Traces the history of the Church, focusing on the motivations of its founders, conflicts, key figures, and defining events over the centuries.

It's about time that someone wrote church history that tells about people, not just about "eras" and "ages." Church History in Plain Language taps the roots of our Christian family tree. It combines authoritative research with a captivating style to bring our heritage home to us.

Church History in Plain Language makes church history clear, memorable, and accessible to every reader. Dr. Bruce Shelley makes church history come alive in this classic book that has become not only the first choice of many laypeople and church leaders but the standard text in many college classrooms. Church History in Plain Language treats history as the story of people—their motivations, the issues they grapple with, the decisions they make—and the result is that history reads like a story, almost as dramatic and moving as a novel. This fourth edition, revised by R.L. Hatchett, brings the story of Christianity into the twenty-first century, with detailed information on: Theology of the early church and Reformation Gnosticism and its ongoing relevance The rapid global extension and transformation of Christianity since 1900 The decline in traditional mainline denominations The influence of technology on the spread of the gospel How Christianity intersects with other religions in countries all over the world Church History in Plain Language makes history easy to follow and retain by dividing the Christian story into the great ages of the church. Its clarity, organization, and historical accuracy are part of what make this book a go-to resource for today's readers.

Over 330,000 copies sold. This is the story of the church for today's readers. Bruce Shelley's classic history of the church brings the story of global Christianity into the twenty-first century. Like a skilled screenwriter, Shelley begins each chapter with three elements: characters, setting, plot. Taking readers from the early centuries of the church up through the modern era he tells his readers a story of actual people, in a particular situation, taking action or being acted upon, provides a window into the circumstances and historical context, and from there develops the story of a major period or theme of Christian history. Covering recent events, this book also: Details the rapid growth of evangelical and Pentecostal Christianity in the southern hemisphere Addresses the decline in traditional mainline denominations Examines the influence of technology on the spread of the gospel Discusses how Christianity intersects with other religions in countries all over the world For this fifth edition, Marshall Shelley brought together a team of historians, historical theologians, and editors to revise and update this father's classic text. The new edition adds important stories of the development of Christianity in Asia, India, and Africa, both in the early church as well as in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It also highlights the stories of women and non-Europeans who significantly influenced the development of Christianity but whose contributions are often overlooked in previous overviews of church history. This concise book provides an easy-to-read guide to church history with intellectual substance. The new edition of Church History in Plain Language promises to set a new standard for readable church history.

God always intended to have a people to love: a church Jesus said nothing could destroy (Matthew 16:18). Simonetta shows how God has kept this promise for two thousand years.