Product Description

Ron Rhodes has compiled his extensive research into a handy,easy–to–use manual that will provide readers with accurate, straightforwardanswers to their questions about various churches. In just minutes, anyone caneasily find important information about a denomination, including...

• a brief history
• their most important doctrinal beliefs
• distinctive elements of their teaching and worship

Visually appealing charts highlight doctrinal differences.Membership statistics show denomination sizes and growth. A bibliography and alisting of websites give readers resources for more information.

Whether they are looking for a new church or the opportunityto fellowship with believers from different traditions, readers will be muchbetter prepared with this thorough and user–friendly guide.

Customer Reviews (17)

Lots of info provided
I really liked this book and felt it provided lots of information about the denominations...from the history to the basic beliefs..he even included the splinter churches that sprang from certain churches and explained why they split. The only thing I did not care for is the fact that he did not include a lot of denominations and sects that I would have enjoyed reading about. Since he writes a lot about christian cults I understand why he chose not to includesome groups in the book though.

disappointing
Rhodes describes a huge variety of American denominations. In each case he gives a tiny bit of history, something about beliefs - usually taken from official statements, statistics, and contact information.

The book is very useful for those who want to sort out and keep straight the various conservative "splinter" groups which have recently been established. It is less useful in describing the larger, older, "mainline" denominations which these protest denominations regard as "liberal." Despite other reviews to the contrary, I thought the author's conservative bias was pretty evident. He cannot be expected in a very brief description to go into nuances of history, but he makes many factual errors which will be obvious to the well informed and misleading to a casual reader.

Anyone interested in the subject will be better served by Mead, Hill, and Atwood's Handbook of Denominations in the United States.

biased and anti-catholic
The chapters on Roman Catholic Church and eastern churches are full of errors that reflect the usual protestant poorly informed view on catholicism and orthodoxy. If one wants to reassure himself in his anti-catholic prejudices he should better read anti-catholic pamphlets by Loraine Boettner: forget the truth, ignore the scholarshipand go straight to the point!

Great compendium of facts
For those that are confused with so many religios out there and need to either get familiarized with the main elements that characterize each religion or want to find out how their faith differs from others then I recommend this book.

Not Worth Buying - Too Informative
I find this book written by Ron Rhodes to be filled with many different Christian Denominations and just too much information which is kind of boring. However, it lacks the part where I can see clearly in comparison (have to flip in and out to compare all the different denominations). I lost interest reading it after the first two pages which already summarize most part of this book just that in the later pages it just breaks down what he meant. Basically, I don't really recommend to get this book it isn't worth reading. ... Read more

Product Description

The 12th edition of the Handbook of Denominations attempts to portray some of the depth and breadth of the major religious traditions in the United States. The religious bodies are grouped in family categories of Abrahamic religions, arranged chronologically: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The information for each group within these families was provided by the religious organizations themselves and focuses on the doctrines, statistics, and histories of institutions. Such information is valuable for making sense of our culture and our neighbors, although much of the inner life of each denomination is not part of such a presentation. This handbook is a helpful resource for clergy, laity, journalists, and the curious who want to know more about the many facets of religious tradition in the United States today.

Customer Reviews (16)

Thanks
I was pleased with the condition of the book, and it arrived on time for my classes too.

handbook of denominations from liberal viewpoint
This book is innacurate and not worth buying. Other much better written handbook of denominations are available, and this one shows both a misunderstanding of the Christian faith, and a bias towards the islamic faith.Leaves me with two questions: (1) Who really wrote this trash? (2) Who paid this publisher to let it get out?

Look Forward to Each New Edition
I have two earlier editions and am looking forward to the upcoming 13th edition.It has been an excellent resource and I'm sure the latest edition will once again deliver the best concise introductory information for the large variety of denominations in the United States.I believe every minister of every denominational church or independent congregation should have this in their library. Inevitably someone will ask a minister about some other church or religious group.This resource can serve as an excellent starting place for an informed response.

Excellet Buy
I bought this book and found it to be very accurate and unbias.An excellent buy I would highly recommend!

Information regarding religious denominations
This book contains short descriptions of origins and present day focus of each of the denominations it references.It is invaluable to those who want a 'crash course' in understanding those of a differing faith path. ... Read more

Product Description
Handbook of Denominations in the United States 13th Edition ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Does not give very much information.
Although it did a very good job at listing many denominations and sects (that I find most books leave out) it gave very minimal information on these groups. I found the book to be of very little use.

Religous Survay
This book surveys various different Christian denominations in the United States and global. Starts off with Adventism, with Seventh Day Adventist being the largest branch of that. Other denominations covered I was familiar with are: Baptist, Plymouth Brethren, Mormon, Episcopalian, Quaker, Jehovah's Witness, Jewish, Lutheran, Mennonites, Methodist, Islam, Pentecostal, Roman Catholic and Salvation Army. They are all a branch of the same thing, most churches ask for 10 as much as 50 perecent of your income- big deal. Either you got it or you don't. You can get buy today for a few hundred dollars a month. You get baptized and become a member of the church and a holy man/woman. If these school people are really that insecure, it's no wonder so many people are in debt. You make the choice- heaven or hell? Put on the armor of Christ and go to battle with Satan.

Mead and Hill remain the standard
The 11th edition of the Handbook of Denominations maintains the standard of excellence set by Mead and continued by Hill.I highly recommend this as an introduction to American denominations, a brief survey of denominational history, and a quick reference guide.

Know your Denominations
Frank Mead's "Handbook of Denominations" is indispensable for those exploring the differences between various churches. One can learn that Seventh-Day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses have common historical roots, while the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) have many offshoots that exist to this day. One can learn about the differences between the various branches of the Church of God,while Baptists are shown to be a diverse group. It's an excellent reference.

"Handbook of Denominations" is comprehensive in its explanations of the various mainline Protestant denominations. It's incredibly useful for those exploring religion.

It has a few weaknesses. The discussions of Buddhism&Eastern spirituality are quite shallow. Shambhala Buddhism, which has an extensive following,is barely mentioned.Non-denominational churches,a growing movement over the past decade,gets a cameo. A Handbook of Denominations serves a paradoxical purpose in a post-denominational age. "Handbook of Denominations" is a wonderful book;it would be excellent if Mead&Hill summed up the growing&influential non-denominational movement.

Definitely glad I bought this.
This is just about the best book of its kind that I have found.I have bought several books in the past and not been very happy with them.The history of each denomination is covered thoroughly.In general, the beliefs of each denomination is covered, but I wish they had included another 1 or 2 paragraphs on the beliefs and practices of each denomination.The only book that MIGHT be better than this is the Encyclopedia of American Religions.

I was also wondering why Hinduism was not covered in this book. ... Read more

Product Description
From Nero’s burning of Rome to the twentieth-century charismatic renewal, this book highlights in journalistic style Christian history’s most significant events. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Too much info in short articles, hard to follow.
I'm not a big fan of this book, it's very hard to follow. I think this is due to two reasons:

1. They jam so much info into such a short article. They try to sum up an important event in just a page or two, so they don't give a lot of background on any of it.

2. It's written by three different authors. I've noticed some of the articles are easier to follow than others. I can only guess it is related to their differing writing styles.

If you are assigned to read this for school then I guess you'll have to. But if you're thinking about reading it just for your own information, there are probably better resources out there.

excellent starter's book
This book is an excellent for a starter. It offers widely inclusive unbiased history facts in 100 well-written stories of 2 or 3 pages. Each story is not related to other stories and can be read separately. The read can have an impression of the 100 most important aspects of the christiananity thanks to the unbiased selection, which many pastors are not willing or unable to give.

This book is only for starters because it is not a systematic treatment of the christion history, i.e. the dots are not connected by lines and the background is not fully dispicted.

2000 years of cliff notes
The author begins by telling his readers that the 100 events chosen are not intended to demean other events that are not included.

This book does a fantastic job of condensing the major events of 2000 years into 200 pages.If you are looking for a "crash course" in church history, this is the one.It reminds me of 2000 years of cliff notes in one volume.Each event is given around two pages of information, which is just enough to wet your appetite to dig deeper.This is a good intro and I would recommend reading it in tandem with Church History In Plain Language or A Global History of Christians.

Marvelous
Marvelous how we can help to preserve our American
heritage at home, thru' books such as these. Most
schools don't have enouph about our American heritage
rooted in His Gospel of Christ Jesus; & books about
our founding fathers & mothers are seriously lacking
in how they prayed & preserved & based our early
schools on the Bible & with Hymns. Please get more
books about our founding parents. You can contact:
http://wallbuilders.com for the right heritage info's.

Chrisitan history in 204 pages!
Granted, how do you pack approximately 1,970 years into two pages.There is a survey portion of information available about each of the 100 events, much as you might only recieve 1 page about Charles DeGaul in a World History textbook.

However, this book is a great jumping off point for someone who would like to study Christian history more in depth.Through the process of reading this book, you can discover people and events that particularly interest you and search deeper into those topics, rather than haphazardly grabbing a 20 volume set of Christian History and flipping.

Also, I enjoyed this book because it did not limit itself to the 100 most important PEOPLE.I enjoyed reading about the printing press, and the Spanish Inquisition, as well as Charles Spurgeon and Hudson Taylor.

