-
Christianity
- The First Three Thousand Years
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
- Length: 46 hrs and 29 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $39.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Reformation
- A History
- By: Diarmaid MacCulloch
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 36 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At a time when men and women were prepared to kill - and be killed - for their faith, the Protestant Reformation tore the Western world apart. Acclaimed as the definitive account of these epochal events, Diarmaid MacCulloch's award-winning history brilliantly recreates the religious battles of priests, monarchs, scholars, and politicians - from the zealous Martin Luther and his 95 Theses to the polemical John Calvin to the radical Igantius Loyola, from the tortured Thomas Cranmer to the ambitious Philip II.
-
-
Excellent
- By Eli Shem Tov on 05-15-17
-
Medieval Christianity
- A New History
- By: Kevin Madigan
- Narrated by: Pete Larkin
- Length: 21 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For many, the medieval world seems dark and foreign - a miraculous, brutal, and irrational time of superstition and strange relics. The pursuit of heretics, the Inquisition, the Crusades, and the domination of the "Holy Land" come to mind.
-
-
New Standard Text for This Period
- By Bill Martin on 10-22-16
By: Kevin Madigan
-
A History of Christianity
- By: Paul Johnson
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 28 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
First published in 1976, Paul Johnson's exceptional study of Christianity has been loved and widely hailed for its intensive research, writing, and magnitude. Weaving a great range of material, the scholar and author Johnson creates an ambitious panoramic overview of the evolution of the Western world since the founding of a little-known "Jesus sect".
-
-
Interesting Perspective
- By MarshallP1991 on 03-24-19
By: Paul Johnson
-
Church History in Plain Language, Fifth Edition
- By: Bruce Shelley, Marshall Shelley
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 23 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bruce Shelley's classic history of the church brings the story of global Christianity into the 21st century. Like a skilled screenwriter, Shelley begins each chapter with three elements: characters, setting, plot. Taking you from the early centuries of the church up through the modern era he tells 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.
-
-
Good general history, but biased.
- By B. A. Venezia on 08-11-21
By: Bruce Shelley, and others
-
The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1, Revised and Updated
- The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation
- By: Justo L. González
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 18 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1, Justo L. González, author of the highly praised three-volume History of Christian Thought, presents a narrative history of Christianity from the early church to the dawn of the Protestant reformation. From Jesus' faithful apostles to the early reformist John Wycliffe, González skillfully traces core theological issues and developments within the various traditions of the church, including major events outside of Europe, such as the Spanish and Portuguese conquest of the New World.
-
-
Simply fantastic!
- By Marissa Ruper on 02-28-17
-
Paul
- A Biography
- By: N. T. Wright
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 15 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this definitive biography, renowned Bible scholar, Anglican bishop, and best-selling author N. T. Wright offers a radical look at the apostle Paul, illuminating the humanity and remarkable achievements of this intellectual who invented Christian theology - transforming a faith and changing the world. For centuries, Paul, the apostle who "saw the light on the Road to Damascus" and made a miraculous conversion from zealous Pharisee persecutor to devoted follower of Christ, has been one of the church's most widely cited saints.
-
-
Different type of writing for Wright is helpful
- By Adam Shields on 04-25-18
By: N. T. Wright
-
The Reformation
- A History
- By: Diarmaid MacCulloch
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 36 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At a time when men and women were prepared to kill - and be killed - for their faith, the Protestant Reformation tore the Western world apart. Acclaimed as the definitive account of these epochal events, Diarmaid MacCulloch's award-winning history brilliantly recreates the religious battles of priests, monarchs, scholars, and politicians - from the zealous Martin Luther and his 95 Theses to the polemical John Calvin to the radical Igantius Loyola, from the tortured Thomas Cranmer to the ambitious Philip II.
-
-
Excellent
- By Eli Shem Tov on 05-15-17
-
Medieval Christianity
- A New History
- By: Kevin Madigan
- Narrated by: Pete Larkin
- Length: 21 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For many, the medieval world seems dark and foreign - a miraculous, brutal, and irrational time of superstition and strange relics. The pursuit of heretics, the Inquisition, the Crusades, and the domination of the "Holy Land" come to mind.
