# Beste books on Church history ?



## Mayflower (Feb 10, 2006)

Whats are the best books which gives the best overview and details concerning Church history. I mean not only the reformation, but the periode from the apostles until now.

Shaff (history on the christian church) i have already, so i need some other good resources.


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## ChristopherPaul (Feb 10, 2006)

_The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine_ by Jaroslav Pelikan


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## Scott (Feb 10, 2006)

Do want want detail on specific periods or overviews? And do you want easy (user-friendly) or more advanced?


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## Mayflower (Feb 10, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Scott_
> Do want want detail on specific periods or overviews? And do you want easy (user-friendly) or more advanced?



Both.


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## Mayflower (Feb 10, 2006)

> _Originally posted by ChristopherPaul_
> _The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine_ by Jaroslav Pelikan



This one i have already.


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## ChristopherPaul (Feb 10, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Mayflower_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by ChristopherPaul_
> ...



Wait, you have Pelikan and Shaff and you want more?


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## LadyCalvinist (Feb 10, 2006)

J.A. Wylie wrote a number of books on church history, particularly his History of Protestantism. Also, have you read Eusebius HIstory of the Church? I was talking about that with a seminary professor and he said that the great thing about Eusebius is that he quotes many sources that we no longer have. Christopher Dawson, RC though he is, has written some very good books on the medieval church. Also, I know VirginiaHuguenot as mentioned a number of books on church history.


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## Scott (Feb 10, 2006)

I have found Mark Noll's works to be good and he has works on a variety of topics, mainly American religious history (eg. The Old Religion in the New World: The History of Christianity in North America). D.G. Hart is excellent and reliable. I found this audio set useful and enoyable. Also be aware that many semnaries make their courses available on tape. You can get the church historey course from Westminster Dallas on tape, for example.

Other good books:

> Eusebius, The History of the Church (good and readable early source material)
> Bede, the Ecclesiastical History of the English People (another early source)
> William LaDue, The Chair of St. Peter: A History of the Papacy. A good overview of the papacy. It discusses the papacy in phases of its development. It begins with a non-monarchical beginnings to papal absolutism.
> Nathan O. Hatch, The Democratization of American Christianity. Must reading.
> Stephen Neill , A History of Christian Missions (Pelican 1994). Helpful but dry history of Christian missions. It is still a valuable source of information.
> Ramsay MacMullen's Christianizing the Roman Empire (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1984). Excellent short book surveying the records about what caused early Christians to convert.

[Edited on 2-10-2006 by Scott]


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## AdamM (Feb 10, 2006)

in my opinion, "Christianity Through the Centuries" by Earle Cairns is the best single volume work available for serious laypeople and college students.

[Edited on 2-11-2006 by AdamM]


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## Philip A (Feb 10, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Scott_
> > Nathan O. Hatch, The Democratization of American Christianity. Must reading.


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## Mayflower (Feb 11, 2006)

> _Originally posted by ChristopherPaul_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by Mayflower_
> ...



Iam very hungry,mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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