Customer Reviews (2)

An excellent discussion of the biblical church
All of the books by Everett Ferguson are written at the highest standards of scholarship. The book entitled Church of Christ: A Biblical Ecclesiology for Today is especially valuable for anyone devoted to a return to biblical roots, regardless of the reader's present tradition or affiliation. All agree that although the church in the New Testament had challenges from both within and outside its boundaries, the community called together by the divine message of love and forgiveness, was not any denomination but rather the ark of all the saved. The author is committed to this view and strives, above all who have attempted such a task, to present simply the biblical perspective without the addition of ideas that resulted from later developments and elaborations of faith and practice. As a scholarly treatment, Ferguson's book is an alternative to the popular book by Leroy Brownlow.

Ecclesiological Milestone
With the publication of Everett Ferguson's book on ecclesiology, another milestone has been reached in the scholarly presentation of the distinctive theological perspective of Churches of Christ. The book is dividedinto six chapters, each roughly sixty to seventy pages in length.Withineach chapter, Ferguson neatly and systematically outlines his thoughts andarguments. The first chapter, entitled "The People and theMessiah: History and Eschatology," deals mainly with background issues.Itexamines the Old Testament teaching on the importance of covenant and themeaning of the phrase "kingdom of God" in its relationship to an anddistinction from the church.Ferguson enters into the New Testament andecclesiology proper via a consideration of Jesus as Messiah, including acareful exegesis of Matt. 16:13-23, where he concludes that the "rock" ofMatt. 16:18 is not Peter, but the fact of Jesus' Messiahship.Ferguson'sanalysis of Matt. 16:13-23 is insightful and carefully articulated.Withinthis section, he gives attention to "the gates of Hades will not prevail"and concludes with some interesting yet encouraging insight. In thesecond chapter, "The Church and Her Lord: The Nature of the Church,"Ferguson deals with and focuses on three images, "people of God," "body ofChrist," and "community of the Spirit."A peculiar feature in this chapteris placing the discussion of the word ekklesia last rather than first.Thelatter would seem more appropriate and would seem to set the stage for thechapter, especially for a work of biblical ecclesiology.This greatsection will open the eyes of the reader and renew his focus of church. That is to say, this chapter correctly puts Christ as the head of thechurch and gives Him His appropriate place. The third chapterconcentrates on, "The Church and Her Savior: Salvation and ChurchMembership."Essentially this section covers soteriology, which determinesecclesiology, but it is not ecclesiology itself.His full treatment of thenature of sin, the meaning of the cross, and the human response to God'ssaving work is only loosely linked to his topic of ecclesiology.This isnot to say that this section is uninteresting or uninformative because itis quite helpful for a fuller understanding of these matters.Far moreimportant is the content of Ferguson's soteriology.Ferguson is strongwhen it comes to the necessity of baptism.A few statements will give thereader an idea of his position: "Baptism is the time at which one isincorporated into Christ and so becomes a child of God" (pg. 170); "Baptismis a `calling on the name' of the Lord" (pg. 180); and, "Baptism is theappointed time at which God pronounces forgiveness" (pg. 183).Heconcludes: There must be an objective necessity about baptism, or NewTestament writers could not speak of baptism in the way they do" (pg. 185). How refreshing!In our world of relativity and ecumenism, people need tohear Ferguson's words, especially those in Churches of Christ. Thelast three chapters move into a more familiar territory for a treatise onthe church.Chapter four, "The Church and Her High Priest: Worship andAssembly" is a great section for anyone interested in the dynamics ofworship.Here, Ferguson begins with a type of etymology as a way ofintroduction, concentrating on both the Greek and English words.Thisintroduction to the subject sets the stage for the entire chapter.Worshipis a hot topic today, thus chapter four is rather applicable for our daywith all the differing views.This section is multitudinously faceted andexhaustive. "The Church and Her Bishop: The Continuing Ministry" isappropriately the title for the fifth chapter.In this section, Fergusonagain touches on some hot topics in the church.It is unfortunate howeverthat he only briefly deals with the debates on miraculous gifts and women'sroles.Ferguson advocates a cessasionist position on miraculous gifts anda complementarian position on women's roles, but leaves the readerthirsting for more information and a more comprehensive treatment of theissues.In a day where these two in particular issues are so widelydiscussed and debated, one would think that they might have received alittle concentration.Again, this is not to eradicate what wasaccomplished in this chapter because it was insightful and obliging,especially given the fact that his discussion on deaconesses was amazinglyinsightful and well balanced. In chapter six Ferguson adequatelycovers, "The Church and Her Teacher: The New Way of Life."In thissection, he includes an unusually prominent consideration of ethics and avery healthy discussion of the importance of Christian fellowship and itsconcomitant, church discipline.One last thing that must be mentionedabout this chapter is Ferguson's section on unity.Although this sectionis brief, it is significant and insightful.Ferguson lays out the variousaspects of unity and does so in just a few short pages.It serves as anexcellent conclusion to a monumental work. Of course, any reader isfree to take issue with some of Ferguson's conclusions.For example, thedistinction that is made between the temporary and permanent endowments ofthe Spirit still awaits additional clarification, and there will be thosewho will score Ferguson, despite his disclaimer, for his synchronic ratherthan diachronic approach to the New Testament writings.This is acourageous book.Its Reformed-Restorationist slant that the properdoctrine of the church entails a return to the faith and practice of theapostolic church is unmistakable.There are numerous nuggets of exegesisand important points of emphases that make this book worth reading.It isastounding that Ferguson deals with so many facets of ecclesiology in aone-volume work.Not only that, but he also includes a helpful subjectindex as well as a number of bibliographies.Just a glance at his copiousfootnotes and it is clear that this book is well researched and welldocumented.This book should be one that every minister, church leader,and ministry student is required to read and ponder. ... 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Book Description
This is one of the most impressive applications of process thought to Christian doctrine and constitutes a kind of process theology mini-summa.--ADRIS Newsletter ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Doctrine on Process
This work by Suchochi provides the notso timid reader of theology the opportunity to understand the concepts of evil, God's aim, Christ, Redemption, Resurrection and Eschatology from the view point of ProcessTheology. Suchochi shows God as a truly relational Being. She explains Godas one who takes us from the point we are at, considering our pasts andthen providing us with the best possible combination of circumstances(considering the world's influences upon us) and developes a way to reachGod's aim. Suchochi provides some diagrams that need to be studied well inorder to get the most benefit from them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excelent historical source
If you are looking for a comprehensive and complete history of the formation of the UCC this is the right book to read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The Church of Christ
A must have book for anyone wanting to know about
the Church of Christ.The answers to many
questions are very easily found.

