The Evolution of Christianity: Twelve Crises that Shaped the Church / Edition 1

by Marshall D. Johnson

Overview

Johnson takes a unique approach to church history. He examines twelve crises that motivated the evolution of Christianity. In his survey of Church history, he chronicles the story from the first century and the "birth and adolescence" of Christianity to postmodernism, a feat which no other introduction can claim. His chapters examine the basic conflicts that gave permanent shape to Christian theology, and, to a lesser degree, church institutions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780826416421
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	05/05/2005
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.69(d)

About the Author

Marshall D. Johnson is the former Director of Fortress Press (1990-1997). His recent book Making Sense of the Bible: Literary Type as an Approach to Understanding (Eerdmans, 2002) was selected as one of Choice’s “Outstanding Academic Books” for 2002.

Table of Contents

1.From Jesus to the "Apostolic Fathers": The Crisis of Birth and Adolescence2.From Variety to Orthodoxy and Heresy: The Crisis of Self-Definition3.From Persecution and Calumny to State Religion: The Crisis of the State4.The Trinitarian and Christological Controversies: The Crisis of Monotheism5.Augustine and the Pelagian Controversy: The Crisis of Salvation6.Oligarchy and Monarchy, East and West: The Crisis of Authority7.The "Crusades": The Crisis of Islam8.Scholastics, Friars, Heretics, and Mystics: Crises of Spirituality9.The Reformation: The Crisis of Salvation Once Again10.Orthodoxism, Pietism, and Rationalism: The Crisis of Modernity11.Copernicus, Darwin, and Freud: The Crisis of Relativity12.Christian Faith Today: The Crisis of Postmodernism

Editorial Reviews

-Mention. Theology Digest/ Vol. 52 No. 3/ Fall 2005--Sanford Lakoff

"To tell the historical story of Christianity in a volume of fewer than 200 pages is a daunting task, but one that Johnson sets for himself. Johnson (former director, Fortress Press) organizes his material around what he calls "twelve crises that shaped the church": birth and adolescence, self-definition, the state, monotheism, salvation, authority, Islam, spirituality, "salvation once again," competing truth claims, modernist worldviews, and postmodernism. This scheme allows him to apportion the material fairly over the two millennia of Christian history, which is one of the strengths of the book. Each chapter is tightly organized, with subject headings and several helpful charts...On the whole Johnson's work is a clear, helpful introduction to the Christian story for the educated reader. The footnotes and bibliography are basic at best. Summing Up: Recommended. Undergraduates and graduate students; general readers." - Choice, January 2006--Sanford Lakoff "CHOICE "

"Marshall Johson presents a crisp and well-digested story imaginatively divided into 12 chapters, each describing a crisis that shaped the Church from birth and adolescence, through self-definition, persecution, and doctrinal debate, to Islam, science modernism, and postmodernism."--Sanford Lakoff "Church Times "

From the Publisher

Johnson has written a brief, succinct church history built around the idea that doctrine and practice are shaped and changed by conflict. In fewer than 200 pages, he takes us from New Testament times to the present, by using 12 crises. History as a response to crisis is not a new idea, but Johnson's clear application will really help the nonexpert understand the development of the Christian Church in the West. The chapter titles and subtitles, e.g., "The Crusades: The Crisis of Islam" and "Orthodoxism, Pietism, and Rationalism: The Crisis of Competing Truth-Claims," present the historical context and identify the crisis. The chapters begin with a clear statement of the issue under discussion. Subheadings and a recapitulating conclusion in each chapter aid understanding. This clear and readable presentation of a complex subject is excellent for both students and interested lay readers. Recommended for academic and public libraries.-C. Robert Nixon, M.L.S., Lafayette, IN Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

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