Faith in the Byzantine World (Ivp Histories)

Rating:
Summary: Those Other Christians
Review: Here in the West we tend to think of Christendom as being Protestant and Catholic, but there is a whole other world of Eastern Orthodox believers out there that we generally know little about. Most people probably gain their first reading exposure to this group through the works of Timothy Ware, which actually contain more information than this book, and comes up to current times. Though Cunningham's work is shorter, and pretty much restricts itself to the time between 330 and 1453, it does have the great advantage of containing a large number of beautiful full color photographs. These make the art, architecture, and locations of the Orthodox world of Byzantine times come immediately alive. The text is introductory, but hits all the important points of the history, politics, sociology, and culture of the times. It is a little thin on the theology, though there is a very interesting chapter on the worldview of the people. It is a good start for anyone looking for an easy to read introduction to the life and faith of this overlooked world.

Rating:
Summary: Great Introduction and Beautiful Layout!
Review: I was so happy to come across this little gem of a book. While not exhaustive, it contains 11 chapters that clearly and simply outline the general flavor of Eastern, Byzantine Christianity. The author includes a variety of extended excerpts from primary sources, maps and beautiful photographs that really bring the subject to life. The layout of the book is what will win you over. Really well done! This is the main advantage of the book over similar titles. It is true that there is not the depth of theology that one would find in, say, Jaroslav Pelikan's "Volume Two of the Christian Tradition", nor in Timothy Ware's "Orthodox Church", but this book would certainly be the best companion to them. You really won't go wrong buying this for yourself or an interested friend. Enjoy!