An Adventure in Pattern Theology
This is an excellent book for those who wish to have their preconceived notions about Pattern Theology bolstered.Individualswho believe in this hermeneutic will cheer, and individuals who do not support this hermeneutic will groan. Unfortunately the author does not do anything to get beyond "playing to his base" by trying to address questions like how one selects the portions of scripture one will include in the authoritative pattern to be followed, or how one should deal with honest fellow Christians who do not see the same pattern in scripture which is so obvious to the author-except to mark them as simply being wrong.

I was hoping this book would take a fresh look and ask some of the hard questions.I was disappointed that it did not.

Excellent!
I have read this book several times and plan to use it in a high school sunday school class. It is organized very well and very easy to understand. It uses scripture to show the reader that we do have a clear picture of how the church should be organized and run. It teaches that Christ and the new testiment writers did give us a pattern to follow to establish the church the way
Christ wanted it. I encourage everyone to read this book carefully and verify the scripture that is used with an open mind. I truly believe it will help all who read it to grow closer to God and His church. ... Read more

Book Description
The author of Christ's Act in the Church concentrates on Protestantism, exploring the Calvinistic Eucharist traditions of the Presbyterians, members of the United Church of Christ, and Methodists (of whatever Wesleyan type). He also provides material pert ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Sets an Ecumenical Gold Standard
Lawrence Hull Stookey is one of the scholastic luminaries of the United Methodist church and is especially wonderful when writing on matters of liturgy and sacramental theology. This work is no exception and it is not written for United Methodists. It is an ecumenical work which explains the things from the Catholic perspective and the Reformation tradition and looks at all major shadings in between as well as a few others. In doing so, he treats everyone with respect.

Stookey looks at the historical development of the various theologies associated with the Eucharist. He then looks at areas of convergeance and divergence, all the while asking the question, "How does this compare with what is current practice and with Biblical warrant" Besides looking at the problems, he also looks at possible solutions and pays attention not only to the theology of the subject but also the pastoral ministry. This is a well rounded and well thought out book suitable as a text in a seminary or a text for a class of laity who are interested in such matters. He will completely satisfy no one but he will make all think.

This one sets a gold standard.

A great feast
Laurence Hull Stookey has a wonderful trinity of books in this text and the companion volumes 'Baptism: Christ's Act in the Church' and 'Calendar: Christ's Time for the Church'.These books address key aspects of Christian church practice in ecumenical and historical tones.'Eucharist' is no different - it is a one volume survey of historical, theological and practical issues surrounding the central facet of Eucharist / Lord's Supper / Communion.Stookey himself is a Methodist, but writes intentionally as an ecumenical writer; this particular text was completed while he was on sabbatical near a joint Anglican-Methodist seminary.

Stookey's preface begins with a comparison of Babette's Feast and Christ's meal with the church - there is something hidden, something disarming, something inviting about the meal; we may not all approach it exactly the same way and with the same expectations, but those who feast do find it a nurturing banquet.As Stookey points out, eating and drinking are central to life and community.Food is a common motif in the gospels; gathering together for meals is frequently cited from the time of the apostles forward as primary , and indeed the first ordained members of the church were those appointed to help serve the food.

