The Episcopal Story: Birth and Rebirth

by Thomas C. Ferguson

In the Church’s Teachings for a Changing World series, visionary Episcopal thinkers and leaders have teamed up to revitalize the classic resource with fresh new voices and style, concise and clear enough for newcomers, yet grounded and thoughtful enough for seminarians and leaders.

In this volume, seminary dean and popular blogger Thomas Ferguson traces the history of Christianity, with a special focus on the rise of the Anglican Communion and the birth and continual rebirth of The Episcopal Church. Explore how we got here and where we might be going.

Genres: Faith, Nonfiction, Religion

131 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2015

Reviews

[Sharon]

For a simple wide sweeping review of Christian history with a focus on The Episcopal Church and how it grew out of the changes, movements, and today’s globalization, this little book is a great primer. For those who want to go deeper, there are probably several books written that could cover each of Ferguson’s 12 chapters. Read as a text for EfM, this gives a sweeping taste for the novice student of church history.

[Meredith Kadet Sanderson]

Extremely accessible

[Bryan Burke]

This is a good book. I wished that I could have given it 4.5 stars because it is not at all a bad book it is just not the most interesting book on the history of Christianity or the Episcopal Church that I have read. Would definitely recommend though to anymore interested in a quick introduction to the history of the Episcopal Church.

[Marisa Tabizon]

Great, brief overview. The first half was the general establishment and history of the Christian church. The second looked specifically at Anglicanism and The Episcopal Church over the last 250 years or so.

[Michelle]

A good, brief history of the Episcopal Church. Thomas Ferguson is very readable. It makes me want to delve more into history.

[William]

Suffers from errors of fact, presentism, and the presumption that Modernism is correct.

[Jim S]

We were assigned this book for our Esm class and it is a very readable short review of the Episcopal church history and is a good read.

[Heather]

One of two textbooks for Year 3 of the Episcopal Church’s Education for Ministry program. A brief history the Episcopal Church that hits the major notes.

[Kristen Griffis]

Year 3 reading for EfM - an easy, enjoyable read.

[Nick Wilson]

This is a great little review of the history of Christianity ending with the Anglican Communion. Is is surprisingly comprehensive for such a short work. While being historically accurate, it does not paint our “story” as all roses. Where criticism is deserved, it is handed out without reservation — including the Episcopal Church’s dealing with issues related to persons of color, women, and queer (although this term is never specifically used) folk.
It is a great second volume to the series, Church’s Teachings for a Changing World.

[Sierra Freeman]

Decent Introduction, nothing more

As a newer member of the Anglican communion, this book gave a very brief and very general overview. It helped place certain aspects in context but did not go much further. A complete understanding of the Anglican communion or the Episcopal Church may not be possible. However, for a lay person or someone who wants a general overview to place what they learned in confirmation- this can be surprisingly useful.

[Denise]

This book is a very terse telling of the history of the Episcopal Church. But it did give all of the key names and events which gives a person enough to dig deeper if desired.