A Brief History of Christianity

by Bamber Gascoigne

This volume tells the story of Christianity through the individual men and women who shaped it. It is a story of colossal undertakings and spectacular successes as well as ferocious intolerance, greed and bloodshed. Bamber Gascoigne traces a clear path through a complicated history, exploring the motives, the passions, the fears and the achievements of the Christians. His approach is objective and he writes in a conversational style, focusing on moments of significant detail and a vast and varied cast of characters.

Genres: History, Religion, Christianity, Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published May 29, 2003

About the author

Bamber Gascoigne is an Eton and Cambridge educated television presenter and author. He was for several years a drama critic for the "Spectator" and the "Observer", and has written a number of books on theatre, art and cultural history.

He came to fame as the presenter of the popular television quiz show, University Challenge (1962 - 1987) and subsequently wrote and presented a 13-part TV series, "The Christians" (1977), from which he also wrote a bestselling book. Gascoigne has remained a well-known figure for his television presenting and his books on history.

Reviews

[zed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though released by the Robinson imprint under it’s “A Brief History of” series this book was originally released in 1977 to accompany a 13 part TV series called The Christians. The edition I have is updated with re-release in 2003. It does read as more “A Brief History of European Christianity” and as such also an accompaniment to the TV series for a British public as opposed to a general primer.

Be that as it may it has been a good read on a subject that is always of interest though one I have not read in any depth on in many a long year. Author Bamber Gascoigne has written with a useful sense of respect towards Christianity but has been clever enough with his humour to highlight the contradictions of its many adherents as to their own interpretations of biblical text for their own purposes.
The early chapters covered, as expected, Christianitys birth and expansion. Once past this stage the book became a little too limited for me personally in terms of the religions growth outside its European base. It does cover the Americas but more the US and it acceptance of the various Protestant denominations. I was interested to read that 1 in 4 Christians, at the time of writing, were of the Pentecostal denominations and I should imagine that is true 15 years later.

The final two chapters were easily the strength of the book for this reader with the coverage of themes such as the fight against Slavery through to the rise of Atheism in the west. It was interesting to read of the UK’s proselytising in it colonial expansions. In 1837, as one example, a British missionary reported the conversion of 150,000 south sea islanders to Christianity and at the same time was saying that they were “… few years ago unclothed savages…” who “are now wearing articles of British manufacture” Praise the lord and pass me your credit details please.

[Tim Rideout · Rating 3 out of 5]

A concise history of Christianity, its strength is its weakness. Its brevity affords it a highly readable quality, but too many times I found myself wanting to learn more about a particular historical episode or regretting the omission of key moments (like the iconoclast movement). It also had an obvious western bias, which again meant key Christian movements (like the Coptic Christians) were largely ignored.

[Muhammad Jifi · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this was an interesting and informative read, the book was organized thematically which I found difficult to follow at times. While this is appropriate for a brief history, the book describes events over such a long period of time (from the start of Christianity to the early 20th century) so a little more attention to chronology would have made for a more enjoyable read. Despite the focus on Christianity, I found I learned a lot of general European history while reading due to the close connection between the two. If I go back and revisit this book I will be sure to annotate since I feel it would help keep track of all the historical figures and events brought up in the book. While I did feel some events in the book were sensationalized, overall this is a pleasant and easy read that I learned a lot from.

[James Connolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, yet very brief history

[Peter]

Het boek is een heel licht aangepaste versie van een boek uit 1977. Het was de neerslag van een serie voor de BBC. (Hij legt ook uit dat dit soort boeken altijd 13 hoofdstukken hadden, 13 weken in een kwartaal.) In dezelfde tijd startte David Attenborough met het maken van natuurfilms.

Het boek zelf is vol anekdotes. Veel dingen worden gezegd zonder veel onderbouwing, zo zou nu waarschijnlijk geen boek uitgegeven worden met een hoofdstuk over de Islam dat alleen de Koran noemt en niet de Hadith.

[Fazrin Jamal · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW

I don't believe in the supernatural e.g. deity, ghost, magical beings etc. However, I love religions because by learning about them, I get better understanding of the cultures, food, myths, technology, and views of people who lived thousands of years ago and how their faith evolved throughout the centuries.

First of all, I am quite familiar with the Christian doctrine. However, I must admit that my understanding of Christian history from 2 BC to it's present form is minimal. So, I purchased this book : A Brief History of Christianity by Bamber Gascoigne.

This book is 262 pages long. At first, I was doubtful that the writer can effectively explain the history of the world's biggest faith spanning over 2 millennia in such a thin book. However, after completing it, I must admit that it deserves the critical acclaim that it received from critics.

I've heard about the Great Schism, Luther's Ninety-Five Theses and Constantine's conversion before, however, it was from this book that I fully understood what they were all about - the events preceding them, the catalysts and the long term effects that can be felt till date.

Unfortunately, I'm quite disappointed that this book spent less than 2 pages on Jesus and his 33 years on Earth. The writer spent more time on Saul of Tarsus (admittedly, the chief architect of Christianity, not Jesus) who propagated his newfound faith to Gentiles.

I recommend this book to everyone. In a world where hatred is everywhere, a little understanding may be what we need.

4.0/5.0

Read from Jan 9 - Jan 14

[John Clarke · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read, fills in several gaps that I wasn't aware of but as it was published in the 70's is out of date concerning the Eastern bloc and the Vatican's sections.

[Elan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating, and at times horrifying account of the history of Christianity. A must read for anyone interested in this religion, or in religion in general from a historical view.

[Damp Mop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting, filled with information I never knew and really helped join A lot of dots in Europe's History for me.

