Rating: 
Summary: A worthwhile volume.
Review: An excellent short introduction to church history. It lacks the voluminous illustrations of similar books from other authors, but makes up for it with an engaging text. As I read it, I found myself wanting Shelley to upbraid those people and movements which modern evangelicals would consider outside the pale. To his credit, the author maintains his objectivity.This was my first introduction to church history. I finished the volume with a great appreciation for the work of the saints who had gone before, and with a great sense of sadness for the disunity in the Church through the ages.
Rating: 
Summary: Christianity; the message that changed the world
Review: Any author attempting to cover the entire two thousand year of Christianity in five hundred pages is bound to be criticized. Yet I think Shelley was properly selective in his approach. After the Reformation, Shelley primarily covers American and British Christianity; for a Canadian, these are major influences on Canadian culture. Shelley does not cover, in a significant way, Christianity in Africa, Asia or South America except in a few brief areas. The focus is on Protestantism (Roman Catholicism retains a minor role in the post-Reformation part of the part, while Eastern Orthodoxy goes almost completely neglected) and how it has affected Britain and the United States. Shelley divides Church history in 8 "Ages" such as:
The Age of Catholic Christianity
The Age of the Christian Roman Empire
The Age of the Reformation
The Age of Progress
The Age of Ideologies When each major section, Shelley writes concise chapters (10-20 pages in length) on the major people involved. As mentioned by other reviewers, Shelley clearly shows the interaction between the Church and the surrounding culture. Shelley has the ability to describe the essence of a movement, whether it is Reformed (Calvinist) Christianity or the ideas of the Enlightenment, in an accessible way, allowing the reader to understand the great ideas of history. Do not get the impression that Shelley is concerned only with high-minded ideas, he provides lively biographical sketches of the people who have led the Church, letting the reader see them as people, the bad and the good. Reading the sections on the last 200 years, I was frequently frustrated. My frustration was not due to Shelley's writing in any way though. The frustration is caused by the fact that the Church seems to never intellectually respond to its critics whether it be 19th century German higher criticism (which assumed miracles were impossible), evolution and the challenges of Enlightenment philosophy. Today, the Church has men such as J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig to deal with such challenges. The other main problem that Church was not engaged with was the economic problems that the Industrial Revolution brought and the clamor for democracy. In contemporary society, the equivalent to the Industrial Revolution is globalization and it is unfortunate that the Church is not interacting with it. The question I wonder was why did the Church fail to respond? Why did the Church simply hide behind its walls? The other interesting problem that has become a recurring theme since the Reformation is how the Christian faith is to relate to society and the State. Clearly, the medieval fusion of Church and State has died. I think Martin Luther King Jr., said it best when he said, "The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority." The author describes a trend in late 20th century America that he describes as the Age of Self. He identifies two main influences that produced the age: 1) the popular acceptance of psychology and 2) the pervasive use of television. Psychology entered American popular culture in the 1960's vocabulary: "It was fashionable and healthy to 'hang loose,' break free, and experience 'inner space.' It was unhealthy to have 'hangups' or to be 'uptight.' Immoral acts were easily explained by psychological conditions." (page 473) These changes, coupled with the intellectual upheavals of the previous two centuries, changed Christianity into emotional experiential faith unconnected and unconcerned with objective reality in the form of history and science. Other important movements that are covered include the ecumenical movement, the problem of evangelism in different cultures (i.e. how much can Christianity be adapted, somehow be shed of its European package and introduced to Third World cultures) and the Second Vatican Council. In terms of the format of the book, the author includes numerous useful features. There are chronologies that place all the events, lives, and movements of an age on a timeline, giving the reader a quick snapshot of the period. There are three separate indexes; one for people, movements and events. There is also an appendix that lists all the Popes, up to John Paul II. Also, at the end of each chapter, Shelley includes a, "Suggestions for Further Reading," section to allow the reader to delve more deeply into subjects of interest. Although my impression of the book's pre-Reformation period is fading, there seemed to be an unfortunate absence any substantive interaction with the "dark" parts of Christian history. Though it is true that Christianity has founded hospitals, cared for the poor and achieved other admirable social goods, a balanced view ought to take account of the negative as well. In particular, I noticed an almost complete omission of Crusades (and by extension, Christianity's historical relation to Islam and Islamic civilization) and the practices of the Inquisition. I would have liked the author to cover the witch trials and the like as well, but I recognize that this was minor event in terms of the grand scheme of history. I recognize that the author is an American Protestant and as such may think it unnecessary to deal with the evil doings of the Catholic Church (I don't suggest the Church was ALWAYS evil, but as an organization it allowed/implemented many immoral acts), but for most of Church history, it represented Christianity. The book is an excellent introduction for people who want answers to questions such as why there are so many denominations (a complicated issue involving the Thirty Years War, the Reformation, the Counter-Reformation and other events) and how Christianity has changed with the passing of time.
