Ye Are the Body

by Bonnell Spencer

A People's History of the Church.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Church History, Christian

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Ye Are the Body" is a good introduction to Christian church history. Mr. Spencer begins with the apostolic age and moves on through the major eras of Western History to land in firmly in 20th century America. In this survey he touches on the church fathers, the Roman Empire, the divided empire, the rise of Europe, the Medieval, Renaissance, and Enlightenment eras, and Modernity. It contains the important names, dates, and events, as well as most of the theological developments, major and minor, orthodox and heretical.

Spencer was an Anglican and appears to have had strong Roman Catholic sympathies, so it comes as no surprise that "Ye Are the Body" casts both traditions in the best possible light. Other traditions do not fare as well. In particular, Spencer does not seem to have had much regard for Calvin or the denominations that follow his theology. This is not a critique as much as an observation.

"Ye Are the Body" is organized in a manner that is easy to follow, and it avoids being as dry as dust. For that last point alone, Mr. Spencer deserves much credit. I can recommend it highly to anyone who is looking to discover more about the history of the church, and when, how, and why her traditions developed.

[Henry K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the book

[Bart · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been a long time since I wept after reading a history book. Bonnell Spencer, an American Anglo-Catholic, ripped out my heart once he reached the great tragedy known as the Reformation. This was not accomplished by cheap literary ploys, but rather for a full and well-articulated ecclesiology that Spencer traces throughout the church's entire history. The author does a great job in tracing the great trends, strands, and debates of a complex story with brevity. The only element hurting the book is its age; Spencer makes some predictions about the coming church history that simply did not come to pass in the 50 or so years following. I would highly recommend the first 4/5 or so of the book to everyone, while recommending the entirety to Anglicans. It is by far the best common-man's church history.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

On loan from church, this is a history of the Christian church with special attention to the Anglican Communion.

Well, I bought this book so I could read it and re-read it as needed. See http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..., as I am reading this along with "Church History in Plain Language", and ""Eastern Orthodoxy Through Western Eyes"".

[Devin Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a detailed history of the church. It is written in understandable language, and although there is much detail packed into it, I am coming away from the reading with a far better understanding of Christianity.