Brief Christian Histories: Getting a Sense of Our Long Story

by James W. White, Brian D. McLaren (Foreword by), Melissa Addington (Illustrator)

Overview

How do we undergird Christian enthusiasm with Christian substance? Brief Christian Histories combines biblical and ecclesial history in a single volume, taking readers through 4000 years of our religion's history using four themes of interest: WHO has led us? HOW have we been guided ethically? WHAT have been our faith practices and pieties? WHERE have we interacted with culture, and to what effect? Reading any one chapter will give readers a feel for the Christian narrative as a whole. Reading two or more narratives will broaden readers' understanding of where we have come from--all to help understand this big religion of ours, deepen ourselves in it, and keep our faith fresh and moving forward. We move for God's New Order (basileia)--about which Jesus taught, for which he taught us to pray, and into which he invites our enthusiastic, substantive sojourning.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781630873059
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	03/17/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	246
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

James W. White's business card reads, "Minister, Author, and Fly-Fishing Guide." He was Senior Minister of First Congregational United Church of Christ in Colorado Springs and holds degrees from Oklahoma University, Yale Divinity School, Pacific School of Religion, and the University of Denver (PhD). He is the author of Christianity 101: Tracing Basic Beliefs and Round Boys Great Adventures: Fish-a-logues from Rocky Mountain Trout Waters. He lives with his wife Patti and enjoys taking Gilda, their golden retriever, on long walks and short fishing trips.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Foreword Brian McLaren xiii

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 The People of God: The Main Characters of Our Faith Story and Their Roles 7

People Timeline 51

Chapter 2 Christians' Ethics: Historical Trajectory on Relating to God and Neighbor 65

Chapter 3 Practices and Pieties of The Pilgrimage: With Matching Quizzes for Historical Periods 104

Chapter 4 Christ and Culture Interacting: Societal Settings, Dynamics, and Formations of the Faith 148

Conclusion: Looking Back, Looking Forward 197

Appendix A A Listing of Some Biblical and Ecclesial Roles, Offices, Titles, and Functions 201

Appendix B Christian Practices and Pieties through the Years 205

Appendix C Author's History with These Histories 209

Bibliography 215

People Index 219

Subject Index 223

Bible and Literature Index 229

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"In his book Brief Christian Histories, James White, with the deft touch of the fisherman he is, casts us into the deep waters of our faith tradition—and reels us back again. The result is an evolved understanding and new appreciation for Christianity past, present, and future. As an educator, Jim leads us beyond an antiquated conception of our faith to one that, while rooted in age-old personalities and practices, is very much alive today."
—Tom Stella, author of Finding God Beyond Religion

"James White is a born teacher; as a result, this book is a huge pedagogical success. The book exhibits, several times over, the great sweep of Christian history with just enough specificity to connect many, many dots. In this book, White demonstrates his effective teaching capacity, now made available for many willing learners."
—Walter Brueggemann, author of Sabbath as Resistance

"James White combines his keen intellect with his deeply personal ministry. The result is a volume that is both a delight to read and a source of genuine enlightenment."
—John Shelby Spong, author of The Fourth Gospel

Editorial Reviews

"In his book Brief Christian Histories, James White, with the deft touch of the fisherman he is, casts us into the deep waters of our faith tradition—and reels us back again. The result is an evolved understanding and new appreciation for Christianity past, present, and future. As an educator, Jim leads us beyond an antiquated conception of our faith to one that, while rooted in age-old personalities and practices, is very much alive today."
—Tom Stella, author of Finding God Beyond Religion

"James White is a born teacher; as a result, this book is a huge pedagogical success. The book exhibits, several times over, the great sweep of Christian history with just enough specificity to connect many, many dots. In this book, White demonstrates his effective teaching capacity, now made available for many willing learners."
—Walter Brueggemann, author of Sabbath as Resistance

"James White combines his keen intellect with his deeply personal ministry. The result is a volume that is both a delight to read and a source of genuine enlightenment."
—John Shelby Spong, author of The Fourth Gospel

From the Publisher