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Books Related to Christianity Linda Woodhead - ISBN: 0192803220
An overview of Christian diversity - Rated
This is an excellent introduction to the sheer diversity of Christian faith and practice in the world today. Linda Woodhead suggests that it is helpful to explore this diversity by exploring the three main traditions of Christianity within a historical context: those which emphasise the primacy of church authority (Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism); those which place emphasis on the authority of the bible (most mainstream protestant churches such as Lutherans and Methodists) and the much smaller tradition of those wich emphasise the primacy of the spirit (of which the Society of Friends is a good example.) Like all attempts at a typology, the reality is that the edges of blurred as these emphases are not mutually exclusive.
This is not a book for those who want to read a defence of Christianity nor does it "come down" on the side of any one view of Christianity, which has clearly annoyed one previous reviewer. It is a book written by a first rate scholar of religion who wants to provide an easy to read, engaging, sympathetic book about the origins, growth and diversity of perhaps the world's largest religion. She has achieved her goals magnificently!
A very good book on Christian history. - Rated
This book is very good for looking at developments in Christian history and elements of theology, but it is not the book to read if you want to find out what Christians BELIEVE in"jargon-free" English, or how they worship.
Disappointing - Rated
I was wholly disappointed with this book, the series as a whole is brilliant but if you are genuinely interested in Christianity and finding out what Christians believe, this book really is not very helpful. It devotes little space to the central messages of Christianity and without this focus, there can be no coherent analysis of Christian practises. By quoting passasges from the Bible without considering their context, a somewhat distorted view is given, particularly in respect to the Biblical teachings on women. Whilst the views given may represent the ideas of a minority of Christians, they are certainly not a fair reflection of Christianity as a whole as found in the Bible.
If you want an introduction to Christian beliefs, a book like "Christianity Explored" by Rico Tice and Barry Cooper, gives a better, jargon-free analysis. I certainly found it very helpful.
