Understanding Christianity : Origins, Beliefs, Practices, Holy Texts, Sacred Places

By Rosemary Drage Hale

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 184483039X
• ISBN13: 9781844830398
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: Duncan Baird Publishers
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.7" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Concise, Intelligent, Clear, Fair, Informative, Impressive!

I had never expected to see a book, about any religion (or denomination of one) with which I'm familiar, that so succinctly and even-handedly presents subject matter rightfully recognized as being so complex. Christianity, likely the world's most wide-spread religion, is an especially difficult matter to present so justly and unbiasedly. Hale's writing is clean and unadorned, absent of rhetorical flourish or covert salesmanship. I'm almost disappointed to admit that I found no nits to pick about this book, because surely there should be some sort of flaw or inadequacy or skewed slant in a written treatment of such a broad and complex, let alone controversial, topic. She describes without polemic. She explains without appeal or apology. I don't know Hale, and acknowledge that I know nothing about her, so I'm not "plugging her book" by praising it. I merely recognize a printed analogy to a masterfully crafted piece of Shaker or Amish furniture, wherein knowledge, skill and simplicity so elegantly blend.

The best concise overview I have found!

This is a gorgeous little book (the kind that might belong on a miniature coffee table) with several photographs and excerpts from important Christian writings throughout history. It would make an excellent gift for anyone from ten years old to a hundred. The text is lucid, highly accurate, and very easy to read: you could finish the thing in about half an hour. This book is by no means exhaustive, but it is surprisingly broad in scope and a joy to read. For those who need a quick, accessible, zero-prior-knowledge-required "introduction to Christianity," this is the best book you could hope to buy. I have never come across a book in this field as compact, unbiased, and well-written as Hale's.