Product Description

A monumental new history of Christianity from its beginnings as a persecuted cult, up to its present day international diversity. 'A model of condensation without simplification' - J.M Coetzee 'Clear and balanced. A triumph of compression... invaluable as a work of reference for students' - Karen Armstrong, Times 'A new and ambitious concept in presenting Christian history...a triumph. Never before, I suspect, has this cavalcade of thinkers been presented in a manner which so successfully combines depth, breadth, and succinctness' - Gerard Noel, Catholic Herald

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #54518 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 720 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
David Chidester is an American academic who teaches in South Africa. He is modest enough to use an old joke against himself: when Chidester told Archbishop Tutu he taught comparative religion, Tutu twinkled, "Ah, comparative religion--that is the religion for those who are comparatively religious." The objectivity and modesty which allows Chidester to poke fun at his own profession enlightens his monumental history of the Christian Church on every page.

Chidester tells the Christian story from its beginnings as a persecuted sect in the Roman Empire up to its present day international diversity. It is a rich and complex tapestry and Chidester handles his huge subject with rigorous scholarship, copious but unobtrusive notes, and a clear and readable style. He keeps track of the big historical trends while focusing on the fascinating personalities who have both dragged the Christian Church into scandal and schism as well as those who have lifted it to the heights of inspiration and holiness.

Chidester splits the Christian era into three chunks: the opening ten chapters deal with the first five hundred years, the next ten deal with the middle millennium and the third section covers the world wide expansion of Christianity since the Reformation. Those who like their Church history to be a disguised religious pep talk won't like this book because Chidester is expert at not taking sides; but for anyone who wants to study the majestic procession of Christianity through the history of the last 2000 years, this big book is worth every penny. --Dwight Longenecker

Review
"'A model of condensation without simplification' - J.M Coetzee 'Clear and balanced. A triumph of compression... invaluable as a work of reference for students' - Karen Armstrong, Times 'A new and ambitious concept in presenting Christian history...a triumph. Never before, I suspect, has this cavalcade of thinkers been presented in a manner which so successfully combines depth, breadth, and succinctness' - Gerard Noel, Catholic Herald"

From the Publisher
Praise for CHRISTIANITY by David Chidester
"A wonderful book which treats Christianity in all its dimensions. David Chidester knows how to write vividly and incisively about the beginnings of the religion up to the end of the twentieth century. He is to be congratulated" Ninian Smart, author of The World's Religions

"A model of condensation without simplification, Chidester sets out his many-stranded narrative with admirable skill, unraveling the knottiest points of doctrine on the way" J.M. Coetzee, author of Disgrace

"A triumph of compression...Fascinating accounts of the history of Christianity in the Americas, India, the Far East and Africa, which show this originally Semitic faith was able to absorb highly divergent spiritualities...invaluable as a work of reference for students" Karen Armstrong, the Times

"It represents a new and ambitious concept in presenting Christian history. It gives a comprehensive overview that, in the author's own words, also 'dwells in local features'. It is quite a triumph for what has come to be called 'polyfocal scholarship'...Never before, I suspect, has this cavalcade of thinkers been presented in a manner which so successfully combines depth, breadth and succinctness" - Gerard Noel, The Catholic Herald

"The book is useful in shifting the emphasis in Christianity's history away from Europe and across the world, to the Americas and Africa" Stephen Bates, the Guardian

Customer Reviews

What caused Christian decline in the UK.
The author gets tantalisingly close to the reason for Christian decline in the UK since the 1950s. In any event you will never work it out without first having read this book.

amazing info
i got this book for a course i was doing, but found my self more ingrossed in the book than getting on with course work. gives some really good evidence and some real eye openers to christianity. loved it.

Christianity: A Global History
Beautifully written - easy to read, a wonderful insight into how Christianity became what it is today.