Modern Church History

This is the SCM Core Text: "Modern Church History" provides an introduction to global Christianity from 1700 to the mid 20th C. The book aims to help students understand the processes, movements and individuals who have contributed to making the contemporary Christian landscape the shape it is in the 21st century. Theologically it takes a wide and inclusive approach to provide a balanced survey of Christianity in all its forms - Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox. Geographically it focuses on the Christian church in the UK, continental Europe and North America, and examines in each location the social movements, campaigns and campaigners, scientific and political challenges that have shaped the Christian Church throughout the period.Beginning with the reaction to Lutherism, it charts the rise of Pietism in Europe throughout the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the influence of John Wesley and the Methodists, in the UK and the 'Great Awakening' in North America. The early chapters summarize the developments within the Christian Church in the UK, with detailed coverage of the English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish situations, throughout the 19th Century. This is followed by a summary of the various schools of thought to have developed through the 20th C, including the church's reaction to the 2 world wars in Europe, fundamentalism in the USA. The book also provides specific coverage of the religious situation in North America throughout the modern period covering the development of separate black churches, the 'New Evangelicalism'. It is suitable for level two as well as introductory courses in modern church history or courses concerned with religion, culture and society in the 18th - 20th centuries

Most evangelical Christians believe that the smallest sin will cause eternal condemnation. This horrific falsehood and others underlie a Christian belief system that is imposed on the Bible rather than received from it. Paul Pavao uses the plain statements of Scripture to uproot the old foundations, lay out and establish the foundations clearly described in the Bible, and rebuild the basics of the faith. Verse after verse, called difficult by traditional teachers, click neatly into place when put into the Christian system taught by the apostles and once believed by all churches. J.T. Tancock, Welsh apologist, author, and Bible college teacher calls Rebuilding the Foundations "explosive." He writes, "It upsets apple carts, slays sacred cows, and demands that we 'go back to the Bible'. For all of those reasons all of us must read it."God shaped Paul's life, personality, circumstances, and spiritual upbringing to prepare him to write this book. "I wrote Decoding Nicea to prove I could deal honestly with the facts and make solid historical sources available to the average Christian. That book was written as much to prove that I am qualified to write this book as for any other reason."Thousands of churches have hundreds of different theological systems. Converts to all branches of modern Christianity fall away in droves, most not even attending a church years down the road. Pastors know the majority of their congregants have little or no zeal for the things of Christ. A foundation of errors can only produce more errors, both theologically and practically. Building on what the apostle Paul called "God's firm foundation" can deliver us from those errors.

