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Church History

There is no branch of history as diverse as the story of the Christian Church. It spans two millennia, every continent, and factors into just about every major event in some form or another, but it's not just an interesting tale or adventure story that happens to be true. The history of the Church is the history of God's people and His direct dealings with mankind.

It's also not just an academic discipline. That's not to say we don't need scholars willing to devote their lives and talents to studying it as such, because we do. It's only to say that it's not merely academic, that the study of Church history is as much for our spiritual benefit and growth as for our intellectual knowledge and maturity.

One of the best ways to engage the subject is as a story. The lives of godly men and women make a great starting place, and provide context for things like the Great Schism, the Protestant Reformation, and the birth of Neo-orthodoxy. Contrary to popular opinion, making the study of history personal isn't an impediment; this is especially true when learning about the Church and past saints, who are our spiritual forebears.

Spiritual forebears, that is, who had an immense impact on the secular as well as the spiritual realm. The printing of books was realized through the work of Johannes Gutenberg, who built his printing press to make Bibles; David Livingstone explored much of unknown Africa in order to share the Gospel with unreached tribes; Hudson Taylor made inroads into China as a missionary long before the West was generally admitted. (For locals, the Pacific Northwest was largely settled through missionary activity.)

There are plenty of lowlights, too. Persecution and hardship are common themes in the story of God's people, and while we usually look back to the Roman holocausts, the 20th century saw more Christian martyrdoms than any previous century and the 21st century is already shaping up to be much worse. And that's not even addressing the damage done in the name of Christ.

Some might suppose Church history should be less distinctly human, but that's to confuse Christ Himself with His Body. In His ineffable wisdom, God ordained fallen humans to comprise His people; our sins are forgiven, not expelled, and perfection is something only enjoyed once we pass from this life into the eternal one.

Still, God's hand is present and active in all of history, not least in the history of the Church. It's a story we neglect at our own peril as followers of Christ—we cannot imagine our generation is the first to encounter attacks from secularism, or to have discovered orthodox doctrine, or to successfully identify the marks of a healthy congregation.

The past is our measure for most things. What Christians have always believed, how they have always worshipped, how they have always prayed: these are our standards for thought and practice. That's not to say there's no room for progress, but it's only progress if it doesn't counter or depart from the historically established truths of the faith.

Church history is a cornerstone of Christian education. We think it's just as important as science, English, math, or social studies, and in many ways more so. That doesn't mean those disciplines should be neglected, but that they should be contextualized within the story of God's people. As you study, revel in the grace of a God whose will is accomplished even through the chief of sinners and the weakest of men.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

 