[Adam Elyas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise, witty and an awesome read! 😆

The author traces the origins of Christianity, from its beginnings in Palestine through Roman persecution to the reign of Constantine, the first Christian emperor. It highlights the profound impact of European scholars and saints, their influence reaching far beyond the battlefield. It also touches on the rise of Islam and its relationship with Christianity, the Spanish conquest of the Americas, the Protestant Reformation, and the challenges for Christian people posed by modern ideologies.

The strongest positive of this book is the author's witty personality and eye for historical or theological ironies. The author would also quote excerpts from Christian writings as a vivid way to illustrate the circumstances they were in.
Ill quote some:
'When the brothers rise for the service of God, let them gently encourage one another, because the sleepy ones are apt to make excuses.'
- St Benedict

'The rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate, God made them high or lowly and ordered their estate.' She [Mrs. Alexander] wrote those words in the remarkable year of 1848.'

[Norah Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll give this book a 3.5 rounding to 4.

I found the book to be engaging, giving the overview of the development and transformation of Christianity over the centuries. It provided me with a good foundation for understanding Christianity from a historical perspective. I believe this will enrich my religious views as a Christian as well as my appreciation of how Christianity has significantly influenced culture, politics, and social structures over time.

The book offers a comprehensive summary of all the pivotal eras—from the early church and the Great Schism to the Reformation and modern movements. This historical journey highlights how Christian beliefs and practices have evolved and reshaped themselves in response to changing social and political landscapes.

It has created a valuable background for me to deepen my understanding of Christianity as a believer through the lens of history.

[Ervin Jerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each chapter can be read by itself, though it seems that each chapter progresses chronologically. I am not an expert in the timeline and history of religion other than what I've read, so I may be wrong. It's a great read, most especially whenever it sheds light on the mistakes and instability of religion (mostly Christianity) as a whole back then. It was also great on how it narrated the roots of certain sects, like the Mennonites for example. In my opinion, the general lesson of the book is how it explains the mutability and adaptability of a religion that has existed for 2000 years despite the many historical and social turbulence it had to face.

[Book Grocer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purchase A Brief History here for just $10!

An informative overview of the history of Christianity, focusing on moments of significant detail and a vast and varied cast of characters. Originally written to accompany a TV series, Gascoigne's, conversational style makes it a highly engaging read.

Paul, The Book Grocer

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book accompanied a TV series some years ago. It's a fairly superficial canter through a vast subject area and if you have not read more widely on the subject it's a useful summary. It is written very much from a western and specifically UK standpoint particularly from the reformation onwards which feels like it misses out a lot of important issues. It could usefully be retitled a brief history of British Christianity!

[Eve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Haven't read it from cover to cover, just skimming some parts, but it's plain to see that this book doesn't address fundamental question of what is Christianity in spiritual or philosophical level. It reads as if the writter have something against Christianity.

[Yaron · Rating 1 out of 5]

The English is hard for a non native speaker like me.
The structure of the book is not clear and eventually I do not feel they I got a high level understanding of the Christian history which is something I expected from "a brief history..." genre

[Rabia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative. Nicely written. History of how christianity blooms from the passing of time and also some of its downfalls during the ages.

[Lindsey Baird-Waugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over all OK.

[Т. Якова · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!!!

[Heather Westing · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book would be much better titled as "A Brief History of European Politics and Christianity". It focuses very much on the major political figures in the late Roman Empire and the European world it created, who of course used Christianity to further their own political ends. The author does give some commentary on how the Christian faith itself evolved over the centuries, but it is painfully obvious that Mr. Gascoigne is not a Christian himself and his ability to address many of the fundamental beliefs - and the various philosophies of great Christian thinkers such as Augustine and Luther - is superficial at best. He is clearly far more interested in the role Christianity played in European politics, and not at all interested in exploring the real message of this complex and far-reaching religion. Not the book to read if you actually want to learn something about Christianity itself.

[Dean Jenkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a difficult balance between detail and scope when attempting to cover 2,000 years of history but one Gascoigne mainly strikes, at least with regard to Christianity’s development in the West. Gascoigne is in his element when focussing in on particularly significant issues or times in the history of Christianity, such as Constantine’s conversion or the reformation, but I did lose interest when discussion turned to broader themes of Christianity’s development in the nineteenth century especially.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Try to sum up 2000 years of Christianity in a few neat themes. That's what Gascoigne does in this book. As far as surface studies of a major cultural movement of any sort go, it's quite good. Don't look for deep philosophical insights or the minutiae of any specific denomination. This is much more of an historical survey of Christianity than an examination of specific theology.

[Deeps George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plain language history of the church , a good read to get a basic idea of how as a church we reached where we are today.

[Howard Gardner]

I haven't finished this book yet. It's my light reading for the bathroom. But, it has one of the crucial elements for nonfiction that I'd select, which is a good index, and an indication of material used in research.

What's great about Gascoigne is he approaches his subject somewhat dispassionate in terms of taking sides. Although I could've just said he wrote like an academic. One of my recent discoveries in this text was to find out early Quakers were mystics. And, that the term Quaker originally was a pejorative term that described their physical reaction when the "spirit" filled/ overcame them.

[Mills College Library]

270 G247 2003

[Lyndon Bailey]

Dense in information, light in reading, informative. I've learned so much about history from this and about the politics of the church. The Swiss guards were once an actual force to be reckoned with? The Church became more conservative during recent decades, the machinations of politics and the beginning of most of the important sects, cults and monks are covered, as well as the bloodthirsty crusades. Excellent read.