Stookey gives a brief summary of New Testament images and writings about communion.He begins with Paul's instructions to the Corinthians, the text upon which many churches base the liturgies or prayers at Eucharist, given that they are the closest in time to the original Last Supper.He discusses terms such as 'anamnesis' and 'prolepsis' without becoming too bogged down in theology or exegetical analysis.Stookey highlights a few aspects of Paul's verses - that they are actions (more than concepts) central to the importance; they are corporate, not private, actions; they bind past, present and future together; and, they have evangelistic and soteriological (dealing with salvation) relevance.

Stookey also explores the images of the Last Supper in the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), and quoting from Dom Gregory Dix, he states that the Last Supper is not something radically new, but rather a reinterpretation and deepening of already-existing practices, not least of whom the group of twelve themselves.While John's gospel does not include the Last Supper in the same way, Stookey argues that the whole of the gospel is in a way a commentary on the importance of the Eucharist - chapters like the water-into-wine at the wedding in Cana, the 'bread of life' chapter, and more all point to this.

Theologically, Stookey explores Platonic and Aristotelian ideas with regard to the Eucharist (as these are the two dominant philosophical schools underpinning Christian theology).These address issues of real presence and real substantive changes, and how those might be understood.Stookey also explores Nominalism, Lutheran, Zwinglian, Calvinist and later ideas regarding communion.

After this theological discussion, Stookey examines the way in which the eucharist practice has been carried out over time - quoting the Lutheran hymn ('from age to age the same'), he points out that how communion is done changes dramatically over time.Early Eucharistic feasts could be elaborate, full congregational and full day meal.Stookey highlights liturgical practices of Justin Martyr and Hippolytus and the pre-Constantinian church, as well as shifts after this key official date.Stookey describes the practices of some Eucharistic traditions (the 'dry masses', the remoteness of the public, etc.) as well as reformer and modern innovations that sometimes restore the Eucharist back to its original formulations, at least somewhat.

Stookey puts forward a renewed Eucharist platform that takes into account contemporary and ancient principles and practices, recovering sacramental ideas, the presence of Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the work of the people.He includes a good length discussion of practices, elements and settings for communion services, some things to avoid, and ideas to incorporate into the denominational and local adaptations that natural occur in such practices anyway.Stookey addresses the issue of ecumenical actions, highlighting some divergences that make the one-service-fits-all approach unlikely to succeed.

He concludes with two appendices - one looking at issues around communion taken to the sick and otherwise-unable-to-attend, and one looking at particular issues in the Wesleyan/Methodist traditions.

There will be points of divergence to be sure; he points out some historic ironies along the way (such as the closer familiarity of Eucharist practices between Roman Catholics and Lutherans than the Lutherans and Presbyterians, both Protestant churches), and cautions that not all of his ideas and analysis will be fitting or welcome in all denominational settings.Nevertheless, the issues addressed are important ones, and Stookey's writing is clear, concise, accessible and worthwhile.

It's Time to Reconsider the Eucharist
The author writes this book in a response to a need for a single volume that brings together historical, theological, and practical matters from a variety of sources.Much of the material available on this subject is written in a technical style that is not easily read or understood by the lay person.The author also seeks to suggest new ways of understanding and conducting the Eucharist.He identifies two audiences for his book.The first audience is lay people in the local church. A second audience is identified as seminarians and church professionals.The author writes from a Wesleyan/Methodist background, but seeks to produce a work that is ecumenical in scope.Stookey wants to clear up misconceptions about the Eucharist and to help the reader develop a historical and theological understanding that will affect the way the Eucharist is observed and shared in our churches.Stookey has succeeded in his objectives.I found the book to be well laid out, fairly easy to read, and quite engaging.Especially helpful was the section about how to preach on the Eucharist, and an emphasis that the observance of the Eucharist is not a solemn occasion, but a celebrative one!This book belongs in every pastor's library. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (8)

Mathematical proof that Mr. Camping is wrong!!!
God showed me this today. My discovery is based on the same sound reasoning as Mr. Camping's foolproof logic.

Take notice, it's on page 425 where Camping states, "there is a distinct possibility that the year 2011 A.D. could be the year when the world is brought to an end."

So here's my discovery...

Curiously enough, 425 can be broken down as follows: 17 x (1 + 24 + 0)

It's obvious that the number 17 signifies the act of finding your own random ways of breaking down numbers despite the fact that there are hundreds of other ways to break them down.

Certainly, the number 1 signifies attributing your own off-the-wall words and meanings to numbers and then claiming it was God.

The number 24 signifies the average IQ of people that actually believe the world will end in 2011.

And, of course, 0 signifies the number of people that would be ready to sign their homes over to me, effective 2012.