-
-
New Standard Text for This Period
- By Bill Martin on 10-22-16
By: Kevin Madigan
-
A History of Christianity
- By: Paul Johnson
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 28 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
First published in 1976, Paul Johnson's exceptional study of Christianity has been loved and widely hailed for its intensive research, writing, and magnitude. Weaving a great range of material, the scholar and author Johnson creates an ambitious panoramic overview of the evolution of the Western world since the founding of a little-known "Jesus sect".
-
-
Interesting Perspective
- By MarshallP1991 on 03-24-19
By: Paul Johnson
-
Church History in Plain Language, Fifth Edition
- By: Bruce Shelley, Marshall Shelley
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 23 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bruce Shelley's classic history of the church brings the story of global Christianity into the 21st century. Like a skilled screenwriter, Shelley begins each chapter with three elements: characters, setting, plot. Taking you from the early centuries of the church up through the modern era he tells 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.
-
-
Good general history, but biased.
- By B. A. Venezia on 08-11-21
By: Bruce Shelley, and others
-
The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1, Revised and Updated
- The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation
- By: Justo L. González
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 18 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1, Justo L. González, author of the highly praised three-volume History of Christian Thought, presents a narrative history of Christianity from the early church to the dawn of the Protestant reformation. From Jesus' faithful apostles to the early reformist John Wycliffe, González skillfully traces core theological issues and developments within the various traditions of the church, including major events outside of Europe, such as the Spanish and Portuguese conquest of the New World.
-
-
Simply fantastic!
- By Marissa Ruper on 02-28-17
-
Paul
- A Biography
- By: N. T. Wright
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 15 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this definitive biography, renowned Bible scholar, Anglican bishop, and best-selling author N. T. Wright offers a radical look at the apostle Paul, illuminating the humanity and remarkable achievements of this intellectual who invented Christian theology - transforming a faith and changing the world. For centuries, Paul, the apostle who "saw the light on the Road to Damascus" and made a miraculous conversion from zealous Pharisee persecutor to devoted follower of Christ, has been one of the church's most widely cited saints.
-
-
Different type of writing for Wright is helpful
- By Adam Shields on 04-25-18
By: N. T. Wright
-
Christendom Destroyed
- Europe 1517-1648
- By: Mark Greengrass
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 35 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From peasants to princes, no one was untouched by the spiritual and intellectual upheaval of the 16th century. Martin Luther's challenge to church authority forced Christians to examine their beliefs in ways that shook the foundations of their religion. The subsequent divisions, fed by dynastic rivalries and military changes, fundamentally altered the relations between ruler and ruled. Geographical and scientific discoveries challenged the unity of Christendom as a belief community.
-
-
BORING !
- By Mitch on 08-08-20
By: Mark Greengrass
-
The History of Christianity: From the Disciples to the Dawn of the Reformation
- By: Luke Timothy Johnson, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Luke Timothy Johnson
- Length: 17 hrs and 52 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How did a persecuted sect in 1st-century Palestine rise to command such a massive influence on human culture, imagination, and spirit? How did Christianity weather the first critical stages of its historical development and attain its fundamental and enduring cultural role?
-
-
Outstanding historian; well-rounded history
- By Joseph T. Richardson on 02-13-17
By: Luke Timothy Johnson, and others
-
Lost Christianities
- The Battles of Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew
- By: Bart D. Ehrman
- Narrated by: Matthew Kugler
- Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The early Christian Church was a chaos of contending beliefs. Some groups of Christians claimed that there was not one God but two or twelve or thirty. Some believed that the world had not been created by God but by a lesser, ignorant deity. Certain sects maintained that Jesus was human but not divine, while others said he was divine but not human.
-
-
Excellent book, reader made some mistakes
- By NM to NY on 02-29-20
By: Bart D. Ehrman
-
SPQR
- A History of Ancient Rome
- By: Mary Beard
- Narrated by: Phyllida Nash
- Length: 18 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In SPQR, world-renowned classicist Mary Beard narrates the unprecedented rise of a civilization that even 2,000 years later still shapes many of our most fundamental assumptions about power, citizenship, responsibility, political violence, empire, luxury, and beauty.
