Rating: 
Summary: CHURCH HISTORY ROCKS! Couldn't put it down!
Review: This book is easy to read and captivating. Shelley does a remarkable job of explaining Christianity from it's humble beginning to it's present state in a clear concise manner that isn't bogged down in details. The history is told in story form and you can almost watch it unfold. It can ocasionally get confusing because the book doesn't always correspond to a timeline. Rather, it concentrates more on the individual stories and in doing so makes the book much more enjoyable. I enjoyed the way Shelley introduced different ages in church history and presented problems that the church has faced throughout time as well as some issues that we are still coming to grips with today. The personal stories are vivid and captivating and it really does help to explain a lot of rituals and reasons behind a lot of the whys most Christians have today about the church.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great book for beginners and serious History Buffs!
Review: This book is without a doubt one of the best I have ever read! Without denominational bias, the author takes you from the times of Jesus to present day. For those wanting answers on how the Christian Church came to be the way it is today, this is for you. If you don't normally like to read History books, you will love this one. The Chapters read more like a good friend telling you a story. This book is for those who know nothing of Church History and would like to get started as well as those who have been studying the subject for years and would like a "quick" reference or want to fill in some gaps. I have purchased this book twice, simply because I read the cover off the first one!
Rating:
Summary: Im a bad reader, but I could not put down this thick book!
Review: This book recently made a major impact on my understanding of what being a
Christian means. Like many Christians today, I had no idea what went on in the
1600 years between Paul and the Pilgrims, and I guess I subconsciously acted
as though Christianity was a brand new thing. I never realized how wrong my
"Christianity in a vacuum" was, and this book has made me so much more well
rounded. The book is not calvinistic, nor is it arminian, in fact - it's not
necessarily even written from a protestant point of view. The book answered
the following questions for me:- How did Christianity end up divided into 3 branches
(Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodoxy)?
- What was the impact of the early martyrs on the church?
- What happened when rulers forced Christianity on everyone in their land?
- How and when did the books of the bible get determined?
- How did the Catholics get their first pope?
- How did it happen that two popes co-existed,
and both excommunicated each other?
- How did the middle-age church justify the military crusades?
- What happened when the church became more powerful than government?
- What happened when secular governments over-controlled the church?
- How did Christianity become strong in Europe,
but weak in other parts of the world?
- How could the divorce of their king change the religious beliefs of
everyone living in England?
- How did the Puritans come to exist, and why did some
come to America on the Mayflower?
- Why were early believers in immersion-baptism martyred by drowning?
- What happened when powerful armies attempted to spread the
gospel using military force?
- What triggered the great revivals, and how did they impact
zeal for modern missions?
- How could Christians in the south justify slavery,
and those in Germany follow the Nazi's?
- How did we get all of these denominations and bible versions?
- How is evangelical Christianity today - different than it was
a couple of centuries ago?
- What impact do mega-churches have on modern society? I pray that this book will be as big a blessing to you, as it has been to me.
Rating:
Summary: Im a bad reader, but I could not put down this thick book!
Review: This book recently made a major impact on my understanding of what being a
Christian means. Like many Christians today, I had no idea what went on in the
1600 years between Paul and the Pilgrims, and I guess I subconsciously acted
as though Christianity was a brand new thing. I never realized how wrong my
"Christianity in a vacuum" was, and this book has made me so much more well
rounded. The book is not calvinistic, nor is it arminian, in fact - it's not
necessarily even written from a protestant point of view. The book answered
the following questions for me: - How did Christianity end up divided into 3 branches
(Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodoxy)?
- What was the impact of the early martyrs on the church?
- What happened when rulers forced Christianity on everyone in their land?
- How and when did the books of the bible get determined?
- How did the Catholics get their first pope?
- How did it happen that two popes co-existed,
and both excommunicated each other?
- How did the middle-age church justify the military crusades?
- What happened when the church became more powerful than government?
- What happened when secular governments over-controlled the church?
- How did Christianity become strong in Europe,
but weak in other parts of the world?
- How could the divorce of their king change the religious beliefs of
everyone living in England?
- How did the Puritans come to exist, and why did some
come to America on the Mayflower?
- Why were early believers in immersion-baptism martyred by drowning?
- What happened when powerful armies attempted to spread the
gospel using military force?
- What triggered the great revivals, and how did they impact
zeal for modern missions?
- How could Christians in the south justify slavery,
and those in Germany follow the Nazi's?
- How did we get all of these denominations and bible versions?
- How is evangelical Christianity today - different than it was
a couple of centuries ago?
- What impact do mega-churches have on modern society? I pray that this book will be as big a blessing to you, as it has been to me.
Rating: 
Summary: A good sketch of church history, but thin in its coverage.
Review: This is a good, basic intro to church history. Perfect for newbie Christians. But for those who want more of the full story, get Justo Gonzalez or Mark Noll or Kenneth Latourette.
Rating:
Summary: A good overview of church history
Review: This is an excellent primer of Christian church history. You won't get a detailed analysis of any one area but there is enough information to get you started. The book is relatively free from bias towards any era or denomination. If you've never studied the different churches and eras, this is the place to start. There is good bibliographical data for each chapter if you want to do more in-depth studies. The only problem I have with the book is the large number of typographical, punctuation, and spelling errors. I think I counted at least two dozen. But that's pretty typical for Nelson products. At least the binding didn't fall apart before I could finish the book.
Rating:
Summary: Great overview for laypersons
Review: This is the first book on church history that didn't put me to sleep after two pages...instead I found that I couldn't put it down. At long last, I understand what it means to be a Protestant or a Catholic. I've considered myself a Christian for years with little or no comprehension of the church's early years or continuing struggle to define itself. This book has encouraged me to learn more about my faith. I highly recommend it to all laypersons for its readability.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: We used this in my Church History class and it is absolutely the best text book I have used as a student. I wish all books were written this well.
Rating:
Summary: clear, engaging, and well written
Review: When I first purchased this book, I was rather wary. All too often, historians dealing with religion bring along a few spare axes to grind when writing their texts. I was happily surprised by Bruce Shelley's "Church History in Plain Language." It is a clear, reader-friendly overview of the history of Christianity. Shelley is as fair as can be expected. He approaches history as neutrally as possible while still acknowledging his Protestant background. Instead of trying to fit history into a doctrinal box, Shelley presents facts. Shelley focuses on the key events and personalities that shaped the history of Christianity. The most appealing thing about "Church History in Plain Language" is its readability. The author's narrative goes a long way in making what could be dry and boring into an engaging story. In some cases, Shelley has made me feel closer to some of his subjects (Augustine, Gregory the Great, and Calvin) in just a few pages than other authors have with whole books. I highly recommend Bruce Shelley's "Church History in Plain Language." It is probably the best one volume introduction to the history of Christianity available.
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