I don't know why Mr. White was not able to notice something so blaringly obvious. For this reason, I am only giving his book one star.

There you have it; the proof is there. Page 425. The world will not end in 2011. Numbers don't lie!

God is bigger than James White and Harold Camping-
What are you afraid of Mr. White? If you do not like the teachings of Mr. Camping, then just do not listen! The gospel of according to God's Word from the Bible and it's entirety will be preached and those whom God has planned to save, will be saved because "faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of God"(Romans 10:17) No one can come to the Father except through Christ.

Theological Credentials
I would really hate to make this a forum for a defense of a great teacher, but I had to address the comment that Mr. Camping, was not a credentialed theologian.The amazing part is that if we are believers...true believers...we would know that God will use a rock to get His message through to His people.How important really are Mr. Camping's credentials?He does one thing consistently though...says and does nothing without referring to The Bible.We would all do a lot better to do that.

10+ years later....
Having hope that the seed of the Gospel has only just been planted a short time ago, and that the blessings to come to the earth will be for "a thousand generations", my time frame is a bit different than Harold Campings (or Chuck Smith, 1978, or Hal Lindsey, 1981, and so on)...I am thinking...hmmmm, at least 40,000AD or later.With a world cleansed by the Gospel.Military technology used for food production.General atmosphere of peace and righteousness...and the project, begun 2000 years ago, comes peacefully to conclusion:a beautiful garden/city where the Gospel, like that quiet yeast in bread, has blessed the whole world.

Other than that...1994 has come and gone.This makes White right.At least the Rangers won the Stanley Cup!

Come to think of it, Y2K slipped right past us...

Review
I have listened to the approaches of james white and his mis quotations of Harold Camping. In listening to Dr.Whites approach,he does not aknowledge the Bible alone and its entirety, he adds his church confessions as well as twisting scripture by not examining the ones he quotes in light of the whole bible to form a conclusion. If we listen to Dr.White, we are to worship the church doctrines and confessions and people with Degrees because they are the "Pillar and ground of truth", not Gods Word which is THE BIBLE ALONE AND IN ITS ENTIRETY. Rev 18:7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. ... Read more

Book Description
The Church of God in Christ (COGIC), an African American Pentecostal denomination founded in 1896, has become the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States today. In this first major study of the church, Anthea Butler examines the religious and social lives of the women in the COGIC Women's Department from its founding in 1911 through the mid-1960s. She finds that the sanctification, or spiritual purity, that these women sought earned them social power both in the church and in the black community. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Anxiously awaiting Butler's next book!
As someone who grew up in the COGIC, with an academic background in women's studies and political science,I found this both a personal and intellectual pleasure to read. Her balanced approach to the shortcomings and hidden strengths of the church's history as it relates to women's voice and agency is honest and revelatory. For anyone interested in some of the little known history of this faith, this book reveals the origin of some of the traditions and mores of this faith to even the "un-churched" reader. It also entertains even the non-academic reader. I can't wait until Butler produces her next book!

COGIC Women:Making a Sanctified World
Professor Anthea Butler's Women in the Church of God in Christ:Making a Sanctified World is a must read for all who are interested in the value of staying focused on an established mission.This book clearly demonstrates how a clear mission to sanctify the world deteriorated into an internal mission of sanctifying a denoninational church called the Church of God in Christ.From the founding of the Church of God in Christ with the support of Bishop Charles Harrison Mason, Mother Lizzie Woods Robinson and Mother Lillian Brooks Coffey created a standard for both personal sanctification and in extending the influence of the Church in the world through active participation in civic activities to elevate the quality of life for all. They followed the lifting as we climb strategy into social prominence and respectability in the community at-large. The emphasis in the Church went from dressing to look holy to dressing to reflect your status in the Church organization and in civic afairs.This book also addressed the unresolved issue of what to do with and about women of influence in the ministry and in the Church's organizational structure especially as they out-distanced the male leaders under whom they are supposed to serve.Unfortunately for women in the Church of God in Christ, it seems that their role in the second half of the twentieth century declined as the Church went through a period of turmoil after the death of the founder and the nation as a whole experienced the civil rights movement and the resurgence of the feminist movement in the 1970s which forced Church women to retreat to more traditional subservient roles.This is a marvelous study of the rise and decline of women power in the Church of God in Christ which also coincides with the decline in the Church's influence in cvic affairs. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

The Subtitle is a Bit Misleading.
Thankfully, this book is not social history in the sense that it is concerned with lots of numbers and the lives of non-elites.Instead, Philip Benedict's Christ's Churches Purely Reformed is a magnificent survey of the Reformed movement in Europe during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.In this work, Benedict discusses both how the movement shaped Europe and how Europe shaped the Reformed movement.The book focuses not only on the main actors and thinkers of this time, but also shows how Reformed thinking affected the everyday lives of those living in the lands in which it took hold.

