A History of Christianity

For the BBC television series, see A History of Christianity (TV series).

A History of Christianity

Cover of the first edition
Author	Paul Johnson
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Subject	History of Christianity
Published	1976
Pages	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.

• The Rise and Rescue of the Jesus Sect (50 BC to 250 AD) – Discusses Roman Judeo cultural world, Council of Jerusalem, Essenes, John the Baptist, textual evidence of Jesus, rise of the Church, Paul, Valentinius, Marcion, Tertullian, Origen, coming predominance of Roman Church and the Papacy

• From Martrys to Inquisitors (250 AD to 450 AD) – Diocletian's persecution, Constantine's conversion, first official Church, Jerome, Ambrose, Augustine.

• Mitred Lords and Crowned Ikons (450 AD to 1054 AD) – Dark Age Christianity, monasticism, Christian relics, rise of Papacy, Carolingian age, Eastern Orthodox Church.

• The Total Society and its Enemies (1054 AD to 1500 AD) – Height of Papacy, Middle Age theology, total Christian society, paying for Penance, corruption of Church, Crusades, millenarian revolts.

• The Third Force (1500 AD to 1648 AD) – Reformation and Counter reformation, with an emphasis on Erasmus.

• Faith, Reason and Unreason (1648 AD to 1870 AD) – Christianity's conflict with the Enlightenment, beginning of retreat of total Christian Society, Pascal, Voltaire, Protestantism, French Revolution, rerise of Papacy.

• Almost Chosen Peoples (1500 AD to 1910 AD) – Christian missionaries, conversion of Latin America, East Asian Christianity, Francis Xavier, Alessandro Valignano, persecution of Japanese Christianity, American Christianity, 19th century missionary work, African Christianity.

• The Nadir of Triumphalism (1870 AD to 1975 AD) – Modern Papacy, Modernity, Christianity and World War II, Nazism, decline of the Church in the West, rise of Pelagianism, Second Vatican Council.

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."

References

• Johnson, Paul A History of Christianity Touchstone Simon and Schuster 1976 ISBN 0-684-81503-6

External links

• New York Times Review