With all the pressing demands of modern ministry, why make time to learn church history? Is it relevant to worship and ministry today? Pastor Dayton Hartman argues that church history is not old news, but a vital component of a healthy ministry. In Church History for Modern Ministry, Hartman explores the importance of church history and shows how an understanding of our past can help us address contemporary issues. The faithfulness, discipleship, and perseverance of the early church can help today's church stand firm in times of change. "Hartman gives us an enjoyable, readable, and trustworthy book in Church History for Modern Ministry that helps us see the theological and ministerial value of studying our history. If you're a pastor, you need to know church history--not just for doctrinal clarity and sermon illustrations, but also for your own spiritual nourishment. I will be pointing pastors and aspiring pastors to this book for years to come." --Tony Merida, founding pastor, Imago Dei Church, Raleigh, NC For many evangelicals, church history jumps from the book of Acts, has a brief stopover in the Protestant Reformation, and picks up in the present day. In Church History for Modern Ministry, Hartman corrects our dangerous a-historical view by mining the rich history of our faith. I'll be recommending this to pastors and parishioners alike. It's a great way for them to meet the family they never knew they had! --Drew Dyck, managing editor, Leadership Journal; author, Yawning at Tigers: You Can't Tame God, So Stop Trying It seems to me that 95 percent of the stupid things we do as pastors could be avoided if we knew a little church history. I am very happy that Dayton Hartman has written this book. As both a practicing pastor and a practicing church historian, he is well poised to bring the insights of our forefathers to bear on the day-to-day issues that confront church leaders. That Church History for Modern Ministry is both short and snarky is an added bonus! --Mike McKinley, author; contributor and speaker, 9Marks; senior pastor, Sterling Park Baptist Church (Sterling, VA) In this helpful book Hartman shows pastors why we should appreciate church history. Every generation of Christians and pastors stands on the shoulders of those who have gone before. The lessons that God taught our forebears can be very useful for ministry today. Hartman helps us see how this is so, and also provides practical suggestions for introducing historical insights into congregational life. I recommend this book for pastors as well as other church leaders. --Tom Ascol, PhD; executive director, Founders Ministries Christians in America today--especially evangelicals--suffer from a damaging lack of connection to the 'cloud of witnesses' who have preceded us in Christian history. I am happy to commend Dr. Dayton Hartman's readable introduction to church history for pastors, who will surely be the key players in teaching Christians about the riches of the church's past. --Thomas S. Kidd, PhD; professor of history, Baylor University Over the past decade, I have taught church history to over a thousand seminarians and college students. Many of them have raised questions about whether or not church history is really useful for pastors and other ministers. While I make regular pastoral application in the classroom, I have yet to find a good book to point students to that weds church history and practical ministry. I'm grateful that pastor-historian Dayton Hartman has written this book--it fills an important gap and answers many of the questions my students are asking. I hopeChurch History for Modern Ministry is widely read and leads more pastors and other ministry leaders to mine the depths of Christian history for contemporary spiritual flourishing. --Nathan Finn, PhD; dean of the School of Theology and Missions, Union University All pastors and Christian teachers can greatly benefit from a solid knowledge of church history. And the best place to start is with Dayton Hartman's book Church History for Modern Ministry. This helpful book presents the key content of church history in a clear, concise, and careful manner. Yet the book is also distinct in reflecting careful theological ideas in a readable and sometimes humorous way. I endorse this book and its author to all readers. --Kenneth R. Samples, senior research scholar, Reasons to Believe Church History for Modern Ministry is a lighthearted yet serious look into the value of Christian history for contemporary ministry. Knowing the past helps ministers respond to future events with practical wisdom and theological depth. Hartman frames historical and theological developments with the expertise of a historian and the disposition of a pastor while introducing us to saints of old along the way. --Walter Strickland II, special advisor to the president for diversity, instructor of theology, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Cloaked in skinny jeans, coiffed with a faux-hawk and possessed by a sense of humor and engaging style, Dayton Hartman invites his tribe (pastors) to visit the foreign country that is the church's past. An able guide, Hartman gives an introductory tour that will surely inspire his group to visit again and again and to appreciate, value, and dialogue with church history as they press on to lead the people of God today. --Edward L. Smither, PhD; dean of the College of Intercultural Studies, Columbia International University; author of Augustine as Mentor This book is like most of my favorite books: short, enjoyable, and surprisingly practical! Hartman has provided an easy-to-read primer on the need and relevance of church history for our modern-day ministry. This book is anything but dry, and Hartman writes in a way that is relatable, refreshingly accessible, and immediately helpful. I was challenged by my own distance from the church of the past and encouraged to close that gap as a result of this work. Read it, enjoy it, and put these exhortations to use for the glory of God and the good of His church! --Brian Davis, hip-hop artist (God's Servant), Lamp Mode Recordings; pastor/church planter, Risen Christ Fellowship (Philadelphia, PA)

Fatima, war, Vatican II, St. John Paul II, and the clerical sex abuse crisis: These are just a few of the people and events that helped define the Catholic Church in the modern era. In The Church and the Modern Era (1846–2005), author David Wagner explores how the Church maintained its core beliefs while meeting the challenges of the industrial age, world wars, the sexual revolution, and technological advancement in an increasingly secular world. The “modern era” of the Catholic Church began with the election of Blessed Pius IX in 1846 and ends with the death of St. John Paul II in 2005, the last pope to have served as a council father at Vatican II. With monarchies falling, nation-states rising, and industrialization and mass migration underway, the world changed more during this period than any other, Wagner contends. While the Church may feel more user-friendly and less formal than ever before, what we believe has been handed down from the beginning. Wagner reintroduces you to some of the era’s most powerful examples of virtue and faith such as St. John Henry Newman, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Josephine Bakhita, St. Faustina, and St. Maximillian Kolbe. He will also dispel some of the long-held misconceptions about the Church that span the 160-year period. In this book, you will learn: The Catholic Church is the world’s most powerful advocate for workers, the poor, and human rights. The Church’s social teaching does not endorse any economic or political systems. The Second Vatican Council did not change Catholic teaching on faith or morals. The Church has been an advocate for raising the status of women, championing women’s rights to education, to work, and to equal pay. Books in the Reclaiming Catholic History series, edited by Mike Aquilina and written by leading authors and historians, bring Church history to life, debunking the myths one era at a time.