*****Final Thoughts*****
This book is a great introduction to Christian history that will allow you to find events and people you want to study more in-depth.It is a great springboard for study. ... Read more

Product Description
In this book, Adam Hamilton presents a welcoming, inspiring vision of eight Christian denominations and faith traditions. Comparing the Christian family to our own extended families, he contends that each denomination has a unique, valuable perspective to offer on the Christian faith.

The traditions he examines are Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Lutheranism, Presbyterianism, Anglicanism, Baptists, Pentecostalism, and Methodism. For each group, Hamilton gives a brief history, outlines major beliefs, and describes some things we can learn from that tradition to strengthen our own Christian faith. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Perfect service!
The book arrived exactly on time and in new condition.Couldn't ask for anything more!

Finding your place in "The Family Reunion"
In my spiritual pilgrimage, I've journeyed with believers in many different denominations.I've enjoyed my Orthodox and Catholic friends' emphasis on history, God's transcendence, mystery, and the role of saints and martyrs.I've enjoyed my Lutheran friends' emphasis on grace, Scripture-only, and priesthood-of-all-believers.I've enjoyed my Presbyterian friends' emphasis on God before human experience, sin, systematic theology, and reason.I've enjoyed my Episcopalian friends' emphasis on prayer, tradition, and (in some cases) fellowship-before-doctrine.I've enjoyed my Baptist friends' emphasis on evangelism and assurance of salvation, the Bible, and personal holiness.I've enjoyed my Pentecostal/charismatic friends' emphasis on the Holy Spirit, miracles and spiritual gifts, and the Second Coming.I grew up United Methodist which at times felt like a "grab-bag" or "crazy-quilt," even "lowest-common-denominator."I really appreciated the author's description of the United Methodist Church as "people of the extreme center."That takes effort and is not a "default" position.
With more and more tension between liberal vs. conservative, evangelism vs. social outreach, individual vs. corporate faith/identity/purpose, etc., I came away with a renewed respect for the believers who've chosen to stay with the mainline churches, most of which have been experiencing decline.This book could also be a "user-friendly" resource for individuals who are seeking a (new) church family, as well as for the many who (like me) have felt disconnected or disillusioned, but aren't quite ready to throw out the baby with the dirty bath water.

Christianity's Family Tree
This book is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to better understand Christian beliefs and why they vary.I am impressed that the book is written in a positive manner.The author, Adam Hamilton, stresses the effective beliefs and customs of eight Christian denominations that will strenghten us and allow us to know and grow closer to God.

Celebrating the Family Tree
I just led a church study group based on this book and its related video series.Adam Hamilton presents the major denominational families respectfully and with insight.He gets at the theological core of each tradition and relates it to his own United Methodism (also the tradition of our group).Each description is enriched by an interview with a representative of that tradition.

This is a great study for those who would like to get beyond "all churches are basically the same," as well as the common, often negative stereotypes people hold.While it is especially useful in a United Methodist context, I believe it would work well in other churches of the Wesleyan tradition and beyond.

Those who enjoy this book would also appreciate Hamilton's study of Christianity and World Religions, which follows a similar format.

Christianity's Family Tree
Written in an accessible sytle, Hamilton provides a general history and overview of eight mainline Christian denominations: Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Anglican/Episcopalian, Baptist,Pentecostal and United Methodist. With each he provides a short (3-4 page) discussion into the beliefs and practices of that denomination and a model diagram of how that denomination might see itself in Christianity's history. Each chapter has footnotes and there is a bibiography at the end for more indepth reading into each denomination. He does not consider one denomination superior to another--rather that each is "nourished by the same sap, connected to the same trunk, anchored by the same roots."Recommended as a beginning overview of the plethora of Christian denominations. ... Read more

Product Description
The purpose of this book is to bring within a single volume a representative selection of extracts from the writings of the Early Christian fathers, covering the main areas of Christian thought. The extracts, for the most part newly translated by the editors, are arranged by topic under the following headings: God, Trinity, Christ, Holy Spirit, Sin and Grace, Tradition and Scripture, Church, Sacraments, Christian Living, Church and Society, and Final Goal. Care has been taken to reflect the full range ofwriting on these themes - exposition and commentary, homily, epistle and polemic - and the extracts are of sufficient length to show the distinctive flavour of each individual writer. Annotation has been kept to a minimum, but each main section has a short introduction which places the extracts in their particular context within the development of Christian thought. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Saving grace
This book is currently the saving grace of my college theology course. The majority of theology that we read today is either based on whim, or on the church fathers. The best stuff is based on the church fathers, and therefore it makes sense to read what they wrote as well as having it explained by others. There is a great selection and you'll probably find yourself understanding a great deal more when you have finished! ... Read more

Product Description
Many reasons can be given for the rise of Christianity in late antiquity and its flourishing in the medieval world. In asking how Christianity succeeded in becoming the dominant ideology in the unpromising circumstances of the Roman Empire, Averil Cameron turns to the development of Christian discourse over the first to sixth centuries A.D., investigating the discourse's essential characteristics, its effects on existing forms of communication, and its eventual preeminence. Scholars of late antiquity and general readers interested in this crucial historical period will be intrigued by her exploration of these influential changes in modes of communication.
The emphasis that Christians placed on language--writing, talking, and preaching--made possible the formation of a powerful and indeed a totalizing discourse, argues the author. Christian discourse was sufficiently flexible to be used as a public and political instrument, yet at the same time to be used to express private feelings and emotion. Embracing the two opposing poles of logic and mystery, it contributed powerfully to the gradual acceptance of Christianity and the faith's transformation from the enthusiasm of a small sect to an institutionalized world religion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A thought-provoking masterpiece...
At the time Averil Cameron's "Christianity and the Rhetoric of Empire" came into the academic world the study of rhetoric as a historical method was still in its infancy. Much of the type of work done in ancient history ever since has changed in part due to the power of the ideas found in Cameron's insightful lectures.

Any student of classical history and Christianity has to face, sooner or later, one of the greatest riddles of all history: how did an eastern, small, and by all accounts marginal religion was capable not only of surviving, but ultimately of succeeding were other alternatives (and there were many) inexorably failed?

Ancient Christian historians such as Eusebius had no problem to attribute the victory to God, leaving little doubt that every event was carefully coordinated and supervised by the Divine being. But what Eusebius et al did not considered, or rather were unmoved to consider, was how much of the triumph of Christianity had to do with the way it created its own language, or, to borrow from Cameron's terminology, its own "discourse." Christianity is a faith with a message, and, if there is one thing that Christians are suposse to do well, that would be to express that message in a way that would be intelligible to all.

The paradox, which Cameron continously mentions, resides in that, for all its universalist and inclusivist features, Christianity could not coexist without critiquing, and ultimately defeating, other types of discourses. The God of the Christians is not one god, nor even the first god, among many; He is the only God or he is no god at all. How can a religion that has such a exclusivist belief at its heart was able to "conquer" such a pluralistic culture as the Roman Empire remains one of the most fascinating topics any historian could possible choose to study; and among those who do, Cameron's work remains a must read.

Christian rhetoric as a tool of fashioning catholic empire
This is literally a seminal book. For me Cameron provides a meditation on questions and issues that have been haunting me for years regarding the use of language (written and visual) in the formation of a religion that began assmall dissident sects and, over the course of three to four centuries achieved imperial recognition and status. This is not a book for tyros, but is most profitably read by students familiar with the sources and the sitz im leben. The speed reader will miss the challenge of confronting his or her own questions with the evidence presented. For example, the author devotes considerable space to the rhetoric of virginity and asceticism. This stimulated me to ask, "Is this language of purity an indictment of a church has been compromisedby Roman imperial culture and ethics? Is this insistence on purity an admission of the church's sin of rejecting the meek Jesus of the past in favor of the powerful Kurios of the present? This rejection formally took place when Nicaea declared Christ to be god, a god incarnated in imperial imagery. Cameron indicates that a theological paradigmatic shift took place in the fourth through the fifth centuries. There is a tremendous difference between the tentative use of christian symbols by Ignatius of Antioch and the self assured proclamations of Gregory of Nyssa. The roots of modern christian theology are planted in the fourth through the fifth centuries. Cameron demonstrates that the christian rhetoric of that period provided the familiar themes of Greco Roman culture, but transfused with christian themes. This hybrid not only appealed to all social classes, unlike classical rhetoric, but carried within it the tensions that surfaced during the Iconoclast debate, the debate which resulted in the victory of the masses over the elite. Cameron's style of writing is to present complicated thoughts in lengthy sentences. However, if one hangs in, accepts the evidence presented, and applies it to his own analysis, she will be appreciated as taking the critique of classical rhetoric beyond mere stylistic criticism to its function in the creation of history. ... Read more

Product Description
What happened on this date in church history? From ancient Rome to the twenty-first century, from peasants to presidents, from missionaries to martyrs, this book shows how God does extraordinary things through ordinary people every day of the year. Each story appears on the day and month that it occurred and includes questions for reflection and a related Scripture verse. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (50)

Excellent and Fascinating information for meditations
Starting out each day with this historical glimpse into the real life of a person who had serious life-changing experiences of God, was moving and enriching throughout my own prayer time.It is marvelous to experience such various ways of God moving in individuals lives that impacted so many.Wonderful reading.