A reoccurring theme of Christ's Churches Purely Reformed is that Reformed thought is not monolithic.Benedict interestingly asserts that because Reformed thought allowed for a diversity of ecclesiologies, the central ideas disseminated more effectively.This unity among diversity allowed for the various churches in Switzerland, Britain, and France to all claim the same tradition, but have very different manifestations.Notably, the Presbyterian-synod system, which most Reformed churches would later adopt, was developed in France.Thus, from the beginning Reformed theology and ecclesiology was a work in progress.Benedict's discussion of this evolution of the Reformed traditional was helpful because it corrects the myth common among many Reformed denominations that their version of Reformed ecclesiology and manners sprung full-formed from the head of Calvin.However, Benedict notes that even though the differences were often strong, a sense of solidarity and commonality of tradition united the various national churches."Although the very term Reformed church was infused with ambiguities around 1600, the sense of fellowship and solidarity among these churches was powerful" (291).Most notably, these churches were willing to take communion with one another, the true witness to perceived Christian unity.

Benedict's thoughtful critiques of democracy and capitalism's origins in Calvinism were the high points of this book.Without being dogmatic, Benedict calls into question the supposed connections between these ideologies and the theology.Speaking specifically of Weber's thesis, Benedict writes, "His ideas exaggerate the extent to which they characterized the faith as a whole and attribute them too simply to a single cause" (541).Ultimately he concludes that while one can draw superficial and common-sensical parallels, the evidence for placing democracy and capitalism at the feet of Calvinism is very weak.In fact, Benedict notes that many of the characteristics of the Calvinist mind, which would lead to democracy or capitalism, were also present in the minds of Europeans not engaged in Reformed worship.However, Benedict honestly admits that many of his findings regarding the sociological impact of Calvinism "are more tentative and more likely to be revised by future research" than his historical chronology (432).

In this work, Benedict attempts to strike a scholarly balance between not overemphasizing the importance of the Reformed tradition in Western thought and acknowledging its contribution. He writes, "If the fatal flaw of theories crediting Calvinism with distinctive consequences for economic behavior or political development is that they exaggerate the spillover effects of religious doctrine outside the religious domain, the great shortcoming of the recent emphasis on the parallel consequences of the Lutheran, Reformed, and Catholic Reformations is that it downplays each faith's distinctiveness within the domain of culture and religious life" (544).On the whole, Christ's Churches Purely Reformed is a scholarly contribution which may bring a sense of balance to the field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fantastic, reference of LDS history.
Yes I know it's expensive. But it has it all. This the best LDS history book I've ever seen. I am a member of the church and returned missionary who has studied a lot of church history. What I like best about this book is the extensive timeline comparison with world history, US history and Church history in chronological order so you can compare what was happening in each, also in depth research, vast information resource and it includes unique stories as well as well known history. (...) ... Read more

Book Description
A church history text that integrates the events and development of the church with the social, economic, and intellectual history of the world around it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Church History
Good.. going through this book for a class and it seems to be good.. got it in time and good condition thanks..

Good, but I've read better
This is the text we are using at the seminary that I attend.I recently graduated from the University of Sioux Falls (SD) with a major in Theology and Philosophy.In the Church History class there, we used Justo Gonzalez's book The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Present Day, and I greatly enjoyed that book.Ferguson's book is fine, but it is a fairly choppy read compared to the longer but steadier flow of thought in Gonzalez's.I recommend the latter if you want a good book on church history.

OH MY!
READ THIS BOOK BEFORE YOU ENTER SEMINARY! It is VERY helpful, and you'll have a baseline knowledge for the first semester, and this book covers many issues and people YOU WILL encounter your first week. Conservative - not crazy liberal - point of view. Kinda dry, but so helpful, you don't even notice.

A wonderful book to own and read
In this day and age when Liberals and their ultraliberal ideologies (such as Borg and Spong and E. Pagels) run amok, spouting the most insane and (lots of time) inane theories and considerations toward early Church History, it is wonderful to know that there are scholars such as Ferguson to not only bring balance and bring some sanity back to the discussion of the events after the Resurrection.Ferguson is one who believes in the truth of the Bible, and yet he is able to take the story of Christ and move it along through the first few centuries of the church's growth and population.Ferguson is able to look at all sides of the equations when dealing with points of views held in various theological factions throughout the centuries.The book is finely structured and well developed.Chapters are precise in their overall arc and aim, and the writing style is very crisp and leaves one wanting to read more and more.When I take my classes on Church history in seminary I know for a fact that I will use this book to its fullness.If you are looking for a book that can help you make some sense toward all that occurred after the resurrection up through the next few centuries after the death of the Apostles, and see why such situations as Gnosticism grew and flourished in some circles, along with the Church's canonization of the entire Bible, you will find the answers (along with answers to other questions you may have) in this book.