Engagingly written with introductory-level students in mind, The Modern Church brings the history of theological and spiritual developments, social and cultural phenomena, noteworthy leaders and ordinary Christians, long-standing institutions and spontaneous mass movements together into a single, fascinating narrative.

Church History, Volume Two chronicles the events, the triumphs, and the struggles of the Christian movement from the years leading up to the Reformation through the next five centuries to the present-day. Looking closely at the integral link between the history of the world and that of the church, Church History paints a portrait of God's people within the context of the times, cultures, and developments that both influenced and were influenced by the church. FEATURES: Maps, charts, and illustrations spanning the time from the thirteenth century to today. Explanations of all the major denominational movements, traditions, and schisms during and after the Reformation. Overviews of the Christian movement in Africa, eastern Europe, Asia, and Latin America to cover the scope of the ecumenical environment of the twenty-first century. Insights into the role and influence of politics, culture and societal norms, and technology on the Western church. Unbiased details on the major theological controversies and issues of each period. AUTHORS' PERSPECTIVE: Authors John D. Woodbridge and Frank A. James III wrote this history of the church from the perspective that such a history is the story of the greatest movement and community the world has known—as imperfect as it still is. It's a human story of a divinely called people who want to live by a divine revelation. It's a story of how they succeeded and how they failed and of how they are still trying to live out their calling. From the Reformation theologians in Europe to the revivalists, apologists, and Christian thinkers all over the world, the historical figures detailed are people who have struggled with the meaning of the greatest event in history—the coming of the Son of God—and with their role in that event and in the lives of God's people.

Chadwickʹs Early Church covers, as the book cover suggests, "the story of emergent Christianity from the apostolic age to the dividing of the ways between the Greek East and the Latin West." The story unfolds with the Jewish and Roman background within which the beginning church was nourished. It then goes on to show how important it is for the church to establish order and unity amidst threats of persecution and heresy. The emergence of apologists helps not only the expansion of the church but also the construction of Christian doctrine. At the same time, controversies abound as the church encountered many different cultural and sociological challenges while trying out in reaction a variety of ideas. With chapter seven, the relation between church and state changes, resulting in a stronger influence of the state upon the church while accelerating the split between the Latin West and the Greek East. The Arian controversy shows a period of instability between state and church, and also deepens the split of East and West. But within the turmoil, ascetic practice, papacy, liturgy, and art are established, helping to transmit a common European culture while the Roman Empire begins to degenerate.

Christianity Today 2023 Book Award Finalist (History & Biography) New forms of worship have transformed the face of the American church over the past fifty years. Drawing on a wide range of primary sources, including interviews with dozens of important stakeholders and key players, this volume by two worship experts offers the first comprehensive history of Contemporary Praise & Worship. The authors provide insight into where this phenomenon began and how it reshaped the Protestant church. They also emphasize the span of denominational, regional, and ethnic expressions of contemporary worship.

A lively examination of the heretics who helped Christianity become the world’s most powerful religion. From Arius, a fourth-century Libyan cleric who doubted the very divinity of Christ, to more successful heretics like Martin Luther and John Calvin, this book charts the history of dissent in the Christian Church. As the author traces the Church’s attempts at enforcing orthodoxy, from the days of Constantine to the modern Catholic Church’s lingering conflicts, he argues that heresy—by forcing the Church to continually refine and impose its beliefs—actually helped Christianity to blossom into one of the world’s most formidable religions. Today, all believers owe it to themselves to grapple with the questions raised by heresy. Can you be a Christian without denouncing heretics? Is it possible that new ideas challenging Church doctrine are destined to become as popular as Luther’s once-outrageous suggestions of clerical marriage and a priesthood of all believers? A delightfully readable and deeply learned new history, Heretics overturns our assumptions about the role of heresy in a faith that still shapes the world. “Wright emphasizes the ‘extraordinarily creative role’ that heresy has played in the evolution of Christianity by helping to ‘define, enliven, and complicate’ it in dialectical fashion. Among the world’s great religions, Christianity has been uniquely rich in dissent, Wright argues—especially in its early days, when there was so little agreement among its adherents that one critic compared them to a marsh full of frogs croaking in discord.” —The New Yorker