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Adoniram Judson
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Amy Carmichael
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Behind Enemy Lines
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by Nancy Drummond
from Christian Focus Publications
for 3rd-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Betrayer's Fortune
by Dave & Neta Jackson
from Bethany House
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
Betrayer's Fortune
by Dave & Neta Jackson
from Castle Rock Creative
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
$8.99
Betty Greene
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Brother Andrew
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
C. S. Lewis
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
C. T. Studd
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Cameron Townsend
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
China Cry
by Nora Lam with Richard Schneider
from Thomas Nelson Publishers
for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
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Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Corrie Ten Boom
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Cross and the Switchblade
by David Wilkerson
from Penguin Putnam
Biography for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.99
David Bussau
Christian Heroes: Then and Now
by Janet & Geoff Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-8th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
David Livingstone
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Early Christian Fathers
by Cyril Richardson
from Touchstone
for 10th-Adult
in Church History (Location: XCH-HIS)
$17.00
Eric Liddell
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Eric Liddell
Men of Faith
by Catherine Swift
from Bethany House
Biography for 6th-12th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
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Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
George Muller
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Gladys Aylward
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Hiding Place
by Corrie Ten Boom
from Bantam Books
Biography for 6th-10th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.99
Hudson Taylor
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Ida Scudder
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Isobel Kuhn
Women of Faith
by Lois Hoadley Dick
from Bethany House
for 5th-10th grade
in Men & Women of Faith (Location: BIO-FAITH)
Jacob DeShazer
Christian Heroes: Then and Now
by Geoff Benge, Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-8th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Jim Elliot
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Jim Elliot
by Irene Howat
from Christian Focus Publications
for 4th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Jim Elliot - Unit Study Curriculum Guide
by Janet Benge, Geoff Benge
Study Guide from Emerald Books
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
John and Betty Stam
by Kathleen White
from Bethany House
in Men & Women of Faith (Location: BIO-FAITH)
John Newton
by Catherine Swift
from Bethany House
for 5th-10th grade
in Men & Women of Faith (Location: BIO-FAITH)
John Wesley
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
John Wesley
Heroes of the Faith
by Sam Wellman
from Barbour Publishing
Biography for 4th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
John Williams
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Johnny Appleseed
by Reeve Lindbergh
from Little, Brown & Company
Poetry for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Jonathan Goforth
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Joni's Story
Today's Heroes
by Joni Eareckson Tada
from Zondervan
Biography for 4th-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Klaus-Dieter John
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Lights In Lisuland
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by Irene Howat
from Christian Focus Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
in TorchBearers & TrailBlazers (Location: BIO-TRAIL)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Lillian Trasher
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Loren Cunningham
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Lottie Moon
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses
by Martin Luther
from P&R Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
Martyr of the Catacombs
by Anonymous Christian
from Kregel Publications
Historical Fiction for 7th-10th grade
in Morality Tales (Location: FIC-WH05)
Mary Slessor
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Minka & Margaret
by Phyllis Thompson
3rd Printing from Hodder & Stoughton
for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Missionary Stories with the Millers
by Mildred A. Martin
from Green Pastures Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Miller Family Series (Location: SER-MILLER)
Nate Saint
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Oswald Chambers
by David Lambert
from Bethany House
in Men & Women of Faith (Location: BIO-FAITH)
Paul Brand
Christian Heroes: Then and Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
for 4th-8th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Prince and the Pauper
Signet Classics
by Mark Twain
from Signet Classics
Historical Fiction for 8th-Adult
in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
$5.95
Rachel Saint
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Rowland Bingham
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Saint Athanasius
by F. A. Forbes
from Tan Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Shorter Life of D. L. Moody
Moody Colportage Library #83
by A. P. Fitt
from Moody Press
for 8th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Sundar Singh
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Ten Boys Who Changed the World
by Irene Howat
from Christian Focus Publications
Biography Collection for 3rd-7th grade
in Light Keepers (Location: BIO-LIGHT)
Ten Boys Who Didn't Give In
by Irene Howat
from Christian Focus Publications
Biography Collection for 3rd-7th grade
in Light Keepers (Location: BIO-LIGHT)
Ten Boys Who Made a Difference
by Irene Howat
from Christian Focus Publications
Biography Collection for 3rd-7th grade
in Light Keepers (Location: BIO-LIGHT)
$5.50 (2 in stock)
Ten Boys Who Made History
by Irene Howat
from Christian Focus Publications
Biography Collection for 3rd-7th grade
in Light Keepers (Location: BIO-LIGHT)
Ten Boys Who Used Their Talents
by Irene Howat
from Christian Focus Publications
Biography Collection for 3rd-7th grade
in Light Keepers (Location: BIO-LIGHT)
Ten Girls Who Changed the World
by Irene Howat
from Christian Focus Publications
Biography Collection for 4th-7th grade
in Light Keepers (Location: BIO-LIGHT)
Ten Girls Who Didn't Give In
by Irene Howat
from Christian Focus Publications
Biography Collection for 3rd-7th grade
in Light Keepers (Location: BIO-LIGHT)
Ten Girls Who Made a Difference
by Irene Howat
from Christian Focus Publications
Biography Collection for 3rd-7th grade
in Light Keepers (Location: BIO-LIGHT)
$5.50 (1 in stock)
Ten Girls Who Made History
by Irene Howat
from Christian Focus Publications
Biography Collection for 3rd-7th grade
in Light Keepers (Location: BIO-LIGHT)
$5.50 (1 in stock)
Ten Girls Who Used Their Talents
by Irene Howat
from Christian Focus Publications
Biography Collection for 3rd-7th grade
in Light Keepers (Location: BIO-LIGHT)
$5.50 (1 in stock)
Through Gates of Splendor
by Elisabeth Elliot
40th Anniversary from Tyndale House
Missionary Biography for 8th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.99
Torches of Joy
International Adventures
by John Dekker & Lois Neely
from YWAM Publishing
Missionary Biography for 10th-Adult
in International Adventures (Location: BIO-INTADV)
$14.99 $8.00 (2 in stock)
Wilfred Grenfell
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
William Booth
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
William Carey
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
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