The One Year Christian History
This is a wonderful gift to give your pastor for "Pastor's Appreciation Month."Most pastors like to incorporate factual stories into their sermons, and there are loads of interesting true stories in this book.They are about the brave and courageous men and women who persevered down through the ages, making it possible for us to really appreciate the Holy Bible and the hymns we sing.I have learned so much!It is outstanding for teachers as well as those of us who just want to learn more about our history as Christians.It has made me so much more grateful for the sacrifices made.

Simply Awe Inspiring
I wake up salivating to read each days inspiring stories of the simple to the great.This challenges me each day to suck it up and live the life I'm called to!

Perfect
Super friendly, excellent quality product, lightning quick shipping, an all around great online shopping experience.

The One Year Christian History
This little book was such a smart idea for these authors to put together for us. I hope they read this review because I want to thank them for it, and hope they will create another and then another. I am stimulated, learning, and inspired all at the same time.This devotional is a treasure and such a perfect gift. I bought it a few years ago and still enjoy and think on what I learned from it. ... Read more

Product Description
In vivid and warm evangelical style, Dr. Hurlbut tells the story of the mightiest institution the human race has ever known. He traces the six general periods of church history from A.D. 30 to the present day. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The Story of the Christian Church
The book was recommended by my Church.The shipping took a very long time.Several weeks.The book was in the same shape as was advertised.I am sure that I will use the book for years to come.

Very readable and informative
We use The Story of the Christian Church as a textbook in our Bible College.It is very readable and explanatory.A concise history that covers the necessary topics.

Pastor Howard Cameron author of:

The Eternal Purpose of God: The Why of Who You Are

A RIP OFF!
I purchased this book used from a seller LetiC2000 and it was missing 3 chapters!I had too make copies from a book from another classmate. That's the only review i have:(

Great book
Very helpful when putting together a message or writing a paper.Gives very good info on denominatioanl forming.

Biased, weak and with little use, but concise
I read this book here in Brazil.I'm an agronomist and I like to read books.
This book has an obvious anti-catholic bias.About the popes who were murdered by their catholic faith, there's nothing.The enormous failures of famous protestants such as Luther (anti-semithism and racism), Henry VIII (madness, womanizer, etc.), etc. have no place on this book.Even about the founder of pentecostalism , the pastor Charles Fox Parham who was an eugenicist, pedophile, gay and racist, there's no place in this book.
The anti-catholic bias is obvious.No defects are showed, among famous protestant founders.In fact, 100% of great protestants had enormous defects.
The best chapter of this book is about Islam.Showing Islam as a result of a weak easter christianity,in a chapter.
This book has some very little utility. ... Read more

Product Description
This book, which includes a new preface by the author, offers an engrossing portrayal of the early years of the Christian movement from the perspective of the Romans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

Perhaps the Pagans were right...
Robert L. Wilken, The Christians as the Romans Saw Them. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1984. Hardback, 214 pages. ISBN 0300030665

Wilken's is a fascinating and exceptionally well-written book that does two things for us:

In the first place it shows us that, far from being the licentious and degenerate lot they are often portrayed as, the Romans were in fact asophisticated, highly civilized and truly pious people who had a real religion they were intensely proud of, a religion that gave structure to their society and meaning to their lives. We also learn that the Romans were eminently reasonable in their attempts to understand and control a force that, by spurning their religion, was beginning to undermine the foundations of their society and Empire.

In the second place Wilken is able to show that the arguments of the Empire's main critics of Christianity - men such as Galen, Porphyry, and the Emperor Julian - were so incisive, accurate, well-founded and powerful that the finest Christian intellects were powerless to answer them; they therefore did the next best thing by later searching out all copies of their critics' writings and burning them. Even today these objections remain unanswerable, a fact which strongly suggests that the Pagans were right to condemn Christianity.

For a devastating modern deconstruction of the Faith-based Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition see John Lash Not in His Image: Gnostic Vision, Sacred Ecology, and the Future of Belief

Outstanding!
This book is an amazing overview of the pagan intellectual response to the new Christian sect it found itself challenged with.

It is an amazing story. At first, Christians were a small fringe that could be ignored, but their faith presented a real challenge to pagan society. Jesus made exclusive claims: "I am the way the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father but through Me." He couldn't be placed into a panthenon of pagan gods, He was the one and true God made flesh.

As Christianity rose in importance, so to did the level of those critiquing the new system. Many rightly perceived in Jesus a threat to the Roman system of the emperor god. One of the greatest pagan philosophers to challenge the Christian construct was Celsus. Sadly, his books were burned and destroyed when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman empire. Still, Origen in his book "Contra Celsus" was so fastidious about quoting Celsus at length and taking his arguments into consideration that we can reconstruct Celsus' work very well.

The competence of the pagan philosophers is remarkable. They presented Christianity a tough challenge, and the Christian faith coalesces and takes on real meat during this period of polemic with paganism. So often people find polemic off-putting, but it is in the fires of serious debate that thought systems take on cogent shape. This is definitely true of early Christianity, which owes a lot of its philosophical consistency to Christian philosophers answering the charges of Pagan philosophers.

I love this book because the author is a serious scholar, and he is not interested in inserting his own views. In fact, unless I am mistaken, this book was written before Dr. Wilken's conversion to Catholicism. Rather, the book clearly and competently shares the views of the pagan critics of Christianity, and it is an enriching read as a result.

This book, along with The Spirit of Early Christian Thought: Seeking the Face of God are both HIGHLY recommended and scholarly works that will enable the reader to better understand Christianity, Paganism, and the evolution of Christian thought.

I learned much
I learned much from this book, not only about how the Romans saw the Christians, but also about their religion worked.

Title is misleading
This book dealt more with what the non-Romans (Greeks, Syrians) thought of the Christians than what the Romans thought.Pliny the Younger and Julian the Apostate are the only Romans in the book in detail.Detailed more in the book are Galen, Celsus, and Porphyry (who aren't Romans), the two former are Greek and the latter is Syrian.Decent read, flows well.

"a people apart"
From its inception, the Jesus movement that later became known as Christianity had a deeply ambivalent relationship with its surrounding culture. On the one hand, Luke wrote that the first believers "enjoyed the favor of all the people" (Acts 2:47). But that genial state of affairs was short-lived. When Paul stood before King Agrippa, the governor Festus interrupted Paul's defense and screamed, "You are out of your mind, Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane!" (Acts 26:24). It's fair to say that this deep ambivalence between Christ and culture has never been resolved even to our own day, and that, perhaps, it never should be.

Robert Louis Wilkin, professor of the History of Christianity at the University of Virginia, introduces the broad and deep antipathy that developed in the first five centuries toward the Christian movement, at least as that was expressed by the cultured elites. He presents the views of the pagan critics with both sympathy and understanding. In particular, he devotes one chapter each to the views of Pliny the Younger, the physician Galen, Celsus, the Neoplatonic philosopher Porphyry, and the Roman emperor Julian who was raised as a Christian but abandoned his faith to become a vociferous critic.

For about a hundred years the emergent Christian movement was invisible to most people in the Roman empire. But across the decades Christians earned a reputation as an alternate and anti-social community that existed on the margins of the state. They were fanatical, seditious, obstinate, and defiant. Tacitus called them "haters of mankind." They scorned long-held Roman religious traditions. Many of their adherents came from the lower classes and seemed gullible. They refused military service, and met for clandestine rites rumored to include cannibalism, ritual murder, and incest. All of which is to say, in the words of one critic, that the Christians "do not understand their civic duty." They actively undermined society with their indifference to civic affairs. As for their beliefs, Wilkin highlights a cluster of Christian doctrines that drew the ire of pagan critics--miracles, the reliability of the Bible, the historical particularity of revelation, creation of the world out of nothing, the primacy of faith over reason, and Christianity's relationship to Judaism.

In his short epilogue, Wilkin acknowledges that Christians responded to their critics: "There was a genuine dialogue, not simply an outpouring of abuse. The credit goes as much to the Christians as to the pagans." But credit also goes to the critics, for in their attacks they forced believers to clarify and develop their own intellectual tradition. Wilkin concludes with advice that is just as timely today as it was two millennia ago: "Christianity needed its critics and profited from them." ... Read more

Product Description
A source book of original writings including texts by Tertullian, Hermas, Ignatius, Justin, Polycarp, Irenaeus, Origen and Clement of Alexandria. The passages explore the fabric of 1st-century Christian life, society, worship, belief and practice. The selections range from apologies and confessions of faith to short sayings, parables and poetry. The extracts are supported by historical and contextual notes and statements from the first Christians' pagan contemporaries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Must Read
This is a must-read for any Christian questioning his/her faith or wanting to know more about the church "fathers."Great book for crossing lines of denominationalism.

