DISCO D: BACKUP / TEOLOGIA / HISTORIA / IGLESIA CRISTIANA / HISTORIA DEL CRISTIANISMO

It's a really easy read. very informative and interesting. ( )

Regardless of how you feel about Christianity, there is no denying the huge impact it has had (and continues to have) on the political, cultural, and social history of the Western world. I feel like my dip into a survey of Christian history has given me a better launching pad for understanding the world around me and how it ended up this way (for good and for bad). It is also really helping stoke my fascination with the English royal family, although that shows up more in Volume two....

[full review here: http://spacebeer.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-story-of-christianity-volume-1.html ] ( )

As with the written history of any specific people, The Story of Christianity begins by describing the influence of the Jewish people and social structure of the time, but quickly transitions to the more specific events that surround the budding movement of Christianity. After discussing the severe persecutions inflicted upon the early Christians, the narrative moves into that part of Christianity that is described by González as the Imperial Church. From the Imperial Church and its primary movers the story line proceeds to introduce those factors that are have substantial influence upon the period described as Medieval Christianity. As the Medieval Age of the Church comes to a close, González chronicles the beginning of the Protestant movement as the governmental arm of the Western Church begins a course towards civil politics and self-service. González shows his astute scholarship as Volume I finishes with a discussion of the influence exerted by both Spain and Portugal in their efforts to expand and strengthen empire and economy, taking Christianity to new and exotic lands.

With the intervention of Constantine, the plight of the Early Christians turned to triumph; yet, the imposition of imperial weight to the structure of Christianity produced a change in Church polity that continues to be felt in the present. The good that Constantine sought under an idea of uniformity – a laudable goal – resulted in a Church that took on the characteristics of civil government; specifically, the coalescence of ecclesiastical power under the office of one man using a ruling elite to enforce church law (a condition felt by both the Western and Eastern arm of the Church). The Reformation, with its lofty goal of returning the Church to a sola scriptura structure, has also left indelible marks which continue to be felt in a fragmented Church; perhaps stronger in diversity but certainly weaker in unity. An overriding theme that appears to permeate Volume I is the interwoven nature of the Church and civil government, regrettably both using the other as a tool for prominence and control. ( )

Easy-reading with "narrative" concept of writing history. Early church history has been never easy like this. ( )