-
-
Extraordinary analysis that requires background
- By Matthew Robert Borths on 10-15-18
By: Mary Beard
-
A History of Judaism
- By: Martin Goodman
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 23 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Judaism is one of the oldest religions in the world, and it has preserved its distinctive identity despite the extraordinarily diverse forms and beliefs it has embodied over the course of more than three millennia. A History of Judaism provides the first truly comprehensive look in one volume at how this great religion came to be, how it has evolved from one age to the next, and how its various strains, sects, and traditions have related to each other.
-
-
Not easy to follow.
- By Eric on 03-12-19
By: Martin Goodman
-
A History of the Bible
- The Story of the World's Most Influential Book
- By: John Barton
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 21 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In A History of the Bible, John Barton argues that the Bible is not a prescription to a complete, fixed religious system, but rather a product of a long and intriguing process, which has inspired Judaism and Christianity, but still does not describe the whole of either religion. Barton shows how the Bible is indeed an important source of religious insight for Jews and Christians alike, yet argues that it must be listened to in its historical context - from its beginnings in myth and folklore to its many interpretations throughout the centuries....
-
-
Casts Doubt on Scripture
- By Aaron on 01-29-20
By: John Barton
-
The Arabs
- A History
- By: Eugene Rogan
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 27 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this definitive history of the modern Arab world, award-winning historian Eugene Rogan draws extensively on Arab sources and texts to place the Arab experience in its crucial historical context for the first time. Tracing five centuries of Arab history, Rogan reveals that there was an age when the Arabs set the rules for the rest of the world. Today, however, the Arab world's sense of subjection to external powers carries vast consequences for both the region and Westerners who attempt to control it.
-
-
Superb Book About the Arab World
- By Nostromo on 05-29-16
By: Eugene Rogan
-
Fatal Discord
- Erasmus, Luther, and the Fight for the Western Mind
- By: Michael Massing
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 34 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This deeply textured dual biography and fascinating intellectual history examines two of the greatest minds of European history - Desiderius Erasmus and Martin Luther - whose heated rivalry gave rise to two enduring, fundamental, and often colliding traditions of philosophical and religious thought.
-
-
Sustained Magnificence
- By Donald Paul Gates, Jr. on 04-17-18
By: Michael Massing
-
The Word of Promise Audio Bible - New King James Version, NKJV: Complete Bible
- By: Thomas Nelson Inc.
- Narrated by: Jason Alexander, Joan Allen, Richard Dreyfuss, and others
- Length: 98 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With an original music score by composer Stefano Mainetti (Abba Pater), feature-film quality sound effects, and compelling narration by Michael York and the work of over 500 actors, the The Word of Promise Audio Bible will immerse listeners in the dramatic reality of the scriptures as never before. Each beloved book of the Bible comes to life with outstanding performances by Jim Caviezel as Jesus, Richard Dreyfuss as Moses, Gary Sinise as David, Jason Alexander as Joseph, Marisa Tomei as Mary Magdalene, Stacy Keach as Paul, Louis Gossett, Jr. as John...
-
-
Chapter List
- By B. Stark on 11-27-17
-
The Forge of Christendom
- The End of Days and the Epic Rise of the West
- By: Tom Holland
- Narrated by: James A. Gillies
- Length: 15 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the approach of the first millennium, the Christians of Europe did not seem likely candidates for future greatness. They saw no future beyond the widely anticipated Second Coming of Christ. But when the world did not end, the peoples of Western Europe suddenly found themselves with no choice but to begin the heroic task of building a Jerusalem on Earth. In The Forge of Christendom, Tom Holland masterfully describes this remarkable new age, a time of caliphs and Viking sea kings, the spread of castles, and the invention of knighthood.