"Wonderful Reference Tool for Early Christianity"
Eberhard Arnold's work on "The Early Christians," is an excellent source for understanding the beliefs and doctrines of the early christians in context of their own testimony and time.Arnold begins with a comprehensive introduction to shed light upon the social aspects of church society contrasted with its remarkable spread throughout the Pagan world.In other words, Arnold does a good job describing the initial steps of primative Christianity that would eventually leed to the well-structured and ecclesiastical institution that has prevailed to this very day.The testimonies recorded of these champions of faith, are composed with skill, and fit the criteria for which they were purposed in this work and in their time.Unfortunately, early christians didn't write that much, so we are indebted to work with what has existed from either oral tradition or scholarly manuscripts.There are no 'real' drawbacks to this work except the fact that the actual testimonies are few and emanate only from the scholarly retinue of the sencond century.Overall, this book gets four stars; the benefits range from quick reference to quotes(etc.), and to a broad spectrum of the personality and character of the early church itself.

Good compilation of early believers' writings
Eberhard Arnold begins with a brief history of the gradual institutionalizing of simple discipleship into ecclesiastical Christianity.His understood intent, througout the book, is to bring believers back tothe basic lifestyle of Christ that was so resplendent in the earlydisciples.Chapters on martyrs, description of early church life andworship, and the beliefs of the early Christians concerning prophecy,persecution, and the return of Jesus are especially beneficial. A MUST readfor anyone who wants to "walk as Jesus did" (1 Jn. 2:6) andfollow the examples of the early believers.I heartily recommend thisstirring and passionate treatment of "authentic discipleship" bydisciple Arnold.

Excellent resource & scholarship on the early church!
Eberhard Arnold's book is one of the most profound that I have read onearly church history. In his attempt to recreate a communal society whichwas as close to that of the early church as possible (the Bruderhof inGermany and, later, the Hutterites in England), Arnold researched all theearly sources which he could find, whether written by Jews, Christians,Romans, or others from the ancient world. His massive volume containseverything he found in his attempt to get to the spirit of that earlycommunity. He quotes from Tertullian, Justin, Cicero, Ignatius, Jerome,Theophilus of Antioch, Polycarp, and others. He does not draw conclusionsbut lets those to his readers to ascertain from the evidence of earlybelievers.

The book is heavy laden with hundreds, perhaps thousands, oftranslated selections from the original Greek, Hebrew, and Latin. It is arare edition which enlightens at every turn and, in some ways, reminds oneof all the evidence on both sides of the fence which emerge in courtproceedings. One reads the martyrdoms of many an early Christian andwonders whence their courage emerged. Much information abounds on earlycatecomb worship practices in Rome. The book is a marvel, and I can'trecommend it highly enough.

Jeanne Smith McPherson, KS.

Excellent resource & scholarship on the early church!
Eberhard Arnold's book is one of the most profound that I have read onearly church history. In his attempt to recreate a communal society whichwas as close to that of the early church as possible (the Bruderhof inGermany and, later, the Hutterites in England), Arnold researched all theearly sources which he could find, whether written by Jews, Christians,Romans, or others from the ancient world. His massive volume containseverything he found in his attempt to get to the spirit of that earlycommunity. He quotes from Tertullian, Justin, Cicero, Ignatius, Jerome,Theophilus of Antioch, Polycarp, and others. He does not draw conclusionsbut lets those to his readers to ascertain from the evidence of earlybelievers.

The book is heavy laden with hundreds, perhaps thousands, oftranslated selections from the original Greek, Hebrew, and Latin. It is arare edition which enlightens at every turn and, in some ways, reminds oneof all the evidence on both sides of the fence which emerge in courtproceedings. One reads the martyrdoms of many an early Christian andwonders whence their courage emerged. Much information abounds on earlycatecomb worship practices in Rome. The book is a marvel, and I can'trecommend it highly enough.

Jeanne Smith McPherson, KS. ... Read more

Product Description
A noted law school professor reflects on the spiritual vacuum at the heart of the legal profession and suggests ways of reintegrating that profession with the deepest aspirations of its members. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Breaking Free from the "Lawyer as Hired Gun" Mindset
Allegretti's classic work presents an inspiring and intellectually solid alternative career paradigm for Christians who find themselves practicing law (or lawyers who find themselves seeking to practice Christianity). He faces the tough questions head on: Is it really possible for a faithful Christian to be an effective lawyer? Must Christian lawyers overlook their own moral values and practice law in the same way as everyone else? Is the culturally dominant "lawyer as hired gun" mindset really the only legitimate approach? Readers will be challenged in their assumptions about what it means to be a lawyer, and encouraged in their efforts to integrate faith and legal practice. As an actively practicing Christian attorney and author (The Believer's Guide to Legal Issues), I found The Lawyer's Calling to be a serious, inspiring and thought-provoking book.

A book for all seaons...
The Lawyer's Calling is a thoughtful meditation on the intersection--and the tension--between Christian faith and professional practice. It has value beyond the legal profession--any professional will recognize the tensions Allegretti explores in this brief, readable volume. If you struggle with the connection--or lack of connection--between what you do on Sunday and what you do the rest of the week, this little book will help you. Allegretti is a conversational and very readable writer. Highly recommended.

Good practical analysis
The author offers a succinct, practical and easily understood analysis of how one can be a Christian, ethical lawyer.It is a great resource for Christian law students who may be challenged as to whether to pursue a career in the law. ... Read more

Product Description
Includes 30 photos and index. Almost without exception, the histories of the Church available in print are, in fact, histories of Western Christianity, with only brief and superficial mentions of the East. This volume - the second in a planned series of six - attempts to achieve a more balanced approach. Filling the needs of students, but also of a wider readership, it describes the expansion of Christianity in the East and the West in the fifth, sixth, and seventh centuries - from Ireland and the Indian Ocean and from Germany to Nubia. It exposes the tensions which arose between the inevitable cultural pluralism and the needs of Church unity - an issue which stands at the center of modern ecclesiological concerns. It discusses the debates on the identity of Christ, formally solved by the decrees of the great ecumenical councils, but which left Christendom divided. It defines the problems raised by the arbitrariness of Eastern Roman emperors and by the gradual development of Roman primacy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Imperial Unity and Christian Divisions
The late John Meyendorff wrote perhaps the best general history of late Christian antiquity in "Imperial Unity and Christian Divisions." Reading it will help readers to understand the present Christian world, and dispel the myth that the Christian church was a unified institution, or that the union of church and state was solely the work of Constantine.

The title of the book implies Meyendorff's themes quite well. He talks about imperial unity and Christian divisions. The imperial unity he explores is the idea, present in Christian thought at least since the 2nd century, that the Roman empire had a providential role in the spread of Christianity. "Jesus was born during the reign of Augustus, the one who reduced to uniformity, so to speak, the many kingdoms on earth so that he had a single empire. It would have hindered Jesus' teaching from being spread through the whole world if there had been many kingdoms...everyone would have been compelled to fight in defense of their own country."(Origen- Contra Celsum) In other words, before Constantine's conversion, the emperor was regarded as the providential manager of earthly affairs. After Constantine's conversion, the Roman emperor was looked on as bringing the kingdom of God about. The bishops were then granted imperial posts, and the church in general started to develop a structure mirroring that of the imperial government. The church in general was granted privileged status until Theodosius banned Pagan cults; Justinian stamped out the last vestiges of Paganism in the Roman empire.

The Christian divisions were many. Meyendorff explores the many doctrinal disputes that took place in late antiquity, and in particular those of Eastern Christendom, an area that until his work had largely been neglected in church histories written in English. The sects included arians, monophysites, monothelites, apolloninarian, etc. He details these groups as well as the numerous schisms that took place. The divisiveness was particularly striking in the "three chapters" controversy. Justinian, in order to heal the schism with the monophysites and unite the empire, asked Pope Vigilius to condemn the works of 3 theologians. When he did so, virtually the entire west protested; the North African church excommunicated him, and even the Roman deacons refused to concelebrate with him. So Vigilius retracted his condemnation, and Justinian convoked the Second Council of Constantinople, which excommunicated Vigilius, who then changed his mind again. Justinian then repressed dissent against the council by force, and Constantinople II was not widely recognized as a council in the west until the Middle Ages. Two lessons can be learned from this: many sects claimed to represent true Christology, and no one had the foggiest idea of who was right and who was wrong; the only way that the unity of the empire could be maintained was through the emperor's force.

Another interesting aspect of this book is the history of the development of the papacy. Briefly, the papacy in late antiquity was not what the Vatican (and modern Catholic apologists like Steve Ray) says it was. The popes did not exercise any kind of jurisdiction outside of the Italian suburban dioceses, and even then it was largely to confirm episcopal elections. The turning point was in the 7th and 8th centuries, which in addition to the Islamic invasions in the middle east, saw the iconoclastic controversy in the Byzantine empire and the Lombard invasion of Italy. The Byzantine empire, its hands full with the iconoclast controversy, refused to help Rome against the Lombards. The Pope looked for a new protector, and found one in Charlemagne. "He was now called to save the See of Peter abandoned by its legitimate protectors in Constantinople. But in doing so, he also gradually assumed the imperial legacy itself, in opposition to Byzantium, with the pope becoming a crucial factor in this new version of Romanitas. None of the main actors of this fundamental change of political geography realized the future consequence for the fate of Christendom: the religious and cultural polarization between East and West." (p. 327)

Things you never knew...
Fr. John Meyendorff, professor of church history and patristics, has produced in Imperial Unity and Christian Divisions, the second volume in a series on church history published by the Seminary Press of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, a unique and sweeping view of the early development of the Christian church, which gives insight into the nature of later Christendom, as well as new perspectives on why our history of Christendom came to be so Western-Euro-centric, despite the fact that much of early Christendom was independent of (and in some ways opposed to) the western/Nicea/Romish orthodoxy that has dominated the church historically, politically, and theologically for the past thousand years.

