Rating: 
Summary: Surprisingly good read
Review: After reading both Latourette's and Frend's huge and boring histories of Christianity, this book was a breath of fresh air! I was pleasantly surprised by how well-written and enjoyable the first volume was to read and will definitely use this book for teaching religion and non-religion majors at the undergraduate level. Not only is the scholarship behind this book solid and rigorous, but it is easy and entertaining to read. Though the author is clearly both personally devotional and Protestant (and many of my students are neither), I felt all the topics were addressed with academic rigor, professional discipline and a personal familiarity.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent overview for any believer searching their faith
Review: An excellent overview for any believer searching for a deeper understanding of their faith. This book (and the companion Vol.2), brings the reader through a detailed but fascinating journey of the trials and tribulations of humanity's search for a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Many questions are answered that have long been confusing,such as: How and why did celebacy of priests begin? Why do some believe in purgatory when it is not in the Bible? Why do some churches recite The Apostles' Creed and The Nicene Creed and why do these creeds exist? My husband and I are now on our third time reading the two volumes and will probably read them again. I encourage all believers and all who are searching but stumble because of unanswered questions about man-made religion to read both volumes.
Rating: 
Summary: great for the novice
Review: As the subject suggests, this book, a seminary standard, is predominantly for the novice reader interested in Christian history. Gonzalez's writing style is refreshing, as he involves the reader in an intimate way most other authors fail in this regard. Furthermore, the information given is basic and watered-down, so for a more in-depth view of Christian history, I suggest looking elsewhere.My only complaints are: 1) the price for this paperback is a bit high, 2) given the high price, the book quality is somewhat low (paper/binding are from cheap materials). 3 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: An indispensable intro to pre-Reformation Christianity.
Review: From the conquests of Alexander the great to the missionary efforts of Frances Xavier in Goa, Professor Gonzalez has crafted an intimate, accessible and scholarly work. He covers vast territory (over 15 centuries) with careful detail, yet with sufficient brevity to allow both the casual reader and the student to profit from the effort. A perfect selection for a single semester survey or an addition to your library.
Rating:
Summary: Informative & Well Written
Review: Gonzalez writes, in his two volume series the story of Christianity from inception to more modern contexts. This book is a great overview and survey of how the church evolved and where it is today. This book is great for people of any denomination, and can give everyone a better view of where the diverse views in doctrine we see today, came from. This book is a must have if you want to know the foundation of the Christian church. I recommend this book to lay leaders and pastors alike. It is also great because it will point you in different directions if you want to go deeper, with where to go to find the information. Gonzalez delivers a fine work, and he is to be commended for it. I recommend this book without reservation.
Rating:
Summary: Informative & Well Written
Review: Gonzalez writes, in his two volume series the story of Christianity from inception to more modern contexts. This book is a great overview and survey of how the church evolved and where it is today. This book is great for people of any denomination, and can give everyone a better view of where the diverse views in doctrine we see today, came from. This book is a must have if you want to know the foundation of the Christian church. I recommend this book to lay leaders and pastors alike. It is also great because it will point you in different directions if you want to go deeper, with where to go to find the information. Gonzalez delivers a fine work, and he is to be commended for it. I recommend this book without reservation.
Rating:
Summary: A fine survey of Church History
Review: Gonzalez's book here is perhaps the best survey of church history available. His book is concise and scholarly. He rarely goes off on unnecessary tangents, and he always presents the material clearly. This is why I would recommend this book for anybody who wants a non-threatening and enjoyable introduction to church history. He covers many important figures, such as Ignatius of Antioch, John Chrysostom, and Athanasius. All of the major players are there. He also gives his readers insights into important church events, such as the council of Nicaea. The book is filled with charts and timelines of popes, emperors, etc. This book was very helpful in a church history class I took recently. It was not the main textbook, but it helped me put the theology I was learning into historical context. Gonzalez, as another reviewer mentioned, is Protestant. From what I have read he does not have an anti-Catholic bias, but he does cover the materials in a more Protestant way. One example is his lack of coverage of Pseudo-Dionysus. However, this book is only an introduction, and does not claim to be the end all guide to every figure in church history. Overall, Gonzalez has written a fine work that is now a standard textbook in many Catholic and Protestant Seminaries and Universities. I particularly enjoyed his chapter on "Eastern Christianity." You don't have to be a scholar to get into church history. I think Gonzalez will get you interested if you read his book.
Rating:
Summary: Good overview, but insufficient for advanced students
Review: Gonzalez's work is highly accurate, and provides a good summary of the church history of the period. However, for advanced students, its value is largely as a means of refreshing the memory about developments in a particular period. It does not have the degree of the history of doctrinal development, or even of all aspects of religious conflicts, that would be helpful in graduate studies. As well, I did not care for the writing style, which seemed on a par with what "grammar checkers" would allow as not being "pretentious" (translation: nothing above the level of an eight year old.) Though I'd consider the term "readable" to be very complimentary, this book goes too far, placing the language on such an elementary level that I sometimes had to stop a moment and remember this was not a child's book.
Rating:
Summary: Very Readable
Review: I found this book to be eminently readable. It reads like a good novel. As an overview of Christian history this is an excellent book. If you are looking for something more in depth, however, this is not the text for you.
Rating:
Summary: Very Readable
Review: I found this book to be eminently readable. It reads like a good novel. As an overview of Christian history this is an excellent book. If you are looking for something more in depth, however, this is not the text for you.
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