Christianity (Eyewitness Books)

Rating:
Summary: A gloriously illustrated introduction to Christianity
Review: The chief charm of the volumes in the DK Eyewitness Books series are the color photographs that accompany the text in each double-page spread. For example, the section on the Resurrection offers a set of three 15th-century Italian paintings showing Jesus rising from the tomb, the empty tomb, and Mary Magdalene looking for Jesus' body; a photograph of an arcosolium, a tomb probably similar to the one in which Jesus is buried; an illustration from a 15th-century Italian Bible of the Last Supper; a mural of Doubting Thomas from a 13th-century Serbian church; a 12th-century stone relief from a Spanish abbey; and a silver and jewel encrusted empty cross with paintings of the authors of the four Gospels at each end. On other pages you will find Handel's original score of the "Messiah," Gutenberg's printing press, a model of the "Mayflower," the inner and outer cases for the relics of Saint Eustace, and Chinese illustrations of the parable of the Lost Son.

The volume is organized into roughly three main sections. The first touches on the Old Testament and then covers the birth, teachings, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Jesus. The second looks a the history of the early Christian church, the Bible, the concepts of heaven and hell, and organized religion in terms of Catholicism, the Orthodox church, the Reformation, and Protestantism. The third section deals with the Christian life, as lived by monks, nuns, and priests; Christian churches; a step by step look at the sacrament of Holy Communion and other aspects of Christian practice and culture. From the standpoint of providing information on the topic of Christianityt Peter Wilkinson goes for breadth rather than depth, which is appropriate for an introductory volume such as this one. The previous volume in this series covered Islam, and I think you will find both books are comparable in providing those who know little about each subject with a satisfactory introduction. Those raised in either faith should be able to enjoy the beautiful photographs of art, artifacts, and architecture.