-
-
A Worthy Expansion to the Dark Ages
- By William Ratkus on 12-11-18
By: Tom Holland
-
A History of the Jews
- By: Paul Johnson
- Narrated by: Nadia May
- Length: 28 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This historical magnum opus covers 4,000 years of the extraordinary history of the Jews as a people, a culture, and a nation. It shows the impact of Jewish character on the world: their genius, imagination, and, most of all, their ability to persevere despite severe persecutions. Compelling insights into events and individuals are chronologically detailed, from Moses and Jesus to Spinoza, Marx, Freud, the Rothschilds, and Golda Meir.
-
-
Excellent History
- By Rilezmom on 06-06-09
By: Paul Johnson
-
Through the Eye of a Needle: Wealth, the Fall of Rome, and the Making of Christianity in the West, 350-550 AD
- By: Peter Brown
- Narrated by: Fleet Cooper
- Length: 31 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jesus taught his followers that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. Yet by the fall of Rome, the church was becoming rich beyond measure. Through the Eye of a Needle is a sweeping intellectual and social history of the vexing problem of wealth in Christianity in the waning days of the Roman Empire, written by the world's foremost scholar of late antiquity.
-
-
A learned, well-balanced postmodern history
- By Jacobus on 11-21-12
By: Peter Brown
Publisher's Summary
Once in a generation, a historian will redefine his field, producing a book that demands to be read and heard - a product of electrifying scholarship conveyed with commanding skill. Diarmaid MacCulloch's Christianity is such a book. Breathtaking in ambition, it ranges back to the origins of the Hebrew Bible and covers the world, following the three main strands of the Christian faith.
Christianity will teach modern listeners things that have been lost in time about how Jesus' message spread and how the New Testament was formed. We follow the Christian story to all corners of the globe, filling in often neglected accounts of conversions and confrontations in Africa and Asia. And we discover the roots of the faith that galvanized America, charting the rise of the evangelical movement from its origins in Germany and England. This audiobook encompasses all of intellectual history - we meet monks and crusaders, heretics and saints, slave traders and abolitionists, and discover Christianity's essential role in driving the enlightenment and the age of exploration, and shaping the course of World War I and World War II.
We are living in a time of tremendous religious awareness, when both believers and non-believers are deeply engaged by questions of religion and tradition, seeking to understand the violence sometimes perpetrated in the name of God. The son of an Anglican clergyman, MacCulloch writes with deep feeling about faith. His last book, The Reformation, was chosen by dozens of publications as Best Book of the Year and won the National Book Critics Circle Award. This awe-inspiring follow-up is a landmark new history of the faith that continues to shape the world.
Critic Reviews
More from the same
What listeners say about Christianity
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Troy
- 10-09-13
The Evolution of a Religion
Anyone who thoroughly enjoys Medieval and Renaissance history as I do can tell you that the history of Christianity is so bound up with it as to be inseparable. The thing is, a great many history books will give you only what's necessary specific to the topic at hand and very little else. Even books on the Crusades, which presumably center around religion, will leave the underlying faith as an accepted and understood issue, touching upon the heretical issues as they come up.
This book is specifically geared towards pretty much anyone who wants the details as well as the broad strokes. It covers the history of Christianity from the onset of Judaism as an offshoot of earlier traditions, Christianity's beginnings as an offshoot of that, and covers its evolution not just in Western Europe, but also in Greece, Russia, Africa, Korea, and all parts of the globe where the cross is held high. It goes even further as Islam splinters from that, and the history of the Middle Eastern faiths are examined as an intertwined whole. As it goes, the reader is given another portrait to absorb as the beliefs evolve in the various corners of the globe, across time and through politics or scholarly pursuits.
In short, this is the most complete picture of Christianity that I've certainly ever encountered, and it's helped my understanding of history considerably. Special kudos not only to what it covers and why, but also how, as the outline for this book is nothing short of daunting. To cover this topic so completely is nothing short of a feat.
