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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's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and 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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Active Filters: Adult, Used Books & Materials
100 Most Important Events in Christian History
by A. Kenneth Curtis, et al.
from Revell Publishing
Church History Reference for 9th-Adult
in Church History Overviews (Location: XCH-OVE)
$18.69 $9.20 (2 in stock)
2000 Years of Christ's Power Volume 4
by Nick R. Needham
2nd edition from Christian Focus Publications
Church History Reference for 11th-Adult
in Church History (Location: XCH-HIS)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
Agape Leadership
by Robert L. Peterson and Alexander Strauch
from Lewis and Roth Publishers
for Adult
in Church Ministry & Service (Location: XWO-MIN)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Amazing Grace
by Kenneth W. Osbeck
from Kregel Publications
for 9th-Adult
in History of Hymns (Location: XCH-HYMN)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
Anne Bradstreet
by Heidi L. Nichols
from P&R Publishing
Biography for 10th-Adult
in Clearance: Biographies (Location: ZCLE-BIO)
$9.79 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Arrow Pointing to Heaven
by James Bryan Smith
Revised from B&H Books
for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
At the End of the Santa Fe Trail
by Sister Blandina Segale
4th Printing from Bruce Publishing Co.
for Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Autobiography of Charles G. Finney
by Charles G. Finney
from Bethany House
Autobiography for 9th-Adult
in History for Adults (Location: ADU-HIS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Baker Atlas of Christian History
by Tim Dowley, Editor
from Baker Books
for 7th-Adult
in Historical & Cultural Atlases (Location: HISRF-ATLAS)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Becoming Elisabeth Elliot
by Ellen Vaughn
from Broadman & Holman
for Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
Bondage of the Will
by Martin Luther
from Revell Publishing
for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$6.80 (1 in stock)
Bondage of the Will
by Martin Luther, translated by Henry Cole
from Feather Trail Press
for Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Brethren During the Age of World War
from Brethren Press
for Adult
in Church History (Location: XCH-HIS)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Bruchko
by Bruce Olson
Updated from Charisma House
for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Burma Surgeon
by Gordon S. Seagrave
from W. W. Norton and Co.
for Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Calvin, Geneva & the Reformation
by Ronald S. Wallace
from Wipf and Stock Publishers
for Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
Captured!
by Carolyn Paine Miller
1st edition from Christian Herald Books
for Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Chapels and Meeting Houses
by Kenneth Lindley
from John Baker
for 8th-Adult
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Choices, Changes
by Joni Eareckson Tada
from Zondervan
Biography for Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Christian History Made Easy
Rose Bible Basics
by Timothy Paul Jones
from Rose Publishing
for 9th-Adult
in Church History Overviews (Location: XCH-OVE)
$14.99 $10.50 (1 in stock)
Christological Controversy
Sources of Early Christian Thought
by Richard A. Norris, Jr. (translator and editor), series editor William G. Rusch
from Fortress Press
for Adult
in Jesus Christ (Location: XTH-JES)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Church History from the Birth of Christ to the 18th Century (2 volumes)
by William Jones
from Triangle Press
for 10th-Adult
in Church History Overviews (Location: XCH-OVE)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Church in History
by B. K. Kuiper
2nd edition from Eerdmans
Church History Reference for 9th-Adult
in Church History Overviews (Location: XCH-OVE)
$28.89 $12.00 (2 in stock)
Created for Purpose
by Ron Post
from Coffee House Press
Biography for 11th-Adult
in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Dayuma
by Ethel Emily Wallis
from YWAM Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in International Adventures (Location: BIO-INTADV)
$12.74 $6.00 (2 in stock)
Dayuma Story
by Ethel Emily Wallis
from Harper & Brothers
for 8th-Adult
in History of Missions (Location: XCH-MIS)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: An Evangelical Reassessment
by Georg Huntemann
from Baker Books
for Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Fire Upon the Earth
by Norman F. Langford
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
for Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Five Pioneer Missionaries
by Various
from Banner of Truth Trust
Biography for 9th-Adult
in History of Missions (Location: XCH-MIS)
$13.00 $7.00 (1 in stock)
Flames of Rome
by Paul L. Maier