Of course, early Christianity grew up in the Mediterranean basin, based on missionary activity out of Palestine through the Roman imperial world largely via trade routes. This part of history is well known, and it is no surprise to us -- the history of Christian development from Jerusalem to Rome to the rest of Western Europe is the best-documented and most-often-repeated form of history. And, as Rome was the centre of the 'civilised world' at the time of the New Testamentary developments, this makes sense from a political point of view. However, while people were heading toward Rome and other points west, there were simultaneous missionary and expeditionary activities to the north, east, and south.

Meyendorff recounts the early and continuing development of the church in Africa, Asia, and non-Roman Europe in addition to the developments within the Roman Empire. Additionally, Meyendorff recounts in great detail the lesser-studied divisions within the Roman Empire, the struggles for dominance between senior sees (Rome struggling for dominance; Constantinople arising as a power when the political centre of gravity shifts to the East; Alexandria striving to maintain at least second priority worldwide and unhappy at being relegated minority status). The impact of geography, the dissemination of theology, hymnody, and scripture along trade routes, the development of independent structures of the church outside the Roman/Byzantine Empires -- these are parts of the grand diversity of Christian history which is often neglected by both Catholic and Protestant historians, who, due to language barriers (few scholars read Syriac, Coptic, etc., today, languages required for careful study and understanding of these other Christian branches; even fewer scholars knew these prior to the last few generations of researchers), the unavailability of texts, and simple cultural and geographical ignorance, were unaware of the foundation and continuation of Christian communities beyond the Roman imperial borders. Also, in the intellectual prejudice against the East, all non-Roman Catholic or Protestant groups in Africa, Asia, and Northern Europe were lumped together as 'Orthodox' or 'Eastern Orthodox', as if this were one uniform, monolithic group for whom this description would be adequate.

This is a part of history that is of vital importance for study today, as it helps clarify the issues that were at the heart of so many things taken for granted today, but which beg further study and understanding. Early creedal understanding cannot be gained unless the controversies, many of them Eastern in origin (both intellectually and geographically), are understood in the context in which they arose, and not simply in the polemical exposition laid out by the more-victorious Western scholars. Canonical development likewise cannot be understood without an examination of the world in which the canon was formed, and without an understanding of what was left out of the canon. (I would argue, as I did in a previous review, that what was left out of the canon is important to study to help put the canonical scriptures in greater perspective.)

Meyendorff writes with care toward developing a comprehensive view of the church universal. Despite claims to universality given by creeds of Western churches, or mandates and charges given to particular sees or scriptures, there is in fact no universality of Christianity without the inclusion of the study of these divers and unique forms of Christian worship and belief. In conjunction with Meyendorff's other writings, a broader view of the church can be gained than is generally available in most popular or scholarly texts on church history.

This is a fairly dense text. For long stretches of the narrative, new characters are introduced with each paragraph, and the narrative flow can become confusing without keeping the various missionaries, bishops, church-planters, emperors and kings straight. Likewise, the geography becomes very confusing, as the text introduces lands and polities generally unfamiliar to Western readers, and Meyendorff strives to maintain historically-contemporary consistency, which means, if a kingdom comes to have a new name during a new period, Meyendorff will then use the new name, but not always with a reference back to the old kingdom, etc.

Plan to read this book twice for true understanding, but much can be gained from one reading, too.

Roman Imperial government and the church
The late Father John Meyendorff was a deeply knowledgeable historian of Christianity, who, unlike most of his peers was Orthodox, but also of the west. Church history has lost a major scholar and writer.
The material in this volume covers a period during which the Roman government at Constantinople sought to unify the church. Unfortunately, many regions (Egypt and Syria, as well as those areas which had never been part of the empire) were hostile to theological developments championed by by the government and to the position - second in the pentarchy of patriarchs, after the pope - that the councils decreed belonged to the Patriarch of Constantinople. This estrangement was a major factor in the spread of Islam.
There is also an excellent summary of Christianity in areas that had never been in the empire. (Persian, Caucassian, Armenian, etc.)
It is very unfortunate that volumes 2 and 4 are the only ones to appear of a projected six volume history.
I have been informed that a new editor has been hired and the first part of volume one is to be out in Fall, 2007, with the rest to follow (date not set).Also volumes two (this one) and four The Christian East and the Rise of the Papacy: The Church 1071-1453 A.D (Church History, Vol 4) are scheduled to be reprinted in Winter, 2007.

The period of ecumenical counclis
The late Father John Meyendorff was a deeply knowledgeable historian of Christianity, who, unlike most of his peers was Orthodox, but also of the west. Church history has lost a major scholar and writer.
The material in this volume covers a period during which the Roman government at Constantinople sought to unify the church.Unfortunately, many regions (Egypt and Syria, as well as those areas which had never been part of the empire) were hostile to theological developments championed by by the government and to the position - second in the pentarchy of patriarchs, after the pope - that the councils decreed.This estrangement was a major factor in the spread of Islam.
There is also an excellent summary of Christianity in areas that had never been in the empire. (Persian, Caucasian, Armenian, etc.)
This is volume 2 of a series of 6.Volume 1, part 1 Formation And Struggles: The Church Ad 33-450: the Birth of the Church Ad 33-200 (The Church in History) and volume 3, Greek East And Latin West: The Church AD 681-1071 (The Church in History) appeared in late 2007.Volume 4 The Christian East and the Rise of the Papacy: The Church 1071-1453 A.D (Church History, Vol 4) appeared earlier.Volumes 5 and 6 are yet to appear.

Christian division survived the vanished Empire


History of Church Dogma
To write a record of these schismatic and tiring years of the Church, when thousands of Egyptians and Syrians paid their life in defense of their miaphysite belief of the hypostatic union of Christ's incarnate nature, the ecclesiastic history writer needs to master Christology. Fr. john, revised and published his other gem "Christ in Eastern Christian Thought", qualifies what he wrote about Christological developments during these centuries.

Setup of the empire and Churches
A systematic account of Church-state developments are narrated masterfully in chapters I,II,and III. In chapters IV you will enjoy understanding the cultural variety of the Greek east and its founding Churches, and their robust theological traditions. Chapter V will give you a glimpse of the Latin west.

Chalcedony and its aftermath
chapter VI recounts in a relatively unbiased tone this critical time of the Church and Empire.The age of Justinian is a pleasure even if of a sour epoch, the modus operandi of Justinian and his ingenuous wife Theodora left their imprint, not only in Ravenna's St. Vitale glorious mosaic, but in the memory of Christianity.
chapter VII explains how Constans II tried to establish Ravenna as the center of Imperial Christianity.

Byzantine Emperor and Pope Gregory
Here you will see the first pontiff Maximus, the Byzantine Emperor striving to keep unity of an empire, in disintegration by applying a "Standard Orthodox" faith from the Henoticon to the three chapters, condemning writings of long parted Church thiologians and Chrismatics and the great 'monophysite Orthodox' contra the diophysite orthodox.

New Vocabulary, Ancient personalities?
Yes, indeed, entertaining and confusing. What about monothelites and Monoenergism, and all the other monos, theopaschites, akoimetai, hesycasts, iconoclasm, and all the other ism's.
Can you distinguish Severus of Antioch from that of Asmonien? Or,all the Al's; Al-Harith, Al-Mundhir,and Al-Noman ;Arab kings who influenced the Christian East?

400 pages of ecclesiastics
This is the most honest concise Eastern Church record that is available at hand, since 'History of Eastern Christianity by the late eminent coptologist Aziz Atiya is out of print. For this critical period, in the life of the Empire and the Orthodox Church doctrine. Meyendorff historical mastery with enlightening analysis of the Holy Church of the East as Neil calls it, its Emperial politics to keep its unity throug an enforced Doctrinal belief. .

Jean Meyendorff
Fr. john, of blessed memory, a master of patristic and dogmatic theology is qualified to give us a skillful tour through the maze of these schismatic centuries. A fellow of the Guggenheim Memorial foundation, Fr. John had an opportunity to perfect his in depth study on the history of the Church during its critical years 450-680.
Dr. Jaroslav Pelikan wrote "There are very few scholars in the East or the West who would be in a position to undertake this assignment. And that is, of course, precisely what John Meyendorff is."

