A History of Christianity

This article is about one book. For other uses, see History of Christianity (disambiguation).
A History of Christianity

Cover of the first edition
Author Paul Johnson
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Subject History of Christianity
Published 1976
Pages vii, 556 (1990 Penguin edition)
ISBN 0-14-013484-0

A History of Christianity is a study of the Christian religion written by British journalist, historian, and author Paul Johnson. The book was published in 1976 and aims to be a factual comprehensive history of the Christian religion. Johnson, a Roman Catholic, takes the view that "During these two millennia Christianity has, perhaps, proved more influential in shaping human destiny than any other institutional philosophy, but there are now signs that its period of predominance is drawing to a close, thereby inviting a retrospect and a balance sheet." (vii). He argues for the need to focus on an unbiased factual history: "Christianity is essentially a historical religion. It bases its claims on the historical facts it asserts. If they are demolished it is nothing." (vii) "A Christian with faith has nothing to fear from the facts." (viii)

As a factual history, the book is not an apologetic defense of the religion. Rather, in the Epilogue, it describes its subject as a matrix for "a constant process of struggle and rebirth — a succession of crises, often accompanied by horror, bloodshed, bigotry and unreason but [with] evidence too of growth, vitality and increased understanding." The book "has necessarily stressed [Christianity's] failures and shortcomings, and its institutional distortions" but in the context of "its stupendous claims and its unprecedented idealism." (515-16)

Johnson argues that Christianity is self-correcting, with an "outstanding moral merit to invest the individual with a conscience, and bid him to follow it" and states "it is thus no accident that all the implantations of freedom throughout the world have ultimately a Christian origin." (516) The apotheosis that Christianity provide reflects an effort to rise above our frailties. "And to that extent, the chronicle of Christianity is an edifying one." (517)

Contents

The book is divided into eight parts, listed below, with a prologue, epilogue, bibliography, and index.

He ends discussing the possible ending of the millennial long East-West Schism. How far the ending of schisms within Christianity will go is to be seen.

...the argument about the control of the Christian Church is almost as old as Christianity itself; and it may be that it will continue so long as there are men and women who assert that Christ was God, and who await the parousia. Perhaps it is part of the providential plan that the organization of Christianity should be a perpetual source of discord. Who can say? We should remember the words of Saint Paul, towards the end of his letter to the Romans, the key document of the faith: 'O depth of wealth, wisdom, and knowledge in God. How unsearchable his judgments, How untraceable his ways. Who knows the mind of the Lord? Who has been his counselor?' (514)

Reception

Malcolm Muggeridge, writing in New Statesman, described the book as 'masterly... [combining] great wealth of scholarship, with a vigorous, confident style," and Alan Brien in The Sunday Times called it " vivid, colourful, clear and often at once impassioned and witty. His history should not be left to students and scholars [-] This is a treat for the general reader."[1]

Martin E. Marty's 1976 New York Times review of the book "Then Along Came Paul, the Original Jesus Freak" asserts that "whether one can represent Christianity in only 556 pages becomes pedantic and frivolous in the face of the fact that Paul Johnson has successfully done so." Near the end, the review describes the book as "a reliable if hard-edged story of the public church." The review closes by noting that "[n]ever for a sentence does Johnson get inside the home or heart of simple believers, who outnumber his characters by thousands to one."[2]

W.H.C. Frend's 1976 New York Review of Books review "Christians vs. Christians" describes it as "brilliantly, if somberly and sometimes even wrongheadedly, told" and "a tour de force, one of the most ambitious surveys of the history of Christianity ever attempted and perhaps the most radical.[3]

The Goodreads abstract gives the book a 3.88 out of 5 rating.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Back page reviews, taken from Penguin edition, 1990 ISBN 0-14-013484-0
  2. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/books/00/09/03/specials/johnson-christianity.html
  3. ↑ "http://www.nybooks.com/articles/1976/08/05/christians-vs-christians/
  4. ↑ http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/89448.A_History_of_Christianity

External links

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