Rating: 
Summary: A book I've enjoyed reading every time!
Review: As a commited Christian I was pleased to see the author's objective stand on potentially divisive issues, while maintaining an attitude of reverence. His easy-to-read style in short, in-depth accounts of persons and events, and additional sources for more in-depth study have made this book a valuable addition to my library. I strongly encourage every Christian who wishes to learn more of the Church's past, it's place in the present, and where it's going in the future to look into this volume.
Rating:
Summary: A decent primer.
Review: Dr. Shelley of Denver Theological Seminary has written an easy to read text on Church History with his book <I>Church History in Plain Language</I>. If there were one good word to describe this book, it would be "decent". The text isn't spectacular, but it isn't bad either. It is simply a short and relatively unbiased account of Christian history.
The book divides the past two thousand years of Christian history into eight ages, telling the stories of major movements and people of each age. This organization causes some problems because most of the movements and personalities of Christianity leave lasting impressions and have long histories. But Dr. Shelley seamlessly overcomes these obstacles by jumping ahead and looking back when it is relevant while keeping the writing cohesive. The end result is a decent, concise account of the history of Christianity. There is one pitfall to the writing style, however. Dr. Shelley never cites quotes with endnotes or parenthesis unless he is quoting the Bible. There is a list of notes at the back of the book, but none of them are referenced. That is a nuisance, but it is a small blemish to the overall writing style. But, readers beware: though Dr. Shelley tries to be unbiased, he is sometimes unsuccessful. He is from a Protestant background and the book reflects that. When he examines different factions of Christianity on their own, he is relatively fair. But when he looks at them side-by-side, he often has favorites: the Lutherans over the Catholics, the Puritans over the Anglicans. His bias leads him into several contradictions as well. For example, he speaks of the Bible as being the "supreme standard for the churches threatened by heresy"(57) during the first few hundred years of the Christianity, but then goes on to explain the formation of the Bible over the duration of more than 300 years. He also seems to view the immoral acts of some of the Popes as evidence that they were not placed in a divinely instituted position, but is unwilling to put the same test on Luther. Rather, about Luther he says, "Fortunately, the personal defects of an aging rebel do not detract in any way the grandeur of his achievements."(245) He can also tend to be unfair about doctrinal issues. He will sometimes point out <I>apparent</I> problems with doctrines that he doesn't agree with while ignoring similar issues surrounding doctrines that he does agree with. These sorts of problems may make the unprepared reader a little frustrated. The book is also quite centered on western Christianity, especially in the United States. If you want something that will teach you about the history of the Eastern Church, this book is not for you. So, overall, Dr. Shelley's book is decent. Just remember that history is the story of yesterday seen through the eyes of today. There are biases. So, if you read the book to learn about the people and events throughout Christianity, you'll find a nice story in this text. Don't count on it for its theology, though.
Rating:
Summary: A decent primer.
Review: Dr. Shelley of Denver Theological Seminary has written an easy to read text on Church History with his book Church History in Plain Language. If there were one good word to describe this book, it would be "decent". The text isn't spectacular, but it isn't bad either. It is simply a short and relatively unbiased account of Christian history.