History of Eastern Christianity
The First Seven Ecumenical Councils (325-787): Their History and Theology (Theology and Life Series 21) ... Read more

Product Description
Includes photos and index. Almost without exception, the "histories of the Church" available in print are, in fact, histories of Christianity in the West. References to the East have been brief and superficial at best. This volume - the fourth in a planned series of six and the second to appear - attempts to achieve a more balanced approach. Intended not only for students but also for a wider readership, The Christian East and the Rise of the Papacy describes developments in the churches of East and West in the High Middle Ages. It examines major western movements, such as the revolutionary Reform Papacy, the crusades, scholasticism, and concilarism, and discusses their impact on the East. It explores the theological and spiritual currents spreading from Byzantium to the Orthodox Churches of the Balkans and Rus', which helped to maintain the identity and unity of the "Byzantine Commonwealth" even as the empire itself crumbled. It also presents the little-known story of the native Eastern Churches of Egypt, Ethiopia, Syria, Armenia, and Georgia. In the process, it exposes the many factors which contributed to Christian disunity in the Middle Ages and which made even attempts at reunion divisive. The volume therefore will challenge and stimulate not only church historians but also all who are concerned about issues of Christian unity today.Widely hailed for its fairness, objectivity, and sympathy, it too attempts to provide a comprehensive presentation of Christian history, from Ireland to the Indian Ocean, from Germany to Nubia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

An informed and informative work
During the middle ages the Christian church increased in political power and cultural authority. "The Christian East & The Rise of the Papacy: The Church AD 1071-1453" is the fourth volume of the acclaimed 'The Church in History' series, and covers such topics as the reformation of the papacy, the crusades, scholasticism and its impacts on the Eastern Orthodox church. Also exploring theological and spiritual trends that helped the Byzantine Commonwealth maintain its identity even as the empire itself crumbled. An informed and informative work, "The Christian East & The Rise of the Papacy: The Church AD 1071-1453" is very highly recommended to any Religious Studies shelf, as well as the non-specialist general interest reader who wishes to learn more about the history of the Christian Church.

The Turning Points
SVS Press has publishes another invaluable volume for the church historian in "The Christian East and the Rise of the Papacy" by Aresteides Papadakis, since it focuses on the much-neglected area of Byzantium. Papadakis' essential thesis is that the final split between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches did not come about in 1054, with the mutual anathemas, but in 1204, when crusaders sacked Constantinople. The factors that led to this were a stronger papal control over the church, and an imperialism during the crusades, wherein Eastern Christians were the victims more than Muslims were.

In the 11th century, the clergy were appointed by feudal lords in Western Europe, which resulted in all kinds of simony and corruption. "It was undoubtedly lay control of ecclesiastical structure that made possible the purchase or sale of virtually every clerical grade the general rule by the tenth century. Simony became in fact unavoidable once clerical offices began to be treated like secular appointments." (p. 23) Most priests were married, and the church property simply went to their children. Further, the papacy itself was a puppet of the German emperor. A reform movement emerged in response to these abuses, led by Peter Damian and Leo IX. First, they wanted to enforce mandatory celibacy to prevent church property to pass into the hands of the priests' children. Second, they wanted to make the papacy independent of secular political control by electing the popes through conclaves made of cardinals. The College of Cardinals, which survives to this day, was Peter Damian's idea. "Significantly, the belief frequently expressed by medieval authors that the college of cardinals was the pope's supreme advisory body and, as such, was an imitation of the ancient Roman senate, was first articulated by one of the most uncompromising of the early Gregorians, Peter Damian." (p. 35-36) Finally, they wanted to end lay investiture.

In the context of the newly-powerful papacy and a suspicion towards Islam, the crusades were launched. The ostensible purpose of the first crusade was to re-capture Jerusalem from the Muslims and help the Christians of the east. Unfortunately, this is not exactly what happened. The papacy wanted to bring the Eastern Christians under its control, evoking the Donation of Constantine and historically specious arguments. Many in the western church saw the easterners as traitors. After the first crusade, parallel Latin jurisdictions were set up in areas where there were no Latin Christians before. This continued through the crusades in the Middle East (to say nothing of the Northern Crusades). Papadakis does not neglect to note that the idea of violence in the Western church had deep roots. "The theoretical justification for just war or even holy war outlined above- expressed for the first time by Augustine- was to have a lasting influence on the ethic of warfare in Western Christendom...Later papal reformers, insofar as they viewed their opposition to feudal power as a struggle against heretics and schismatics, or even excommunicates, were to find in these ideas a number of useful weapons...The belief that the Church had the power to authorize violence against heretics was in fact expanded to include pagans, as pope Gregory I's encouragement of such activity for the purpose of evangelization in the sixth century illustrates. This principle of forcible conversion may have inspired Charlemagne's later campaigns against the pagan Saxons." (p. 80) Many on both sides, however, still thought that some form of reconciliation was possible.

With the sack of Constantinople in 1204, any hope for re-union was effectively destroyed along with the city. The purpose of Fourth Crusade was to conquer Muslim Jerusalem via an invasion of Egypt. Instead, the crusaders diverted to Constantinople and took the city. The sacking was brutal, even by medieval standards. It did not happen in a vacuum or in a fit of mob rage, however. The constant rhetoric that people were hearing in the west was that the Byzantines were heretics, schismatics, and traitors. "Such observations came to be viewed as Gospel truth by the end of the century. They had become so popular by then that the diversionary assault on Constantinople, when it finally did come, was accepted with little hesitation. The fatal attack was rationalized by everyone involved by the belief that the Byzantines were already heretics. For the fourth crusade apparently the schism had been in existence for some time." (p. 103) Although there were attempts at reconciliation after 1204, in the Councils of Lyons and Florence, they ultimately failed. In addition, though Constantinople was eventually returned to the Byzantine Empire, the sacking of the city so weakened the Empire that they were unable to withstand the Turkish assaults in the 15th century. "Conceivably, the systematic Ottoman occupation of Asia Minor and the Balkans would not have been so effortless had the empire been able to maintain its territorial unity and strength after the fourth crusade." (p. 410) Although the Christians in the Ottoman Empire were allowed to exist and practice their religion, theological/cultural development would come to a halt, and they would be cut off from communication with their Western brethren until the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Highly recommended for students of church history.

Schism between East and West
The period covered in this book is 1071-1453, the final "decline and fall of the Roman Empire".In 1071, both of the Byzantine Empire's deadliest enemies launched their initial attacks - the Turks at Manzikert and the Italian Normans in Greece.The Norman onslaught was intimately connected with the relationship between eastern and western Christianity and caused such a decline that the Empire could not resist the Turks.
In the West, the Saxon kings of Germany had demanded that the Pope restore Charlemagne's title as "Roman Emperor" and grant it to them. Consequently, these "Holy Roman Emperors" (the title actually originates later) interfered in the papacy in order to maintain their claim to be Roman Emperors, forcing their choice of German prelates on the church. Eventually the German Popes asserted themselves and claimed universal authority over all of Christianity and all Christians.They also established the rule that the Cardinal-Bishops, previously a less powerful set of advisers, would be the sole electors of successive popes.
In the middle of the eleventh century, a papal legation attempted to force the Patriarch of Constantinople to be subject to the Pope.The Eastern Church's position is that the Pope was one of five patriarchs, equal in power and independent, differing only in that the Pope was owed a higher degree of respect since his city was the founding city of the Roman Empire.Further, the government of the Church was instituted by the human race for human needs by the Church Councils and the Pope was not an infallible king.The legate (Cardinal Humbert) excommunicated the Patriarch and several other high officials.
This schism was not recognized as being irreparable at the time, but every attempt at reconciliation ran into Papal demands for submission.
Indeed, a friend of mine who is in the Roman Catholic clergy stated that the Catholic Church would welcome the Orthodox back into union and would only impose the "magisterium" of the Pope "lightly" - the very sticking point of the past millennium.
The Normans used these differences to arouse hatred toward the Empire during the course of the Crusades, eventually resulting in the diversion of the Fourth Crusade into the conquest of Constantinople, a catastrophe from with the Empire never fully recovered.The Fourth Crusade and the treatment of the Eastern Church by its western overlords solidified the schism.
The Crusades were devastating for not only the Orthodox, but also for the Copts (Egypt) and Nestorians (Syria, Persia and farther east) who had been quite numerous and had thrived under Muslim rule. The Crusades established the idea that Christians were the enemy of Islam and so these communities were subjected to severe persecution and were vastly reduced in size and influence.
The one permanent success of the Papacy in the East was the union with the Marionites of Lebanon, who are henceforth loyal Catholics.
The supposedly all powerful Papacy suffered itself from schism, first moving to Avignon, then splitting into two (Avignon and Rome) when the return to Rome was attempted and, finally three (Pisa, whose second and last Pope was John XXIII, whose Papacy was so controversial that the Catholic Church avoided this once popular Papal name for 500 years until a Pope decided to ignore him as an anti-pope and take the name and number for himself) before the split was finally healed. This split and the conciliar movement (Ecumenical Councils as a church "Parliament" to balance the Papal monarch), which was spawned then, were part of the background of the Reformation.Ironically, the theory of Papal absolutism resulted in, first, a separation from the non Latin Church and, second, in a substantial civil war and separation in the Latin Church itself.
The Eastern Church turned more metaphysical during this period.St. Gregory Palamas championed the idea that experience of the divine was possible for human beings.For an excellent discussion see The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church.
The West went in the opposite direction - Scholasticism, the idea that Theology could be derived from Axioms in the manner of geometry, prevailed.
In addition to the comprehensive coverage of the Greek and Latin Churches, there is fairly good coverage of the Slavic and Armenian Orthodox Churches.
The people at St. Vladimir's Press informed me that this book and Imperial Unity and Christian Divisions: The Church, 450-680 Ad (Church History ; 2) will be reprinted in the winter of 2007-8 and volume 1, part 1 of this series Formation And Struggles and volume 3 Greek East And Latin West: The Church AD 681-1071 (The Church in History) have appeared in the fall of 2007 with the rest of the series to follow.