2nd edition from Kregel Publications
for 9th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$18.99 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Forbidden Land
by Geoffrey T. Bull
from Moody Press
for 10th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$7.60 (1 in stock)
Gifts of the Jews
by Thomas Cahill
from Nan A. Talese
for 9th-Adult
in Church History (Location: XCH-HIS)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
God's Outlaw
by Brian H. Edwards
2nd edition from Evangelical Press
Biography for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$5.60 (1 in stock)
Hearts of Fire
by The Voice of the Martyrs
from Thomas Nelson Publishers
for 10th-Adult
in History of Missions (Location: XCH-MIS)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Heavenly Man
by Brother Yun, Paul Hattaway
from Monarch Books
for 10th-Adult
in Clearance: Biographies (Location: ZCLE-BIO)
$11.89 $6.00 (1 in stock)
History of the Presbyterian Church in America
by Frank Joseph Smith
2nd edition
for Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission Volume 2
by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor
from OMF
for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$11.20 (1 in stock)
Hudson Taylor In Early Years Volume 1
by Howard Taylor
from OMF
for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$11.20 (2 in stock)
In My Father's House
by Corrie Ten Boom
First Edition from Revell Publishing
for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.20 (2 in stock)
In My Father's House
by Corrie Ten Boom
Book Club Edition from Power Books
for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
In Search of the Source
by Neil Anderson, Hyatt Moore
from Wycliffe Bible Translators
Missionary Biography for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.40 (2 in stock)
In the Fullness of Time
by Paul L. Maier
Rev Upd Su from Kregel Publications
for 10th-Adult
in Church History (Location: XCH-HIS)
$12.50 (1 in stock)
John Calvin
by Burk Parsons (editor)
from Reformation Trust Publishing
in Reformed Theology (Location: XTH-REF)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
John Calvin: Man of the Millennium
from Vision Forum
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
John Charles Ryle
by Peter Toon, Michael Smout
for 10th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Jonathan and Sarah
by Edna Gerstner
from Soli Deo Gloria
Biography for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.00 (2 in stock)
Just As I Am
by Billy Graham
1st edition from HarperCollins
for 11th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Katherine Parr
by Brandon G. Withrow
from P&R Publishing
Biography for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$11.89 $5.20 (1 in stock)
Life and Diary of David Brainerd
by David Brainerd
from Moody Press
Biography for 10th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$19.20 (1 in stock)
Life of John Knox
by Thomas McCrie
from Back Home Industries
Biography for 10th-Adult
in Clearance: Biographies (Location: ZCLE-BIO)
$11.90 $10.00 (2 in stock)
Life Sentence
by Charles W. Colson
Second Printing from Chosen Books
for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Light Force
by Brother Andrew
from Revell Publishing
for 10th-Adult
in History of Missions (Location: XCH-MIS)
$6.50 (2 in stock)
Living on the Devil's Doorstep
International Adventures
by Floyd McClung
from YWAM Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in International Adventures (Location: BIO-INTADV)
$12.74 $6.00 (2 in stock)
Lords of the Earth
by Don Richardson
Reprint. from Regal Books
for 9th-Adult
in Church History (Location: XCH-HIS)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Maria
by Maria von Trapp
from Creation House
for 7th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Missionary Patriarch
by John G. Paton
from Vision Forum
Biography for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$16.00 (2 in stock)
My Heart in His Hands
by Sharon L. James
from Evangelical Press
for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.80 (1 in stock)
My Little Church Around the Corner
by Dr. J.H. Randolph Ray
from Simon and Schuster
for Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$14.40 (1 in stock)
Narrow Road
by Brother Andrew, Elizabeth Sherrill, Jars of Clay, John Sherrill
from YWAM Publishing
for 10th-Adult
in International Adventures (Location: BIO-INTADV)
$12.74 $6.00 (1 in stock)
New Testament and the People of God
by N. T. Wright
for Adult
in Church History (Location: XCH-HIS)
$14.40 (1 in stock)
Peace Child
International Adventures
by Don Richardson
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 10th-Adult
in International Adventures (Location: BIO-INTADV)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Peter Cartwright, the Backwoods Preacher
by Peter Cartwright
Undated from Cranston and Curts
for 10th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
Pigtail and Chopsticks Man
by Jim Cromarty
2010 Printing from Evangelical Press
