This is an academic introductory survey published by Wipf and Stock, a broadly evangelical academic press, suggesting a generally orthodox orientation without strong confessional commitments. The book's value lies primarily in historical and theological orientation for students and curious readers rather than in devotional or confessional formation.
TheoScope Ratings
Age & Family Safety
Children
Safe and appropriate for children
8
Youth (13–18)
Suitable for teens and young adults
48
Adults
Written at a level adults can engage with
72
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Christianity is one of the world’s great religions, with more than two thousand years of history and over two billion adherents worldwide. But what is Christianity? Where did it come from? How did it develop to its current forms? What doctrines do Christians affirm? What ethical norms do they endorse? What relationships between church and state do they champion, and why? What changes have transpired for the faith over the centuries? And what new challenges does Christianity face in the contemporary world? These and other questions are addressed in Michael Robinson’s Christianity: A Brief History.
After a concise description of the social, political, and religious world of first-century Palestine, the text quickly examines the Jesus of history and tradition, including Jesus’ impact upon his first-century followers; the narrative then moves to describe the expansions and developments of Christianity through the ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary eras. Along the way, readers learn of the varied beliefs, mores, rituals, struggles, and triumphs of the faith, as well as of the spiritual heights and moral blunders of its people. Robinson’s intention is to introduce Christianity through its story and through those who lived it.