The Story of Christianity

For a while now, poco a poco, I’ve been making my way through Justo González’s magisterial The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation (HarperOne). It’s long and not exactly a page-turner. But González—a Cuban-American and Methodist historian of the church—writes with characteristic warmth, giving this book a degree of readability that sets it apart from similarly well-researched tomes. So much so that I intend to tackle the second volume as well before the year is through.

Reading church history, it seems to me, is one important way of understanding where we are in the scheme of things, as particular kinds of Christians in one particular moment in time. It puts the divisions and dilemmas of our day in perspective. When we see examples in church history of faithful sacrifice and courageous conviction—those who embody the fruit of the Spirit—we can be encouraged. And when we see our spiritual forebears wandering through proverbial wildernesses of error—the bloodshed of the Crusades comes to mind—may we be humbled.

The men and women who populate the story of Christianity (and The Story of Christianity) are indeed “a great cloud of witnesses,” as the author of the letter to the Hebrews puts it. As we get to know them, we’re better able to recognize what faithfulness looks like while identifying and avoiding maybe just a few of the snares that so easily entangle. The Lord being our helper.