The book divides the past two thousand years of Christian history into eight ages, telling the stories of major movements and people of each age. This organization causes some problems because most of the movements and personalities of Christianity leave lasting impressions and have long histories. But Dr. Shelley seamlessly overcomes these obstacles by jumping ahead and looking back when it is relevant while keeping the writing cohesive. The end result is a decent, concise account of the history of Christianity. There is one pitfall to the writing style, however. Dr. Shelley never cites quotes with endnotes or parenthesis unless he is quoting the Bible. There is a list of notes at the back of the book, but none of them are referenced. That is a nuisance, but it is a small blemish to the overall writing style. But, readers beware: though Dr. Shelley tries to be unbiased, he is sometimes unsuccessful. He is from a Protestant background and the book reflects that. When he examines different factions of Christianity on their own, he is relatively fair. But when he looks at them side-by-side, he often has favorites: the Lutherans over the Catholics, the Puritans over the Anglicans. His bias leads him into several contradictions as well. For example, he speaks of the Bible as being the "supreme standard for the churches threatened by heresy"(57) during the first few hundred years of the Christianity, but then goes on to explain the formation of the Bible over the duration of more than 300 years. He also seems to view the immoral acts of some of the Popes as evidence that they were not placed in a divinely instituted position, but is unwilling to put the same test on Luther. Rather, about Luther he says, "Fortunately, the personal defects of an aging rebel do not detract in any way the grandeur of his achievements."(245) He can also tend to be unfair about doctrinal issues. He will sometimes point out apparent problems with doctrines that he doesn't agree with while ignoring similar issues surrounding doctrines that he does agree with. These sorts of problems may make the unprepared reader a little frustrated. The book is also quite centered on western Christianity, especially in the United States. If you want something that will teach you about the history of the Eastern Church, this book is not for you. So, overall, Dr. Shelley's book is decent. Just remember that history is the story of yesterday seen through the eyes of today. There are biases. So, if you read the book to learn about the people and events throughout Christianity, you'll find a nice story in this text. Don't count on it for its theology, though.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Source of Knowledge
Review: First, I did not need a dictionary to understand what was written in this book. Mainly, this is a must read book toward gaining meaningful insight to why things are, epecially with the variously different denominational doctrines, still in the different churches today. I particularily enjoyed how the author started from Jesus' ministry and brought it through today. I also enjoyed, how he section off the chapters for quick and easy reference re-reading. I found no bias on the author's part, just the facts. After having read quite a few Bible Commentaries and other religious materials, the general historial background found in them matched and verified a lot of the author's information, (his is just more detailed all in one book.) If, after reading the Bible you began to wonder why what's written in the Bible, especially the New Testament Church (Body of Christ) is different from what you're seeing in the local churches, Read This Book!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Overview of Christian Church History
Review: For anyone looking for a history of how the catholic church came to be and splintered into the many denominations that now represent organized Christianity, this is a very good place to start. Bruce Shelley has told the story of the Church's founding, growth, splits, doctrinal disputes, theological development and major personalities in a well organized and interesting way. While some interesting aspects of church history may strike the reader as covered briefly, this is necessary to discuss all the major facets of a 2,000 year old institution. Helpfully, the author includes four or five "For Further Reading" suggestions at the end of each chapter so those who want to plumb the depths of various topics have somewhere to go. This book is scholarly without being pedantic and unbiased without being unfaithful to the centrality of Christ's life and divinity as the bedrock of all the Christian churches. From reading the text, I could not discern whether the author is a Catholic or Protestant -- he does a good job of describing their histories and conflicts without taking sides. It is all here. The early church story is described well -- a period that I have found give short shrift in other histories of the church. The growth of the church from a spiritual movement of the outback of the Roman empire to state religion and preeminent institution is a fascinating story that is told well and succinctly. The growth of the nation state and the resulting conflict with Christendom and the Reformation and organized religion's struggle with modernity round out the second half of the book. Finally, the book describes current Christianity -- it's growth as a world movement in Africa and South America and some of the very recent aspects of Church Christianity in America (tele-evangelism, Billy Graham, secularization, etc.) end the book. This book is a fascinating overview of Church History -- "In Plain Language" as advertised.
Rating:
Summary: 5 stars for a fun read
Review: For anyone who wants to become aqainted with Church history and not be able t put the book down, this is the book. I found this book to cover the broad topic very well with little bais. There is some bais (as there is in ALL writings), but not so much that it slaps you in the face.
The best aspect of the book was it's readability. I simply could not put it down! This is very refreshing as opposed to reading dry, stuffy, boring, books about church history. He seems to write with a passion for the church and that makes it an entertaining as well as informative read.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent single-source overview
Review: Having recently used this book as a primary reference for a class on church history, I found it succinct, clear and easy to read, with minimal bias. Readers should not expect comprehensive coverage, and should be aware of the author's mainline protestant background. Aside from these caveats, Shelley provides an excellent overview for those who wish to get a broad perspective without reading multiple volumes.
Rating: 
Summary: Not very good...
Review: I always hate doing this to my own brethren but I could only read 3 hours of this. Wordy, boring and dry.
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