Excellent structural/theological introduction to church history
I purchased and read Dr. Ferguson's Church History Volume One because I had previously read and enjoyed his Backgrounds of Early Christianity. I have read several other accounts of church history, and I would recommend to someone with no prior exposure to church history that they read a simplier, more superficial overview before reading Dr. Ferguson's. But Church History Volume One would be the next read. The explanations of the theologic issues that the early church dealt with are thoroughly delineated. The book was very helpful in explaining events, culture, thinking that has impacted the organizational church we see today. Dr. Ferguson often offers helpful insights from his breadth & depth of knowledge. Explanations of difficult issues are clear and helpful without being judgmental. My only negative is that Dr. Ferguson's writing style is in a few places hard to follow. One example from page 518. "A thirteenth-century chronicler recorded that the peasants in Alsace did not object to their priests having concubines, for in such circumstances there was less concern for the virtue of their daughters." In reading this sentence I can not tell whose daughters there was less concern for, the priests or the peasants. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Good Church History
If you want to learn about the early days of the Christian Church, this is the book.Eusibius relates the facts concerning the church until his life (around 400ad).This is great as both an introduction to church history and as a capstone to better your understanding of the early church.

Eusibus takes on the events from the life of Christ and the early apostles and the problems that faced the church to the Time of Constantine.He seems to explain things where much of the bible leaves off.He explains where the bible came from, who wrote them and why some parts were left out (though Constantine did most of the damage).

Eusibus was a scholar and historian to the Emperor Constantine and was instructed to explain the progression of the church and their leader which is often a cause for much debate on many Christian sects today.While it can be a nuisance at times, Eusibus often quotes other historians such as Josephus, the bible and other authors.

While at time this book can be a little difficult to read for the average reader, it is filled with loads of information and reference to other writers and authors.

Enjoy

A tough but rewarding read
The History of the Church by Eusebius is part bibliography, part sourcebook, part historical narrative with some doctrinal commentary, textual criticism, and hagiographies sprinkled throughout.Eusebius includes lengthy quotations of primary sources.Sometimes whole documents are inserted.The accessibility of the work varies with the material being quoted.In book two, the extensive quoting of Josephus makes for quick reading.In book ten, a sixteen-page dedication oratory seems to never end.

Eusebius opens his work with his own exposition on nature of God and on Messianic prophesies in the Old Testament.Soon the history of the early church, the fates of the Apostles, and the siege of Jerusalem are discussed.The rest of the work is organized chronologically.After reaching the time of a prominent writer, Eusebius often will list the books written by the writer or note the opinions of the writer on the authenticity of specific scriptural texts.

The History describes at length the suffering and endurance of martyrs.Persecutions are a major theme of the work, especially the later half.Eusebius mentions divisions within early Christianity, but usually he describes only the response of leaders and writers to specific heretics.Descriptions of what different sects believe are either written in a polemic tone or absent altogether.

The back cover claims that this translation emphasis clarity.Still, finishing this book took effort and fortitude.The History and the material it preserves are important sources for early Christian history.The History therefore is a rewarding as well as a tough read.

Essential to your foundation
This is an essential foundational work for anyone studying early Christian church history. But it is also a great asset to the Christian wanting to understand the origin of doctrine and the defense of orthodox Christianity against spurious beliefs that are with us even to this day.C. S. Lewis warned of the danger of becoming isolated from the faith of our fathers so that we lose not only the heritage of that faith but the sound foundation of teaching they prepared.Study to scriptures to show yourself approved but study church history (a.k.a., tradition) to identify errors in your own understanding. Do not neglect that great cloud of witnesses described in Hebrews but instead take their hard-won lessons to heart.This is a good place to begin to know your ancient Christian fathers and mothers in the faith.

A must read for anyone serious about Church history or their faith
This book is definitely a must read for anyone serious about Church history or their faith.It's amazing to me how many Christians have never read this book.As the first ecclesiastical history it gives a perspective that no modern historian is capable of.Many writings are only known to exist from mention by Eusebius.Written in the fourth century no other book on Church history gives witness to what the Church was really like at such an early age.Anyone who calls himself a Christian should be obliged to read The History of The Church.Insight into Church governance and hierarchy, early heresies and controversies, and persecutions and martyrdoms, it's all here.Eusebius may not go into as much detail as some would like, and he clearly wrights from his own perspective and not "impartially" as modern historians attempt (and usually fail) to; never the less, given the antiquity of this book, no other volume can speak with as much authority on the early pre-Nicene Church's history.I am buying this book for all my Christian friends.

While available in other editions and as part of multi-volume sets such as Nicene and Post-Nicene Series 2, the Penguin edition is my favorite.Penguin editions give access to great classics at a very reasonable price and in convenient carry size.The introductions, notes, and end materials such as the "who's who" make this the edition to buy.

