Reclaiming Our Roots: An Inclusive Introduction to Church History: From Martin Luther to Martin Luther King, Jr. (Reclaiming Our Roots; An Inclusive Introduction to Church History)

Rating:
Summary: Ecclesstical History with a Scope: Christianity's real Roots
Review: Ecclesiastical History with a Scope:
This is the first in a two-volume 'inclusive church history', that pays special attention to Christianity in the neglected hemisphere, Eastern Orthodoxy, the church among minority cultures in North America, and the role of women in church history. Beginning with an introduction that spells why this book is different, it is a search of how authentic is the Black Church as part of the early Church of Alexandria, an African Church, preached by John Mark, an African from Cyrene. The ancient Ethiopian Church (Mid fourth century)is a black Church that predates most European Churches, and Frumentius, its first Bishop was consecrated By Athanasius, the great defender of faith (called by the Arians;"The Black little man").
This first volume scans through the critical first five centuries of history of the early Church, concluding with the question of whether today's church is a liberating church or a church in paralysis.

Reclaiming Our Roots:
A clear concise, well searched and honestly written textbook of church history. Reclaiming Our Roots defines its scope as an inclusive church history book, that pays special attention to such neglected subjects as Oriental & Eastern Orthodoxy, the church of the minorities in North America, the role of women's ministry in church history. The text includes a good introduction to church history, history of development of Christian thought, with an elaborate theological analysis of major issues that influenced the turning points in ecclesiastic history, as per mark Noll's definition. Ellingsen has produced a doctrinally balanced text, providing seminarians and lay readers alike with a clear and non biased exposure to ecclessiastical history and doctrinal facts, encouraging readers to make their own judgments based on the evidence and with the help of the suggested primary source readings. Each section is amended with questions, designed to clarify the historical material and dogmatic oppositions for text study.


Author's Thematic Philosophy:
Mark Ellingsen, A. Professor of Church History at the Interdenominational Theological Center, Atlanta, presents church history as an integrated corpus. It is not merely a collection of facts but an ecumenical opportunity to enter into constructive dialogue with the church's diversevied traditions. He defines the role of Ecclessistical history as; teaching the faithful their heritage; thus a community builder; learning to look at faith and traditional issues from the perspective of the others, without suppositions and cultural biases, a liberating and healing ministry; alarming leaders of various churches to the taken for granted historically encountered errors, to be confronted and healed in the future; providing access to the stimulating insights of the great theological minds of the past, thus a source of theological renovation.