As one might expect, a history of this depth and magnitude will likely call into question the faith of a devout individual reading this book as not everything is as tradition holds to be true in our day and age, and as that tradition may vary depending on which sect you follow. I would challenge that the scholarly will find a great deal of wealth here, and the religiously-minded will be confronted with questions fundamental to their faith. How those questions are answered will ultimately be determined by individual willingness to see past the rigid and into the changing waters of history. Some are more readily accepting of this than others, obviously, everyone has to approach the question their own way. Being a hefty monster of a tome, however, this one is most definitely aimed at the serious scholar, regardless of the historical or spiritual approach.
42 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tom
- 01-29-13
Awesome, Epic!
OK. I'm only 3/4 of the way through this epic read, but what a fascinating story.
There are many "aha!" moments when you get a sudden insight into why the church (or churches in their various forms) - and society in general - is the way it is today. I find this actually makes christianity in all its various forms more accessible and understandable.
If there is a pattern in the history of the church and christianity, it seems to parallel secular society: good ideas and rulers rise to the top, give way to corruption and abuse over generations, leading to reformations and revolutions. And so it goes...
A timely reminder to me to keep going back to the bible as the main source of Christianity, and a warning to be wary of dodgy translations (such as the russian sect that, due to the misinterpretation of one word, castrated themselves).
I find the author to be genuinely sensitive to the beliefs, and the history and motives behind the traditions, of christianity. The book is instructive, informative and entertaining.
Awesome, epic read.
15 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sophie26
- 01-14-12
Generally quite good
I think it's interesting how folk from the more "conservative" side of the spectrum tend to call something "biased" if they don't agree. Rather, MacCulloch comes from a specific scholarly school in the study of religion. This is not a question of bias, but one of approach. I tended to disagree with him on some fine points, such as the bit in Corinthians where Paul allegedly instructs women not to speak, but also, in the same book, tells women that they need to cover their heads when they prophesy. MacCulloch just calls that an "unstable" contradiction where my understanding is that this might have been an interlineation by some copyist. So is MacCulloch biased? Of course he is, to the extent that we all approach the world from different world views. But generally, we just happen to disagree on that point.
Despite my occasional disagreements, I found the book ably written, giving me a lot to mull over. New material that I hadn't read before. That's always the glory of good writing. It's never a good thing to take in anything as "gospel truth." One should always read from a variety of sources, because there may be a new take on the subject that will also be compelling.
The reader, Walter Dixon, is really quite good. He reminded me of a good university professor, rather than a random audiobook reader. He was easy to listen to and never irritated me. I found that his reading kept me listening, while I walked, drove, and made dinner. I even tried to listen while doing some work work, but I kept getting distracted so had to turn it off.
Highly recommended.
53 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Tad Davis
- 06-11-10
Detailed, expansive, and memorable
MacCulloch uses a huge canvas for this book: all continents, all times, and (if there weren't so many of them) you could say all sects and denominations as well. The book is a remarkably good listen, considering the amount of detail it includes, a tribute to Walter Dixon's steady pace and his clear and pleasing voice. Because Christianity has been so tightly bound with the West for the last 2000 years, it becomes in places a "Western world history" as well.
One of the hardest areas of Christian history to grasp is the centuries-long debate about the nature of the Trinity, and its equally long-lasting partner, the debate about the exact nature of Christ. (Human? Divine? Both? If both, what percentage of each, and how mixed or not mixed?) It's a story of determined attempts to fashion a creed and equally determined attempts to resist credal formulations. MacCulloch navigates this territory well, giving plenty of time to each viewpoint and noting that many of the viewpoints, assumed by many Christians to be long dead, are in fact alive and thriving in one or another sect to the present day.
MacCulloch is writing as a friendly outsider, which pretty well sums up my position as a listener. His attempts to describe Christianity's romance with temporal power, and its frequent turning of a blind eye to social injustice, may offend some people. My own impression is that his account is balanced and largely non-judgemental. Highly recommended.