A must read for early church historians!
Anyone interested in early Christianity in late antiquity should read this book. Many quote from it, but few read the entire work, and thus, do not get an appreciation for Eusebius' weaving of events around the time encompassing early church history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

good information in a less-than-stellar book
All of the information was accurate and well-researched, but it was presented in a style that was dry and sometimes confusing.As a catalogue of the elements of liturgical time, it functions nicely; as a book, it leaves something to be desired.

Excellent text on how using the Christian Yearstrengthening Christian formation
This is one of many books that explain about the "proper" use and historic development of the tradition of the liturgical or Christian year.What sets this book apart from the masses of prose on this topic is that it draws the reader into the spiritual appology for why the use of the Christian year in worship is so important.Christmas is not just about the baby Jesus lying in the manger and the cattle lowing.It is about God's humiliation to take on human form (the Incarnation) for the purpose of the redemption of all creation.When we remember the saving works of God through Christ as the centerpiece of our faith from which everything else stems, then we celebrate Christmas in a way that strengthens our individual and corporate faith.Each of the seasons of the Christian year can equip us to spiritual growth if we look to the purpose for God's acts rather than simply the history of the events that we commemorate.I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is responsible for planning corporate worship experiences.

Calendar: Get it, Read it, Nourish Your Worship!
This has guided my understanding of the liturgical Christian year. Stookey's scholarship is greatly evident, as well as his deep love for the Church and for Christ. This enchanting blend brings an edification of widest breadth in this field of understanding. Because of this, the readily apparent readability of his work proves helpful and allows the reader to feel no shame for being ignorant of the practices the Church has performed for centuries. He takes the reader on a journey of understanding the theory of why the Christian calendar is so, and then walks us through the rationale for why the Church has sought to worship God the way it has for centuries. What is also very helpful is the pragmatic index, for example, where one will find a useful Advent-Christmas and Lent-Easter calendars from 1997 - 2020 CE.

The thesis of the book is that Christian people living in the present ought to be mindful (ie connected and engaged) of the Church's past and seek to remain connected to it through the understanding and practice of the liturgical calendar.

The chapter I was most interested in was chapter 2, titled, "The Year of Our Risen Lord." It begins with familiarizing the reader with why Sunday (the first and the eighth day) was the chosen day to worship God. It then moves to helping the reader understand the significance of the Week and how to reorder our lives (and schedules) to make Sundays a day of refreshment for ministry during the rest of the week. Then the author moves to the broader category of what the Year of the Lord means and explains the Christian calendar. This chapter helped give me the framework and understanding of what is important in the Christian year and lectionary, so we may appropriately worship God in a way that is consistent historically.

Essential understanding of Christ-time
Calendar is, perhaps, one of the most important books to enter the read-field in the area of liturgical studies, and I would postulate, pastoral theology.In Stookey's classic logical fashion, and his easy readability, he demonstrates the essential nature of understanding the events of the Christian year; in typical Jesus fashion, "You have heard it said, but I tell you...", Stookey helps us to see that our fulcrum for time has been placed in the wrong balance.Indeed, preparation for and the experience of Resurrection are the pivotal events for a Christian life, and it is from these events that all time is derived.His style is inviting and his content is convincing. This book will become a mandate for a new generation of ministerial leaders, both clergy and lay.

Great Book
Stookey's work is a must read. He effectively communicates the gospel message of Jesus as he writes in an accessible style. The author's stated intent was to write so that anyone could read it and he accomplished his goal. This book would be a great book for any worship leader, pastor, or seminary student. Others who are interested in the liturgical year will find some of the terms foreign to them but Stookey quickly defines theological terms. Stookey's point of view is very helpful especially to those who come from a tradition where liturgy seems foreign. I found as I read that my eyes were opened to an entirely new world where marking time through the Church calendar is something to be desired and not something to react against. It is a shame that more churches are not intentionally marking time through observances Stookey describes. This book challenged me to teach a Sunday School class through the four Sundays of Advent. The response to the material was great and warmly received an environment where liturgy is foreign. ... Read more

Product Description
8 volume set ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Endangered Heritage
This is a very well written, comprehensive history of the Church of Christ and its doctrines.It is a valuable resource for anyone interested in church history.The book is very readable and makes a good case for Church of Christ beliefs. ... Read more