Thorough treatment of the subject from Eastern perspective
Aristeides Papadakis' "The Christian East and the Rise of the Papacy" is a fantastic work that deals with the subject of the Roman papacy trying to assert itself and its authority over the whole of Christendom.

The book is exhaustive in detail and meticulously notated.It took me quite some time to read because of the complexities of the subject.However, it is one of the best church history books I've ever read and an absolutely essential read.It tells the story of church history from the Eastern perspective and shows why the Eastern Orthodox Church resisted (and continues to resist) the papal claims of universal authority.

The Eastern Orthodox Church has always been conciliar in nature and refutes the "infallibility" claims of the papacy.He draws on Nicholas Cabasilas' view about the idea of papal infallibity as being a flawed concept.He asserts that the College of Cardinals can't give to the pope that which they don't possess (infallibility) and draws on the eastern view that a group of bishops ordains a bishop and can only invest that person with authority that they themselves possess.

It is an idea that is discussed at length. The book also shows a lot of the internal workings within the Byzantine empire and the Slavic kingdoms and how they dealt individually as well as collectively with the papacy.A truly amazing book that should be read by anyone wanting to see the view of the papacy from an Eastern perspective.

Quick Review
A clear and well-written history of the major interaction of East and West at the height of the largest and most divisive split in the Church.

Excellently written.Provides a wealth of information on the eventssurrounding schism of the Papacy and the East. ... Read more

Product Description
Interest in the ways of the early church has never been more intense. What did early Christians believe about the divinity of Christ? What were the beliefs of those who sat at the feet of Jesus’ disciples? Now, for the first time, a unique dictionary has been developed to allow easy access to the ancient material and furnish ready answers to these questions and others like them. David W. Bercot has painstakingly combed the writings of these early church leaders and categorized the heart of their thinking into more than 700 theological, moral, and historical topics to create A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs. Wonderfully suited for devotional or thematic study as well as sermon illustration, this resource offers a window into the world of the early church and affords a special opportunity to examine topically the thoughts of students of the original apostles, as well as other great lights in the life of the early church.

• Collects relevant comments on key Christian concepts from prominent figures such as Origen, Clement of Alexandria, Clement of Rome, and Hippolytus.
• Includes key biblical verses associated with a given topic.
• Offers brief definitions of unfamiliar terms or concepts, allowing easy access to the ancient material.
• Provides a "Who's Who" of ante-Nicene Christianity to put in context the ancient Christian writers.
• Discusses more than 700 key theological, moral, and historical topics.
• Gives strategic cross-reverences to related topics.
• Functions as a topical index to the writings of the Ante-Nicene Fathers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Great Book!
This is a great book for every serious Christian. We need to see how the early Christians applied the teachings of Jesus and the apostles.

An absolute essential
If you have any interest in early Christianity or the growth of dogma,
you simply must own this book. It covers everything from "Abandonment of infants" to "the origin of writing".

The breadth of this book is amazing.The divinity of Christ as viewed through scripture and the church fathers? Covered in fine detail. What makes it especially handy is that all the quotations are in chronological order, so you can check quickly on how doctrines grew or were refined.

This is one book that is a must have.

A Worthy Companion Volume
I purchased this book simultaneously with "The Anti-Nicene Fathers" set.To me, it is a worthy companion volume to the 10-volume set and successfully achieves its author's goal of serving as an index to "The Anti-Nicene Fathers".My recommendation?Buy it and use it.

Your servant in Yahushua, Yahuweh's only begotten Son,

Richard

Wonderful!
This dictionary is a great resource that every Christian and Christian minister should have in their library as a reference.Through this dictionary the reader will find out EXACTLY what the Early Church Fathers believed on just about every subject possible.From free will, to conditional security, to baptism, to predestination, etc.Lots of good information!It definitely shows that NONE of the Early Church Fathers believed in ANY of the 5 points of modern-day Calvinism.

Great Overview of Ancient Christian Beliefs
This book was a fine addition to my library!

I believe that any student of Christianity should give serious attention to the beliefs and practices of the early Church, and this book gives one a brief but good introduction to those things.

It does not have a very good binding, and with use it will crack and break. Care should be used with this book or it will not hold up well.

It should be noted that this is an introduction, citing only brief references, and is not an exhaustive study of the Ante-Nicene Fathers. I have a set of the Writings of the Fathers, but often find this book to be a good starting place when I want to study a particular topic.

It would also be very easy to fall into the trap of "proof texting" with this book.The author warns against this in his preface.

With all this in mind, I highly recommend A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs to anyone who wants to discover and learn more about their Christian roots. ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free.This is an OCR edition with typos.Excerpt from book:40CHAPTER III.CHEISTIANITY AND ITS EVIDENCES.CHRISTIANITY.Christianity, to which Judseism was introductory, is the last and most entire dispensation of revealed religion with which God has favored the human race. It was instituted by Jesus Christ, the son of God, who made his appearance in Judea near two thousand years ago. He was born at Bethlehem, brought up at Nazareth, and crucified at Jerusalem. His lineage, birth, life, death, and suflfei- ings, were minutelv predicted by a succession of the Jew - ish prophets, and his religion is now spread over a considerable portion of the globe.The evidences of the Christian religion are comprised under historical testimony, prophecies, miracles, the internal evidence of its doctrines and precepts, and the rapidity of its first propagation among the Jews and the Gentiles. Though thinking Christians have in every age differed widely respecting some of the doctrines of this religion, yet they are fully agreed in a belief in the divinity of its origin, and the benevolence of its tendency.The believers in this religion, who had been denominated by the Jews, Nazarines or Galileans, and, by one another, disciples, brethren or saints, were first called Christians'at Antioch, A.D. 43. Upon this, Doddridge remarks: '. With pleasure let us reflect upon this honorable name, which the disciples of Jesus wore at Antioch ; and would to God, no other, no dividing name, had ever prevailed among them! As for such distinguishing titles, though they were taken from Apollos or Cephas, or Paul, let us endeavor to exclude them out of the Church as fast as we can, and while they continue in it let us take care that they do not make us forget our most ancient and most glorious title ! Let us take heed that we do not so rememher our diffe... ... Read more

Product Description
Paul's letters to the Galatians, Ephesians and Philippians have struck an indelible impression on Christian tradition and piety. The doctrines of Christ, of salvation and of the church all owe their profiles to these letters. And for patristic interpreters, who read Scripture as a single book and were charged with an insatiable curiosity regarding the mysteries of the Godhead, these letters offered profound visions seldom captured by modern eyes. Trinitarian truth was patterned in the apostle's praise of God who is "over all, through all and in all" (Ephesians 4:6).Without a doubt, the greatest text in this collection of letters is the "Christ hymn" of Philippians 2:6-11. This commentary offers an unparalleled close-up view of the fathers weighing the words and phrases of this panoramic charting of the Savior's journey from preexistence, to incarnation, to crucifixion, to triumphant exaltation as universal Lord.This volume opens a treasury of resources for biblical study today. The expository voices of Jerome, Origen, Augustine, Chrysostom, Ambrosiaster, Theodoret, Marius Victorinus and Theodore of Mopsuestia speak again with eloquence and intellectual acumen, some in English translation for the first time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great tool for pastors and bible teachers
I have to differ from the other review on this book.I just finished preaching through Ephesians three months ago using this book. As a pastor who uses lots of commentaries and exegetes from the Greek text, I found the ease of using this tool very helpful.I can lay it open and compare what the ancients said about a phrase...and found many interesting thoughts that sometimes mirrored my own wonderings as I was wrestling with the Greek text.I've come to favor this as a tool that consistently gives me ideas that preach well...one just has to sometimes smooth out the verbage of the ancient commentators.

I'm almost done working through Philippians with this book...and it has stayed in my book bag for most of the last five months.The highest value I get from this book is usually a meditation on a phrase or word in scripture...from the perspective of an ancient Church leader...and that perspective sometimes opens up some of the most penetrating questions or statements I make in a sermon.For this point alone the book has proven to be a great resource.

It's really a meditation commentary more than a typical technical commentary.As you develop applications from your text exegesis this tool can be a fantastic tool.I'm hooked.

New Testament VOL. VIII
This collection of ancient "Christian" commentators is well done, it is on the NT books of GALATIANS, EPHESIANS and PHILIPPIANS. It is beautifully printed and formatted. The binding isa cheap glue injection, much of the volume does not lay open. Printed on acid-free paper, though not ANSI certified.

322 pages give the readings (comments) upon these 3 books by such notables as Chrysostom, Jerome, Ambrosisater, Hilary of Poitiers, Origen, Fulgentius, Theodoret, Augustine, et al. Most notable are comments by Marius Victorinus (which comments are not easy to examine elsewhere), his comments alone (even in translation) are worth the price of the book.