for 8th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Rev. William S. White, D. D., and His Times [1800-1873]
by Rev. H. M. White, D. D., editor
from Sprinkle Publications
for Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.20 (2 in stock)
Rise and Fall of Waiilatpu
by Miles Cannon, Narcissa Prentiss Whitman
from Bookshelf Central
for Adult
in History of Missions (Location: XCH-MIS)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Roots of Endurance
The Swans are Not Silent #3
by John Piper
from Crossway Books
for Adult
in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Sergeant York and the Great War
by Alvin C. York
from My Father's World
Autobiography for 7th-Adult
in World War I (1914-1919) (Location: HISA-20WW1)
$18.70 $8.00 (2 in stock)
Shadow of the Almighty
by Elisabeth Elliot
from HarperCollins
Biography for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$14.44 $7.20 (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)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Skipper of the Sentinel
by May Cole Kuhn
from Review and Herald Publishing Association
for 6th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Steal Away Home: Charles Spurgeon and Thomas Johnson
by Matt Carter and Aaron Ivey
from B&H Books
for Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Stories of the Hymns
by Glenn J. Rawson, Jean Tonioli, and Jason Tonioli
from Unknown Publisher
for 6th-Adult
in History of Hymns (Location: XCH-HYMN)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Story of Christianity
by Michael Collins, Matthew A. Price
from DK Publishing
for 8th-Adult
in Church History Overviews (Location: XCH-OVE)
$14.40 (1 in stock)
Story of Christianity
by Michael Collins, Matthew A. Price
1st edition from DK Publishing
for 8th-Adult
in Church History Overviews (Location: XCH-OVE)
$12.00 (3 in stock)
Story of Christianity
by Michael Collins, Matthew A. Price
from Tyndale House
for 8th-Adult
in Church History Overviews (Location: XCH-OVE)
$14.40 (2 in stock)
Taking the High Places
International Adventures
by Jemimah Wright, Terry Snow
from YWAM Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in International Adventures (Location: BIO-INTADV)
$14.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Then Sings My Soul Book 1
by Robert J. Morgan
from Thomas Nelson Publishers
for 9th-Adult
in History of Hymns (Location: XCH-HYMN)
$19.54 $11.20 (1 in stock)
There's a Sheep in My Bathtub
by Brian Hogan
10th Anniversary Edition from Asteroidea Books
for 10th-Adult
in History of Missions (Location: XCH-MIS)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
These are the Generations
by Mr. and Mrs. Bae, as told to the Rev. Eric Foley
from Voice of the Martyrs
for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Through Gates of Splendor
by Elisabeth Elliot
from Tyndale House
Biography for 8th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$16.14 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Through Gates of Splendor
by Elisabeth Elliot
40th Anniversary from Tyndale House
Missionary Biography for 8th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.49 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Tommorow You Die
International Adventures
by Reona Peterson Joly
from YWAM Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in International Adventures (Location: BIO-INTADV)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
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 (3 in stock)
Totally Surrounded
by Christina Davis
from YWAM Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in International Adventures (Location: BIO-INTADV)
$12.74 $5.60 (1 in stock)
Treasury of Best-Loved Hymns
by Daniel A. Poling, illustrated by James Daugherty
from Pickwick Press
for 3rd-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$15.20 (1 in stock)
True Grit
by Deborah Meroff
from Authentic Media
for 9th-Adult
in Church History (Location: XCH-HIS)
$4.40 (1 in stock)
Walker of Tinnevelly
by Amy Carmichael
from Classic Christian Books
for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?
by D. James Kennedy, Jerry Newcombe
Revised from Thomas Nelson Publishers
for Adult
in Church History Overviews (Location: XCH-OVE)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
When Fathers Ruled
by Steven Ozment
from Harvard University Press
in Biblical Manhood (Location: XFA-MEN)
$12.40 (1 in stock)
When Morning Gilds the Skies
by Joni Eareckson Tada, John MacArthur, Robert & Bobbie Wolgemuth
from Crossway Books
for 10th-Adult
in History of Hymns (Location: XCH-HYMN)
$8.80 (1 in stock)
Where Christ is Still Tortured
by Richard Wurmbrand
from Marshalls
for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Worlds Apart
by Marilyn Gardner
from Doorlight Publications
for Adult
in Diversity & Multicultural Books (Location: HISMC-MUL)
$8.80 (1 in stock)
Wurmbrand: Tortured for Christ
by Voice of the Martyrs
from David C. Cook
for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$11.20 (1 in stock)
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