History of the Christian Church

by Williston Walker

Book Overview

Since publication of the first edition in 1918, A History of the Christian Church by Williston Walker has enjoyed outstanding success and recognition as a classic in the field. Written by an eminent theologian, it combines in its narrative a rare blend of clarity, unity, and balance. In light of significant advances in scholarship in recent years, extensive revisions have been made to this fourth edition. Three scholars from Union Theological Seminary...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684184176
• ISBN13: 9780684184173
• Release Date: May 1985
• Publisher: Scribner Book Company
• Length: 768 Pages
• Weight: 2.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.7" x 6.5" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Easy and Complete Text

This has been an excellent additon to my library and helped me immensely during my seminary studies on ancient and medieval church history. Look up any subject, from Iranaeus to Arianism, and you will find several pages that sum up the topic beautifully. One caution is to remember the book was written at the beginning of the 20th century and so may be lacking recent scholarship. Nevertheless I recommend it as a good second text on the subject of church history. As the intro says, it is a book noted for its "clarity, compactness, and balance."

Irritating at times, but overall well-done

I understand that I am differing with other reviewers in giving Walker 5 stars, and at times I found Walker's passe divorcing of "faith and history" annoying, nevertheless, he knows his history and how to write it. The editors at the beginning make note of how Walker was indebted to the fruits of German scholarship--that becomes evident really quick in the book. In examing the early years of Chrisitanity (Christ through the rise of Docetism), Walker, although I disagree with parts of his methodolgy, has cogent arguments for the development of Christological thought. His contribution to early Trinitarian thought is outstanding. He outperforms himself in the times Jan Hus to the Reformation. Although I had a good grip on the Reformation, I found myself re-reading those chapters simply because they are so good.This is a well-researched book. However, I was shocked when I saw the price. Nevertheless, and the bigger the checkbook the better, this book is well-worth the horrendous price (ok, I understand there is a reason for the price). Tolle Legge!

Excellent Resource for the Serious Student

A History of the Christian Church by Williston Walker was first published in 1918 and has gone through significant revision over the years. This is the fourth edition and includes the latest scholarship in the field of Christian history. The book is the major text for many seminary and university courses on the subject and with good reason, it includes quality research and scholarship. If you are a serious student of the subject you will enjoy the book and find it helpful in your own research. If you are a novice or casual inquirer, I recommend you look elsewhere. It does not offer a smooth flow through history like other texts of this nature. On the spectrum of Christian scholarship, the text is on the liberal end. The reading is more difficult than most introductory texts. Also, the book does not seem to give equal print to subjects of equal value to the history of the world wide Church. Yet, for the serious student of church history, it is an outstanding resource.

Great reference book of basic Christian History

Insightful, especially for Protestant Christians. It fills a mysterious gap, and explains the development of Church dogma within a framework of an uninterrupted apostolic succession particularly between Pentecost (the birth of the Christian Church) and Martin Luther's reformation.

The definitive concise presentation of Church History

This is the long established basic text for an introduction to church history as used in many Christian colleges. It is an excellent introduction to the development of the Christian Church. Anyone interested in the subject should begin with this book.