A History of the Christian Church
Williston Walker

An oldie but a goodie, this classic survey strikes the right balance of substance and readability.

Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther
Roland H. Bainton

The most widely read biography of Luther—and for good reason. A great read on the most important Protestant pastor in history.

The Burning Heart: John Wesley: Evangelist
A. Skevington Wood

Readers can feel Wesley's heart burning on almost every page.

The Missionary Movement in Christian History: Studies in the Transmission of Faith
Andrew F. Walls

An exceptionally insightful collection of essays by today's senior statesman among missions scholars.

The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity
Philip Jenkins

If you are a typical North American, this book is a must-read. It undermines our ethnocentric view of what God is doing today.

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Related Elsewhere:

Christianity Today profiled Andrew Walls' work in 2007. His book was one of the "Books of the Century."

Our coverage of The Next Christendom includes:

God's Word in an Old Light | Philip Jenkins on how global South Christians read the Bible. (December 5, 2006)

Downward, Outward, Later | A superb new history of Christianity. By Philip Jenkins (Books & Culture, September/October 2006)

Books & Culture Corner: Books of the Year | The top ten. (OK—make that twelve.) (Books & Culture, December 30, 2002)

Philip Jenkins' The New Faces of Christianity won one of Christianity Today's book awards in 2007. Our review of his most recent book is also available online.

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I would also recommend Andrew Miller's Church History and The Pilgrim Church by E.H. Broadbent.

I wonder why Foxe's Book of Martyrs didn't make the list?

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