Book Description
Christ Church has had a complex and varied history as the cathedral church of Dublin, one of two Anglican cathedrals in the capital of a predominantly Catholic country and the church of the British administration in Ireland before 1922. An Irish cathedral within the English tradition, yet through much of its history it was essentially an English cathedral in a foreign land. With close musical links to cathedrals in England, to St Patrick's cathedral in Dublin, and to the city's wider political and cultural life, Christ Church has the longest documented music history of any Irish institution, providing a unique perspective on the history of music in Ireland.Barra Boydell, a leading authority on Irish music history, has written a detailed study drawing on the most extensive musical and archival sources existing for any Irish cathedral. The choir, its composers and musicians, repertoire and organs are discussed within the wider context of city and state, and of the religious and political dynamics which have shaped Anglo-Irish relationships since medieval times. More than just a history of music at one cathedral, this book makes an important contribution to English cathedral music studies as well as to Irish musical and cultural history.BARRA BOYDELL is Senior Lecturer in Music, National University of Ireland, Maynooth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A very welcome collection
"Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church: Documents on the Blessed Virgin Mary" from Pauline Books & Media is, indeed, a very welcome collection. This work of general editor Sr. Marianne Lorraine Trouve,FSP, and featuring introductions for each of the Marian pronouncements by M. Jean Fisk, S.T.L., brings together all of the most important papal documents on the Blessed Virgin Mary over a period of 140 years, from the defining of Her Immaculate Conception by Blessed Pope Pius IX in 1854, to Pope John Paul II's letter "Tertio Millenio Adveniente" in 1994. Also included is chapter eight from the Vatican II Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, "Lumen Gentium," which properly set the Church's teachings on Mary in contextwith what the Fathers of the Council taught on the Church in total. Having all these important statements on Mary together in one book makes this volume a God-send for believers, theologians and scholars alike.
As we approach the 29th anniversary of the passing of the unforgettable Pontiff Paul VI, it is particularly pleasing to see so many of that Pope's Marian writings included. It is very difficult to find any of Paul VI's teachings on any subject available these days. He is all but forgotten in many scholarly circles in recent decades. Many of his letters and pronouncements onMary, such as "Marialis Cultis" and "Guadete in Domino" have not been in print for many years. Any copies are virtually impossible to find, as are many of his other important works, especially the encyclical"Populorum Progressio," reviewed so favorably here on Amazon.com.
"Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church" is an important and invaluable resource on the Church's teachings on the Ever Virgin Mother God, Mary of Nazareth. Having this volume in your library will allow you to know and love Mary as the Church has come to know and love her- as the Mother of God and our Mother.

Understanding the Mother of God
This was mandatory reading for a course that I took. I found the book to be enlightening and I learned much more that I ever knew about Mary, the Mother of God. ... Read more

Book Description
oversized, unique portrait of the Mormons at work, worship, and play includes essays by the church's fifteenth prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, and others. 100,000 first printing.

The Mission is an extraordinary look by a team of international photojournalists at the customs, culture and spirit of the people of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons. Over the course of a year, fifty of the world's most talented photographers journeyed to six continents and were given unprecedented access to Church members. They accompanied them on their missions; slept in their homes; and attended their baptisms, weddings, summer camps, church services, and funerals. They shared family home evenings, parades, and festivals. They laughed with them, and sometimes cried with them. The result is a collection of many never-before-seen photographs that create a riveting and entirely human portrait of the Church through the lives of its faithful. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Neat pictures, not much info
The title would lead one to believe that this book would help explain the foundation and workings of the Mormon faith. This is not the case. The limited text supplies the reader with just a basic explanation of what is being depicted in the photo. This is a good book for someone just interested in getting a superficial intro to this belief system, but nothing more.

Seeing is believeing!
This book is one of those great coffee table books that are eye candy.Adam Smith in his "Theory of Moral Sentiments" discusses how vision is the key to moral actions, and this book helps spur the Saints on to better works by the photographed examples.It really covers the ground and the gamut of the life of the Saints...

Not a lot of text or theology here, except for the text of truth that every good act writes in reality...

A very REAL book
Leaving the issues for apostates and apologists to bicker over, this book simply looks at the lives of people actually in the church: what they do in their normal every day lives. I especially liked the depictions of Latter-Day Saints in nations outside the United States, including the temple trip down the Amazon and a few shots of Victoria Peak! Beliver or no, these pictures tell 10,000 words about a people that are industrious, optimistic, and compassionate. These photos aver that while many continue to criticize and ostracize this church, the Latter-Day Saints frequently hold the moral/ethical highground on their idealogical opponents. How many other 200-year old American religions would stand under this kind of across-the-globe scrutiny? This book contains real, in your face, irrefutable evidence that like them nor not, the Mormons are indeed a "peculiar people."

A very REAL book
Leaving the issues for apostates and apologists to bicker over, this book simply looks at the lives of people actually in the church: what they do in their normal every day lives. I especially liked the depictions of Latter-Day Saints in nations outside the United States, including the temple trip down the Amazon and a few shots of Victoria Peak! Beliver or no, these pictures tell 10,000 words about a people that are industrious, optimistic, and compassionate. These photos aver that while many continue to criticize and ostracize this church, the Latter-Day Saints frequently hold the moral/ethical highground on their idealogical opponents. How many other 200-year old American religions would stand under this kind of across-the-globe scrutiny? This book contains real, in your face, irrefutable evidence that like them nor not, the Mormons are indeed a "peculiar people."

Accurate
Not only does this book have good pictures, it also has accurate information.It is a good place to go to in order to find accurate information about the LDS church. ... Read more