Books

My Top 5 Books on Church History

A History of the Christian Church Williston Walker

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

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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.

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

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

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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.

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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.

Copyright © 2007 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

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.

Also in this issue

The CT archives are a rich treasure of biblical wisdom and insight from our past. Some things we would say differently today, and some stances we've changed. But overall, we're amazed at how relevant so much of this content is. We trust that you'll find it a helpful resource.

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Why Christians Oppose Euthanasia

The immorality of killing the old and ill has never been in question for Christians. Nor is our duty to care for those the world devalues.

China’s Churches Go Deep Rather than Wide at Christmas

In place of large evangelism outreaches, churches try to be more intentional in the face of religious restrictions and theological changes.

Wire Story

Study: Evangelical Churches Aren’t Particularly Political

Even if members are politically active and many leaders are often outspoken about issues and candidates they support, most congregations make great efforts to keep politics out of the church when they gather.

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