CHURCH UNDER SIEGE

By M.A. Smith

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0851105785
• ISBN13: 9780851105789
• Release Date: January 1976
• Publisher: Inter-Varsity Press
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Revealing and well written!

An excellent history of Christianity in the days of the later Roman Empire. Shows how the Roman population changed from an educated, cosmopolitan culture to an uneducated, superstitious culture in a short time, and how this affected the Christian church.

An intelligent, informative history of Christ's church

This book gives you a readable, comprehensive and insightful history of Christianity between the years 300 - 800. If you get the other book in this series (From Christ to Constantine), you will have a very good and thorough starter on the first 800 years of Christian history, an absolutely vital period in the development of church history.The period that this covers was absolutely crucial in church history. Many different errors and heresies arose regarding everything from the person of Christ, the Trinity, to relations between church and state, and Smith covers them well and keeps you interested. Many modern religious movements share many of these erroneous characteristics, so it is fascinating and educational to learn how these problems were dealt with by the church fathers. Remember, these were some of the greatest thinkers ever in Christendom, and Smith quotes from their letters and writings, to really let you get to know what they are thinking.The narrative style of this book makes it very easy to read, and its comprehensive illustrations and notes makes it into a good resource for anyone. Yet its not too big, about the size of a medium paperback, not some massive tome that you'll never finish. The book gave me the impression of being thoroughly researched, intellectual but not high-brow, clear and factual in its setting out of the facts, and well thought out in its interpretation of the events. If this is the only book on Christian history for this period that you read, you will at least have a good grounding. But I assure you, if you read this, you will want to read more church history, I know I did! Nothing else I have read though, is as good as this.Michael Smith, it is clear from the book, is an Evangelical Christian, with a good understanding of the Gospel. He appears to me to be orthodox in his views, neither conservative nor liberal. I found myself fully in agreement with his interpretation of events, and I really learned a lot (the ramifications of the battle of Milvian Bridge in 323AD, were a real revelation to me, and quite profoundly increased my understanding of medieval and modern denominational development!).If you're interested in Church History, whether you already know a lot or even nothing at all but would like to, this book is what I would recommend over all others. Even if you think you already know this period, this book may give you new insights. If you can find this book, get it, read it, and hang on to it for dear life!