page 791, he erroneously refers to Alexander Campbell as Thomas Campbell. Nevertheless, he gives an outstanding explanation of how enlightenment philosophers and Protestant liberalism challenged conservative Christian thinking. I believe Karl Barth is his hero in responding to them.

[James Ruley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a solid overview of church history from the Reformation to the present. Overall, this work does a good job explaining context, culture, and development of religious ideas. My only criticism is that the book often diverted into protracted sections of history that could have been trimmed to cut off some of the whopping 862 pages in this volume. Finally, this work is written as a history book, so while it provides some framework for whether different religions fall into orthodox Christianity, on the whole it foes not provide guidance to test the validity of each religion or the teachings of each theologian.

[Eric Yap · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much better and enjoyable than vol 1 imo, perhaps due the writing style and the relevancy of being less historically distanced as well. The authors do a great job of tracing the development and flow of (largely European) history with all its lingering influences from reformation, to pre-enlightenment, French enlightenment and democratic revolution, to the rise of German-continental liberalism/higher criticism that has shaped the postmodern 21st century, with one coming to the realisation that the secularising project has barely been 200 years long, and perhaps the cracks and limitations of it is beginning to show in our volatile and murky postmodern soup.

[Michael Boling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Other than some very academic church history texts often known to only Bible College or Seminary students, there is a seeming dearth of layman level church history books on the market today. Certainly there are some classic church history series available such as Philip Schaff’s History of the Christian Church or perhaps Kenneth Lattourette’s own multi-volume church history effort, not much other than history texts aimed at specific time periods is available. Professors John Woodbridge and Frank James in their book Church History Volume Two: From Pre-Reformation to the Present Day, provide an accessible and sufficiently thorough engagement of this period of church history.

This book is a follow up to Church History Volume One: From Christ to Pre-Reformation by Everett Ferguson, a valuable text in its own right. By continuing where Ferguson left off, Woodbridge and James take the reader on a journey from right before the time of the Reformation to the current day, addressing a number of key pivotal events and important characters that shaped Christendom as we know it today. Divided into 22 sections each engaging its respective time period and notable church leaders and movements, this book offers the reader with a valuable look into how the church moved from a time of Papal and Catholic dominancy to the multi-faceted nature of Evangelicalism of the current church climate. Additionally, Woodbridge and James engage something of great importance in the world today, that of the conflict between Christianity and Islam.

As one who enjoys matters of history yet is not what one would label as a “history buff”, there are likely certain events and individuals Woodbridge and James left out of this text in favor of engaging other notable issues of church history. Given the sheer volume of incidents and characters which have served to bring us to where we are today, a church history text of this size and scope is not intended to mount a thorough and minute engagement of everything that could possibly be discussed. The more astute church historian will likely note this event or that person was left out, something this reader is not knowledgeable enough to have noticed. Again, the nature of such a text as this is not to cover everything, but to give a solid, purposeful, and salient overview of the time period that is under review, in this case from the Pre-Reformation to the present day.

Overall, this book is well laid out, full of illustrations, maps, charts that add a bit of life to the text as nothing is worse than a church history book with only page after page of text to read. Personally, I enjoy the illustrations as it provides the reader with an element of being able to visualize the life and times of the events and people they are reading about. Additionally, each chapter concludes with references for further study, always a valuable element of a great book. As one who is always on the hunt for books on various specific topics, having the ability to look up a certain period of church history and finding a list of additional books on that certain topic is extremely useful.

As I read through this book, I quickly became engaged in the time period of the Reformation, a period of church history of great importance given the likes of Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli to include their lasting influence on not just church history, but the theological landscape for many years after their time on earth. Woodbridge and James cover that particular period in great detail and I found those sections of this book to be very engaging.

I also appreciated the section on the rise of the Fundamentalist movement and its conflict with Darwinism and the German critical scholars, something I have studied in great detail in Seminary. Woodbridge and James aptly covered this important period rightly focusing on the key players in that movement, namely Charles Finney, Friedrich Schleiermacher, Julius Wellhausen, the Princeton scholars such as Charles and Alexander Hodge and B. B. Warfield. The discussion of the development of references such as the Scofield Reference Bible and the Fundamentals, two important and influential products of the Fundamentalist movement and its reaction to liberalism and evolutionary thought was also quite useful and engaging.

For those who are interested in reading about the Pre-Reformation period to our current religious environment without having to wade through a multi-volume church history set, will find Church History Volume Two to be a valuable asset to their studies. Woodbridge and James do a very admirable job covering the relevant material without bogging down the reader into too many minute historical details. Individuals desiring to dig a little deeper need only to take advantage of the recommended reading list at the end of each chapter as well as the rather ample bibliography at the end of the book. I recommend this text as a useful resource to have, one that will serve the reader well anytime they are interested in reading a bit about a very important period of church history.

I received this book for free from Zondervan Books for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid textbook for a college or seminary class. However, I felt as though the authors let their theological/political predispositions show in the areas they emphasized in different eras. Also, the book is unnecessarily long; many facts are added simply because they were recorded. They did not aid the grand scope of the historical account.

[Caleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful reference and overview of the past 500 years of Christianity. This will continue to be taken off of my shelf whenever I want to brush up on specific ideas, controversies, events, and people from the post-reformation era.

[Jeff Ragan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good, general look at the history of the Christian church, focusing on people in the earlier chapters, and becoming more and more focused on ideas and groups as the book progresses. A good read and very informative.

[Shawn Piedrahita · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I think the enlightenment chapters should have been shortened to one chapter and it got bogged down into minute details at times, I enjoyed the read and have a better understanding of another part of Church History!

[Pamela Ikasalo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Difficult to follow, jumps around a bit. But incredibly informative.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read and digest, yet with enough profundity to be extremely valuable.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such Historical information on the Church. Helpful and insightful.

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 good.

[Nate Cure · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent treatment of the Pre-Reformation era to modern evangelicalism-- though a text on the 21st century is needed as a supplement to bring the reader fully to the modern day.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second volume is great for anyone wanting to study church history from the 14th century to modern day. It had great depth and insight into many notable characters, movements, and ideas.

[Arianna Baptista · Rating 5 out of 5]

my first time completing a textbook front to back! feeling powerful yet confused how i got a degree without ever having accomplished this before.

[Peter Kiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great balance between broad overview and in depth acknowledgement. I enjoy how they paint the big picture but also offer a hefty amount of knowledge on most subjects they speak on.

[Timothy Klob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, highly readable overview of modern church history. This was our text for the second semester of a church history course for seminary, and I found it to be very informative in its coverage of the Protestant Reformation, the Council of Trent, American revivalism, Vatican II, and other key events over the past 500 years of Christian history. The style and coverage used by the authors of this text differed slightly from that of the legendary Everett Ferguson in the first volume of this two-part series, but their style and emphases were well-suited for covering church history into the modern era. There are other more concise books on church history out there, but this is one that I would recommend as both a readable textbook and ready reference for both personal and academic purposes.