The text is nicely laid out, and is easy to use. But it is not for scholarly use (largely) as the comments are ALL translated into English, not in their original Greek or Latin. Too bad, if the original texts would have been added, then this would have been a 5 star book! As it is, one can only get a general idea of each commentators meanings -- being totally reliant upon the translations of the editors.

Such an ecumenical agenda, causes users to wonder why such and such a translation was made, certain Greek and Latin phrases were rendered in such a way as to be suspicious. Thus without the original texts, the work cannot be tested. Again too bad, as a collection in the original languages with English translation would have been very very useful.

Too general, too subdued. Pretty book though. ... Read more

Product Description
This history of the origins and development of Christian denominations is in layman's language. Readers will not become bogged down in technical or archaic terms. Begin by reading about the Christian groups, denominations, that developed in the time between Jesus' crucifixion and the formal origins of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. Learn how the Roman empire came to accept Christianity as its religion, of the cooperation and struggles between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches and how that led to their separation. Read about how the Black Death, the Crusades, the struggles within the Roman Catholic Church led some church leaders, such as Martin Luther, to attempt to reform the church, and how those attempts led to The Reformation. That opened the door to England declaring that the Church of England, the Anglican Church is the true Christian church. John Calvin laid the ground work for what became the Presbyterian and the Reformed churches. Then came the Huguenots and the Walloons, and the Puritan-Pilgrims who came to America and evolved into such as the Congregationalists. Back in England the Quakers experienced persecution that encouraged them to move to America. John Wesley began what evolved into Methodism. The American Revolution caused American churches of English origin to separate from their English roots and to become such as the Episcopalians and the Methodists. Read about the history of the many denominations that have come into being in The United States. There are the numerous "Christian" churches, the Unitarians, Spiritualist churches, Mormons, Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Science, Pentecostalism and many independent non-denominational churches. It is fascinating history, and all in layman's language. ... Read more

Product Description

FREE DVD

What can a Jewish scholar and theologian teach a Christian about Christianity?Plenty!Michael Rood proves God's power with hold-in-your-hand evidence.He explodes the long-held traditions of Christmas, Easter, and Lent.He uses the Bible to lead us back to irrefutable truths from the Word of God.

Little wonder many refer to his message as A ROOD AWAKENING!

Customer Reviews (13)

There is an old axiom in Protestant scholarly circles:
Beware of anyone who wants to share "secret" or " newly discovered" revelations with you. It will always be a heresy
from a madman. Unfortunately, this is the "Rod Awakening" we are promised in this book.

He says that the Gentiles need to ask Jewish teachers about Jesus. I ask "WHY?". We have the writings of Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, the Puritans, and scores of other great Protestant theologians to explain Scripture to us. We assuredly do NOT need any Jewish ( non-Christian!) heretics to lead us astray.

Skip this book and spend it on better theology , or just get the oil changed in your car. Both would be better uses of your money!

Pagan Connection
The product was in excellent condition. It arrived as promised. It is a very informative and well written book.

the truth hurts but it will heal if you have postive reaction to it.
The book was great I could not put it down.
I read the book first before I watched the DVD.

I got more out of it that way so that when he said something on the DVD.
i did not get lost i always knew what he was say.I believe all sould read the book first before watching the DVD.

Very great stuff in this book.A definate spiritual awakening.

Profoundly thought provoking...
... and challenging. It lives up to the play on words by the author... for some, it may well be a "rude [Rood] awakening." In some ways, it sure was for me. It is not your "normal" Christian, or Jewish for that matter, presentation. That doesn't mean, however, that there is no validity to the message nor does that mean that you cannot find ample support for the case made here by legitimate research. But it sure isn't what most people have heard taught from the pulpit or your average Sunday School class... and for that reason, I wouldn't be surprised if many dismissed the material without giving it a fair consideration... and that would be a great loss.

I challenge you to read this book, STUDY SCRIPTURE relative to the material, and other legitimate documents, and thoughtfully, seriously, research the points made in this book. THEN, PRAY about these things and ask the LORD what HE would have YOU do about it... if anything.

If you are not interested in doing that, reading this double volume book, may just be an interesting exercise and memorable read. While reading it, though, ask yourself why you might be unwilling to explore the POSSIBILITY you may have been "sold a bill of goods" under the guise of "religious service" for which there is little, or no, evidence scripture supports said practice and by which there is little, or no, defense. [And, yes, you are in good and great company, so there is no shame to be found in it.]

Ask yourself, if there is any way or any reason you would be willing to defend a tradition, any tradition, that may not be taught or supported in Scripture? If there were information that MIGHT challenge such traditions, is there any reason you would not choose to make the time to consider the validity of that information and its documentation?

Particularly when that information might actually provide a logical explanation for that nagging feeling you may have had for some time that there is a disconnect between how you choose in your heart of hearts to honor the LORD and what you find yourself, and most around you, doing every year... that nagging feeling that something about these traditions just doesn't "feel" right but you can't explain why to yourself... so you just ignore it every year?

I won't defend the author's positions presented in these books and the DVD included. [I don't believe it requires a defense.] I DO challenge readers to decide for themselves if they can find legitimate reason to not CONSIDER the case he makes on the issues covered in the text. It is my considered opinion that, given a fair read and consideration with a prayerful heart and open mind, that you will find it very difficult to dismiss this material out of hand... and it is entirely possibly that your spiritual life will be radically and positively modified as a direct result of doing so.

For myself, much of the information presented here was not entirely new. However, I've never seen these ideas so well presented, or documented. Much of it was entirely new to me. I am grateful for ALL the information Michael Rood presented and I admit I fought it... hard in some cases. However, the LORD's case was made and I, personally, have been unable to make a case to dismiss this information in a way that pacifies my deeply rooted desire to live in a way that pleases every part of the LORD's Heart for me. It was, as the title states, a "Rood Awakening," I challenge you to engage in the blessing with me!

If you read this and find it challenging, I strongly encourage you to also consider the book, "Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus" by David Bivin [ISBN: 1-56043-550-X]. It also challenges preconceived ideas of Who Jesus Is/was and what He actually said and taught. It is all there in scripture, but traditions taught to us have unintentionally blinded us in significant ways to the fact that Jesus was Jewish and that Christianity is, in point of fact, a Hebrew religion of the 1st Century... not an Anglo-Saxon religion of the 3rd Century as generally presented to Western Christians and the world.

Reruns and Hubris Masquerading as Revelation and Redemption
The implicit and explicit promises of Michael Rood's book quickly come crashing down.Of course, when you have a cover that heralds "Truth vs Tradition:The Heavyweight Battle of the Ages" emblazoned on the cover and associated with a picture of Michael in his version of traditional Hebrew garb on should not be surprised to find few promises fulfilled since he apparently has a hard time delineating tradition from truth himself.Often his work involves recitation of his own or other's ideas of tradition rather than fact.Apparently God has appointed him prophet and judge since he seldom makes reference to scripture or any other authority.With all the pronouncements he makes on history, his only extra-biblical source is one reference to the Encylopedia Britannica.Sorry folks ... scholarly it aint.

What great revelations lie in store for the non-fan club reader?
- You're at least wrong if you pray to Jesus rather than Ye'shua or Yahshua.Given some of his other discuss one might wonder if Rood isn't suggesting we worship a false god if we use Jesus, but he does not articulate this directly.
- We live under a pagan dating system!Wow!
(Don't worry.He's developed the first accurate Hebraic astronomical calendar where all of Judaism has failed since the destruction of Jerusalem in the first century AD.)
- Christmas and Easter have pagan roots largely shaped by Costantine who was a pagan!
(Again, a patently obvious fact to anyone who took more than a moment to think and research for themselves.However, he's not content to stick to good history.He tells his readers that people who focus on getting things for their children at Christmas are the moral equivalent of those who sacrificed their children in the fires of Chemoesh.Nothing like a little hyperbole, Michael?Nope.He means it folks.)
-- The three wise men didn't show up at the manger.(Another major DUH! moment.Read the Bible folks!)
- Daniel wasn't a boy when he was put into the lion's den.(Another big DUH! moment.Rood's experience as a boy is extrapolated to put this foolish idea into every Christian's head.When he finally read the Bible rather than look at Sunday School pictures he discovered this truth.)
- David wasn't a little boy but a man when he slew Goliath.(Here's one that isn't as clear in the Biblical text, but his explanation is credible.)
- Understanding the Feasts God ordained in the Old Testament will help us better under stand the work of God's son.(Sold!I agree heartily.As long as he isn't suggesting that these feasts are in some way salvific, we're in harmony.)

Given the problems he highlights, the answer to the problems of Christendom appear to boil down to using the name Ye'shua, using Rood's "correct" calendar, celebrating the feasts of God versus pagan holidays, and watching his television show.Or more accurately, he doesn't really give any real answers though he does point out some misconceptions.This is not an answer book that outweighs the bondage of legalism implicit in its "answers."Read it if you want a quick review of some common problems already cited.However, take a good dose of the book of Galations and Hebrews before you dive in.Or perhaps, a better course of action would be to search out more scholarly and less idiosyncratic literature from the Messianic Jewish community or more able scholars. ... Read more