By Joshua Schwisow with Kevin Swanson and Daniel Noor

£25 SALE RRP £35

Paperback, 372 Pages

Church history is the study of the greatest undertaking the world has ever known: Jesus Christ building His kingdom. Even though the church faces persecution, suffering, and a decline in numbers at times, the kingdom of Christ marches on. The gates of hell will not prevail against the onslaught of Jesus and His disciples. Christ will triumph against the forces of spiritual darkness. This is the story of the church.

As century follows century, much of the work accomplished by the followers of the Carpenter from Galilee may not appear on the front page of newspapers. But when the dust settles and the history books are written, we find a church growing and expanding across the globe. We find Christian hospitals and orphanages everywhere. We find Christian culture impacting every aspect of human life on planet Earth! This is how the mustard seed and the leaven works. It is slow. It is subtle. But it does really grow.

The tale of Christ’s kingdom is both fascinating and full of surprises. It includes pastors and teachers as well as people from every background and all walks of life. From kings and royal courtiers to tradesmen and peasants, Christ builds His church through living stones. Through their stories, we can observe how God’s faithfulness has beautifully and masterfully preserved His people through more than twenty centuries. Then and now, Christ’s kingdom is growing, and His building work continues to this day.

Textbook Table of Contents:

Unit 1: The Early Church - AD 30-500

• Chapter 1: In the Fullness of Time
• Chapter 2: The Church Faces Opposition
• Chapter 3: Writings from the Early Church
• Chapter 4: Christian Worship and Doctrinal Development
• Chapter 5: Leaders of the Early Church
• Chapter 6: More Leaders of the Early Church

Unit 2: The Early Middle Ages - AD 500-1000

• Chapter 7: Missionary Expansion
• Chapter 8: Christian Monasticism
• Chapter 9: The Rise of Islam
• Chapter 10: The Development of the Papacy
• Chapter 11: Schism in the Church

Unit 3: The Late Middle Ages - AD 1000-1500

• Chapter 12: Universities and Scholasticism
• Chapter 13: Monasticism in the Middle Ages
• Chapter 14: The Papal Schism and the Conciliar Movement
• Chapter 15: Reform Efforts in the Middle Ages

Unit 4: The Reformation - AD 1500-1600

• Chapter 16: The Dawn of the Reformation
• Chapter 17: The Reformation in Germany
• Chapter 18: The Swiss Reformation in Zurich
• Chapter 19: The Anabaptist Movement
• Chapter 20: The Reformation in Geneva
• Chapter 21: William Tyndale and the English Bible
• Chapter 22: The Reformation in England
• Chapter 23: The Reformation in Scotland
• Chapter 24: The Catholic Counter Reformation

Unit 5: The Post-Reformation Period - AD 1600-1750

• Chapter 25: Puritans, Separatists, and Covenanters
• Chapter 26: Pietists, Arminians, and Baptists
• Chapter 27: Christianity in Colonial America
• Chapter 28: The Great Awakening
• Chapter 29: Apostasy and Doctrinal Decline in the Church

Unit 6: The Age of Missions and the Modern Period 1750-Present

• Chapter 30: The Modern Missionary Movement
• Chapter 31: Revivals and Cults in the 19th Century
• Chapter 32: Fundamentalists and Liberals
• Chapter 33: Persecutions in Eastern Europe
• Chapter 34: Christians in World War II
• Chapter 35: Persecutions in China and Korea
• Chapter 36: Christian Leaders and Movements of the 20th Century