Church History in Plain Language, Fifth Edition: The Story of the Church for Today's Readers

An excellent read. This text has help to answer so many questions. Used in my Bible study class, everyone seemed to enjoy it.

I don't have time to read ALL the books I assign my high school students read. (Not happy about that, it's just true). But if there's only ONE you can get to, MAKE IT THIS ONE!It is truly "In Plain Launguage" and really well written. Bruce Shelley does a lovely job laying out the facts and making connections.If you are a nerdy homeschooling mom like me, YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK!!

This book is a great way to learn church history! The chapters are a good length and very interesting. I got this for a class I am taking but I want to read all of the chapters. It is inspiring to read about those that have gone before us. This makes the history interesting and accessible.

I learned a lot from reading this. The title is spot on in terms of the book's contents... Church History is exactly what it is, from Pentacost to present. "In Plain Language" is exactly correct too. The title also indicates that, in my opinion, it's not exactly a "page turner" unless history textbooks are your thing. 4 stars for concise, accurate, thorough enough for what I need, easy to understand text. Not 5 stars just because of the lack of "thrill and excitement". Maybe I'm being too tough because I chose to read knowing this. I have to say it was interesting. Maybe 4.5 stars would be better but no half grades in Amazon. Another aspect was the author's objectivity in reporting was good. The times some subjectivity snuck in there didn't bother me because I agreed with him.

I am enjoying the depth and content that is discussed in this book. It is helping me understand more about God and the Church.

Great readA bit lengthy but well worth the time. Very informative about how the church has become to be known today.

a must read for those who want to understand church history! Great background on how we got the Bible in English and how the reformation came about.

I have always wanted to read a history of the Christian church from Jesus' resurrection to now. But the books I started were all dense and more for a seminarian. Dr. Bruce Shelley's Church History in Plain Language (updated by R. L. Hatchett for the Fourth Edition) charts the complexity of the Christian church movement through the ages. This sweep through the history of the church moves quickly through complex change in the structure of the local church throughout the world.My takeaways are: the church is messy, Christians are messier, but God's hand is steady and sure. While the evangelical author/editor have an opinion, they do a good job of presenting the historical facts and mostly let the reader form his/her own opinion.Covering 2000+ years in 500 pages does not allow the authors to dwell on anyone one phase in great depth although they slow down to set the stage for the events and explain how the events shaped the church as we know it today.One theme, that struck me throughout church history, is that the local church rediscovers "the church" and then at some point its "leaders" highjack the movement for their benefit. Constantine's rule is a reminder of our desire for the church to have "the power of the state" when the power of the Gospel is all that is needed. The history of the Roman Catholic church is another example of the excesses that occur when man attempts to use the church for the benefit of the institution over the good of the gospel. Most interesting to me was how much I have misunderstood what has happened in the last 4oo years both in America and in the world.To read about the rapid growth of the gospel in East Africa fueled by Ugandan pastors is inspiring. The American church of 2017 can learn a lot from what is happening in Africa, Asia, and even the middle east.The "national leadership" of the American church has been more focused (out of fear) in attacking the moral depravity of our nation when the gospel is the only true message of the church. Jesus Christ was a man and God. Yet in America we tend to strip Him of His supernatural power to not only save but to transform.One of the clear messages of the book is that our interest in protecting the church using state power/legislation, proven methods, revivals, camp meetings, programs, etc. takes the focus away from the gospel and that is the only source of power of the church of Jesus Christ.I will read this one again and maybe even again. Good read!

This book was so easy to read, and covered Christianity from the time of Jesus until now. It flowed like a grand story that we are all a part of. I loved it!

Easy to read and understand.Highly recommended for group study.A good resource to understand how we have come about the present state of the church and world that we live in.

There’s a sense in which you don’t know you need to read a book like this until you’ve read it. I would recommend that any Christian read this book as it is really helpful in understanding not just church history but world history and the role of Christians throughout it. For me, it gave me much food for thought in relation to how I view the church and the world and how I should respond to the challenges that both face. Most helpfully though, this book points consistently to Jesus and reminds us that church history is fundamentally about how we respond to to who He is.

I’m not a scholar but read this because I wanted to know why Roman Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox differ. I understand this clearly now, and much, much more. A comprehensive history of the Christian church which is readable and seemingly treats every aspect of it’s beliefs with impartiality but nonetheless is not scared to provide commentary and some reasonable opinion. It has helped me reconsider and affirm aspects of my beliefs and values.

easy to read. a lot of information. good to study. I really enjoy it. I want to read it more than one time because it is so teaching.