|
John Haddon Leith (Editor) |
|
The title speaks for itself. Ancient, modern, denominational, ecumenical-- they're all here. |
|
Creeds of the Churches |
|
Sydney E. Ahlstrom |
|
If I had to choose a textbook for an American history of religion course in a public university, I'd choose this one. It's detailed, even-handed, and nonsectarian. |
|
A Religious History of the American People |
|
W.H.C. Frend |
|
A detailed, insightful account of Christianity during the first six centuries. This book, together with Jaroslav Jan Pelikan's The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine Volume 1: The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition, is an unbeatable resource for beginning to understand the depths and complexities of the early church. |
|
The Rise of Christianity |
|
|
|
The Christian Tradition |
|
Susan Lynn Peterson |
|
F.L. Cross & F.A. Livingston |
ten books that have been indispensable to me in my study of church history |
|
If I were limited to just one church history reference book, this would be it. It's an alphabetical listing of articles on everything from theology to practice, people to institutions. It has a distinctly British bias but is one of the most comprehensive one-volume church history reference books out there. I’ve literally worn the covers off mine. |
|
Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church |
|
Daniel G. Reid, et al |
|
Dictionary of Christianity in America is the place I turn most often for general information about American church history. Its greatest strength is its biographies. It also has great capsule descriptions of history of various denominations. |
|
Dictionary of Christianity in America |
|
Susan Lynn Peterson |
|
OK, so I'm a little biased about this one. When I wrote it, it was with the intention that it become a mainstay reference for students of church history. Chances are if you need a date or basic who-what-when-where information about an event in church history, it's in this book. It's the product of a decade of research, and I think you'll find it useful. |
|
Timeline Charts of the Western Church |
|
Kenneth Scott Latourette |
|
If you're looking for dates and strict chronology, A History of Christianity may not be your best bet. But if you are looking for a detailed church history book that you can curl up with on a Sunday afternoon, read, and enjoy cover-to-cover, I'd suggest this two-volume series. Latourette is one of those rare writers who can convey complex ideas without obscure terminology. |
|
A History of Christianity |
|
Karen Armstrong |
|
If ever a church-history writer deserved kudos for "thinking outside the box," Armstrong does. Her book is ambitious-- the subtitle is The 4000 Year Quest for Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It's multidisciplinary: part church history, part theology, part comparative religion. But most of all, it's a fresh perspective. |
|
A History of God |
|
John R.H. Moorman |
|
I betray my Episcopalian roots by recommending this one. It's the best overview I know of the church in England. But even non-Anglicans will see their roots here. It discusses the Puritans, the early Baptists, and many other facets of the English-speaking church. |
|
A History of the Church in England |
|
My Essential Church History Reference Library |