Reign: The Church in the Middle Ages

Risen Hope #2

by Luke H. Davis

During the Middle Ages the church laboured to build a community of faith. Benedict, Columba, and Francis organized communities in which the Gospel could be preached. Theodulf, Anselm, and Bernard of Clairvaux answered the call to reform that community and theology. And when the church’s leaders drifted from the authority of Scripture, a first wave of reformers in Peter Waldo, John Wycliffe, and John Hus arose to call God’s people back to the grace of God.

This was a Church that sought to reign, love and conquest, a Church that wanted to secure freedom, and proclaim the gospel. When that Church fell into corruption it undertook its own reform. Which one of these is the medieval Church? They all are! And in that we can find hope in the God Who loves His Church as we seek to live in His name.

Genres: History

176 pages, Paperback

Published March 11, 2022

Reviews

[Michael Philliber · Rating 5 out of 5]

For many, the Middle Ages are appropriately called “The Dark Ages,” mainly because that era is unknown to them and fraught with phantasmal folk tales. Recently a new 176-page paperback has surfaced to help shine some light into a few of the nooks and crannies of those years. “Reign: The Church in Middle Ages” is for kids from 12 and up. It’s a retelling of stories of men and women in the western Church who lived through those centuries. Luke H. Davis, who teaches ethics and church history at Westminster Christian Academy in St. Louis, and has authored several fiction and nonfiction works, has taken thirteen of those lives and retold their tales in an enjoyable, memorable, and personable fashion. This is the second installment of the growing “Risen Hope” church history series printed by Christian Focus Publications.

Davis takes on the stories of Benedict, Columba, Gregory the Great, Anselm, Wycliffe, and a host of others from the 6th through the 15th Centuries. He retells their stories in imaginative settings and conversations that historically summarize some of their main emphases and experiences while they lived. It’s a creative approach to turn what can be dusty and dry details, into lively accounts. The author also inserts “Fact Files” and other breakout sections, that give thoughtfully abbreviated details that are missing from the story, such as the Crusades and the Cathars, and help a reader keep their chronological compass about them.

If I have any “beef” with the book it has to do with one, significant, 3-letter editorial glitch. As the Cathars were being explained, Davis rightly describes some of their aberrant beliefs. But then, toward the end of the section it says, “While the Cathars’ beliefs were biblical…” (137). The word “not” ended up being dropped from the final print copy and is desperately missing. It should read, “While the Cathars’ beliefs were not biblical…”

From beginning to end, “Reign” is the kind of retelling of the stories that keep young minds attentive and young hearts engaged. It also makes the Middle Ages much more comprehensible and less “dark’. I highly recommend the book, and encourage readers to snatch up a copy, read it, and hand it out. And make sure the kids know a “not” is missing.

My thanks to the author who sent me a copy of the book, gratis. He made no claims on my loyalties, didn’t promise me any royalties, and never tried to bribe me with dark chocolates. In fact, he made no stipulations and left me free to do as I liked. Therefore, this analysis is freely made and freely given.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is meant for younger readers than me (pre-teens and teens) but it was interesting. Because it's written for a younger audience, there are fictional short stories about each person, followed by some facts. I was only interested in the facts and was looking for more, but the book is quite brief.

It's pre-Reformation so everyone is Catholic, including some famous ones like Francis of Assisi, but there are some people I hadn't heard much about. I also appreciated that the author pointed out some of the problems of the Catholic Church (such as the negatives of monasticism, indulgences, corruption, etc.) That being said, I found he wasn't quite critical enough as he never mentioned the veneration of Mary or the saints as issues. But in the end, we can see the Reformation coming with Wycliffe and Hus.

Overall, a good read and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

[Whitney Frasier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used as a church history read aloud with my two older kids (13&11). We have enjoyed these so far. I do recommend for anyone wanting an accessible way to learn about church history. Perfect for adults and kids too!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this with my daughter for church history, for school this past few weeks. We have learned so much about the early church while reading and studying this book.

She didn’t like the “randomly starting in the middle of a story” each time, but we got used to it.