A Short History of Christianity

by Stephen Tomkins

Worshipped by 2 billion Christians (and revered by 1.3 billion Muslims), Jesus Christ is the most famous human being ever.

Yet how did this man from an obscure backwater in the Roman Empire achieve such extraordinary acclaim? How did religion founded in his name grom to become the most powerful on earth? What has been its relationship through history with that other giant of religions, Islam?

In this fast-paced and entertaining book, journalist and historian Stephen Tomkins sets out to provide the answers. Beginning with the life of Jesus, he presents a warts-and-all portrait of the key people, events and movements in Christian history. For every debauched pope, murderous crusader and hate-filled inquisitor, there are glorious examples of heroic self-sacrifice, spiritual enlightenment and social transformation. Despite setbacks and conflict, the church has continued to change and grow, with the result that, at the start of the 21st century, its centre of gravity is moving south into sub-Saharan Africa and South America. The author ends by looking to the future, for the story is far from over.

All those wanting to understand where Christianity is going need to learn where it has come from, and in this book they will find a lively and informative guide.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Christian, Church History, Religion, Christianity, Faith

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 19, 2005

About the author

Stephen Tomkins is the author of several books, including biographies of John Wesley and William Wilberforce. He is the deputy editor of Third Way magazine.

Reviews

[Nicholas Rossis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly enough, this has turned out to be one of the most leafed-through books in my library. I love Tomkins' balanced writing. He manages to discuss a highly sensitive and often dreary subject matter in a light, highly accessible tone, without sacrificing either clarity or honesty. As someone who finds Dawkins' single-sided polemic just as tiresome as the official Church's often iodine version of history, I welcome a book that describes how Christianity has shaped the modern world for better and for worse.

For anyone wishing to understand our world, this is a must-read.

[Camilla]

This was a textbook for one of my classes and I actually really enjoyed it lol

[Tyler Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely well written and will hold the readers attention easily. A treasure trove of information contained there in. Everyone calling themselves a Christian should of spent the time required to get through this one. Study to shew thyself approved of God.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was difficult for me to read straight through because it was basically a series of facts. There is little narrative, which made it challenging for me to retain any of the information. I will now use it for reference when I need a short overview of a time period.

[Linda]

The British Author gives a quick history of the bloody parts of history, often tongue-in-cheek. Very easy reading. Covers the rise and fall of various denominations and sects, including the schism between the East and the West, and the relations of Christianity with Islam.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was easy to read and held my attention. The author manages to cover a lot of topics in a short space. However, I feel that the author often lets his desire to be witty overshadow the task of passing on knowledge. At times, it obscures the facts. I felt like I was reading a book that was mainly a commentary on the history of the church, given with very little explanation for why those conclusions were reached, rather than a book that educates the reader on history itself. This book is interesting, but also very frustrating. I do not feel like my knowledge of church history has increased much. I do feel like I have a lot of questions prompted by the author's comments. There's value in that, but not what I was hoping for.

[Ari]

If you know almost nothing about Christian history and are interested, Tomkins book is a great place to start. It is funny when appropriate, Tomkins is a good writer who makes the story of Christianity interesting. However, if you already know the basics of Christianity along the lines of persecution (of the church), conquering Europe, persecution (by the church) reformation, conquering the rest of the world, and modernization; then you can probably skip this one and move onto something with a little more depth. Literally nothing in three thousand years of Christian history is given more than two pages, most things topping out at three paragraphs. It’s a great starting point, but not what you want to read if you want depth, insight, or profundity.
Also, as a scholar, it absolutely outrages me that there are no endnotes, much less footnotes, no citation whatsoever not even of quotes, and no bibliography. In short, there is absolutely no way for the reader to verify the information. Considering I willing submitted to a full grade drop on my senior thesis for citing a quote at the end of a paragraph rather than at the end of the quote, you know I believe citation is vital. In this, I am extremely disappointed.
This review is taken from my blog at bibliophilebet.blogspot.com

[James Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a quote from a member of Monty Python on the cover, and not many pages inside, it would be easy to suspect Stephen Tompkins' latest work favoured brevity and humour over history. But that couldn't be further from the truth. While he clearly delights in some of the Church's more extreme experiences (such as exhuming the body of a some-months-dead Pope in order to put him on trial) he also succinctly communicates the twists and turns of twenty centuries of Christian history.

At times it might be nice to get clearer pointers to where we can find more detail, and those without much sense of dry humour may find pieces confusing. But for anyone in need of a clearer overview of the church's role in european history this is a good starting point.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is for for anyone wanting to know about the influence of Christianity on the world and cultures over time to the (almost) present day). A lighthearted and cogent piece of writing that takes loads of information and makes it really easy to understand. It makes sense to anyone who knows nothing about history or Christianity (and in fact, I'd recommend it for that reason). It filled in a lot of blanks for me, so I found it helpful. The only downside I'd say was that it was not a captivating read, so I read it over about a year in bits and pieces.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my required text book reading for my History of Christianity class and I have to say it was very enjoyable. Tomkins does a great job stating the facts but doing so in a non-boring manner and a good dose of sass. This book is defiantly staying in my collection for future reference. The only downside to this book and why I didn't give it five stars was that once the 20th century came into play it was pretty much all negativity.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great overview to the story of the Church throughout history. I thoroughly enjoyed the humor that Tomkins conveys throughout his book.

This is for anyone wanting a fresh look into the church and all of its strengths and weaknesses.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tomkins sums up a few millenia of Christianity very succinctly in this book. Broken up into four parts, the history is very accessible. The history is typically covered in a very info-centric manner, although in the last few chapters, the snide comments become more prevalent.

[Peggy Pepper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and Sweet

I liked the subtle humor. I liked "the bottom line" style, hitting the highlights, and putting it all in perspective. A good starter book for anyone who wants to then study further and in more detail, which I don't.

[Coyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's short.

[Mat Brewster · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating, if whirl-winded history of not only Christianity but of the world it shaped and the politics it left in its path.

[Anneliese 💛 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good book!

I was required to read this book for a college religion course but I actually kinda enjoyed it!! Good read on the actual events in the history of Christianity.