Originally written as a series of articles for the Christian Herald this book is the story of the development of the Christian Church. It is a well written history structured around a number of well known men and women of the last two thousand years. The style is concise and readable, the subject matter selective but well chosen and it contains many fascinating insights into many lives influential in the growth and the development of the church and mission through the centuries. There are a number of charts and maps that help clarify some of the main points of church history. The book is still available new from Christian Focus Publications which is based in Scotland and I understand that it is one of their best selling books over the last fifteen or so years. I can understand why. For those wanting to study something of church history, this book culls from the wealth of materials available the salient points, stating them in clear ways and always in a spirit that glorifies the work of God through many agencies in the building of His church. There is a strong message ever present in the unfolding story that the work is done by men and women both extraordinary and ordinary. These were chosen of God and called and went about their business to His glory. Some were clearer in their spiritual understanding of God and of His ways than others, this becomes obvious. Some promulgated a clearer gospel than others,. Some were martyred, losing their lives in tragic ways but each were faithful in their generation to that which the Lord had given to them. Some were missionaries to strange places and some pioneered in their own lands. Some became engaged in good works of the building of orphanages and places of care of other kinds, this book brings together a whole range of people showing the way things have unfolded in Christian history. Obviously much of the history spreads from the Roman Empire and focuses on things happening in the British Isles and then other parts of the world in the latter centuries. A book of this type could not pretend to be a complete history but what it does is introduce the reader to the wonder of Christ building His church in the midst of a world that at times rises up viciously to withstand what is being established. I commend this book to those looking for a basic primer on church history, it makes for rewarding and encouraging reading.