57 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- scmathew
- 02-01-11
A brilliant overview
MacCullough has managed to present a long, and exhaustively complex story in an interesting and clearly understandable manner. He treats his subject matter respectfully, focusing strictly on the historical record and not taking a religious stand. Walter Dixon, the narrator, does a good job as well reading clearly and briskly, not getting bogged down in sometimes hugely complicated text.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jacobus
- 12-09-10
A book that you'll have to listen in episodes
If you think this is a sit-back-and-relax kind of book, you will be disappointed in it. It is not a book that you can listen in one go... but all that said, Diarmaid MacCulloch history of Christianity is probably one of the best works on its history.
Previous histories would focus on Western Christianity, MacCulloch includes the various forms of Eastern Christianity, orthodox and not so orthodox. This makes it probably one of the most complete histories in the last few decades.
One thing that does hinder when listening to the book is the conceptualising of the dates and eras. I think Audible can give some or other download that might help with it. MacCulloch also seem to make a few irritating sidelong remarks, about historical figures en situations, that made me wonder what the basis for these remarks are.
The person reading the book does a decent job of the whole. It is however important to remember that he is reading an academical work.
This book is meant for academics and people with a big interest in the history of Christianity and the Christiandom throughout the ages.
21 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Bruce
- 07-14-10
World History through the lens of Christianity
This is a monumental book which surprises with its depth and breadth of coverage. Nothing is left untouched. The story is told well. One chapter pulls you to the next. The narrator is good, but he mispronounces some esoteric words. Perhaps I'm being picky, but I find it a little disturbing to hear "Thessoloniki" mispronounced especially when I lived there, and its not just Greek city names that get flawed narrations. However, this is a small price to pay for the best history of Christianity ever written. A must read for every Christian and non-Christian. You will fully understand this religion's impact on world history and often wish that this mighty faith had taken some less violent turns. However, every turn and development is in this book and explained in detail. You will understand Christianity and the world as never before when you are done.
26 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- James
- 07-08-13
Great Overview/Whisper Sync is helpful
This is a comprehensive overview of Christian history. I purchased the whisper-sync to be able to more easily access this book as a reference. Do you remember when, where and why the Chalcedon council took place? Or the 95 theses, or the orthodox views on transubstantiation? It's well researched and pretty thorough. Not a gripping read, but worth the investment if you are interested the history of the most influential religion of the West.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Richard D. Shewman
- 11-29-10
a massive but interesting history of Christianity
This is one of the few attempts I have seen so far to take on the whole of Christian history, or at least a bigger chunk of it that is normally offered in a review of the history of Christianity. In doing this the book includes the winners and loosers in the heresey battles, offering us an expansive perspective on Christianity that is illuminating and insightful. For presenting this broad perspective I give the author much credit.
The problem in doing this is that the interesting details of history seem to get short changed on occasions. For example, when he touches on the late middle ages, a period of time about which I have a fairly detailed knowledge, I found his presentation superficial and often frustrating. I assume that it the cost of trying to cover as broad a swath of history as 3000 years. Getting through the material is also a mammoth undertaking. At forty plus hours I was able to work through to the Reformation but simply bogged down at that point from sheer exhaustion and needed to take a break from the book, eventually returning.
The narrator is adequate. He has his quirks of pronounciation but is tolerable.
The author presents the book as a work of history and not as a work of apologetics for any particular tradition within Christianity. In that he seems to succeed fairly well. He offers his opinion on occasion as an aside, which is the right of any author, as long as he makes it clear that that is what he is doing.
In summary, I find the book a good overview of the history of Christianity; though perhaps more a reference work than beach or vacation reading. I recommend it with the cautions mentioned in this review.
17 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- WSV1975
- 08-29-12
read the book, but do not accept ever assertion!
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
This was time well spent, a lot of time. The author has the idea that he is writing a complete history of Christianity. He alludes to the fact that he is a modern British author, and a friend of Christianity, which is code for "I no longer believe in Christ, I am too modern for such a view, but I appreciate the things the Christian culture has brought to the world." One gets the idea that McCullough was writing for his peer group of secular, atheistic British scholars. His has done his home work, and his detailed descriptions of much of the historical processes of the institution of the Church is informative and interesting. However, he makes unsupported assertions throughout the book criticizing the motives or the church which is distracting and often shocking in a book that is supposed to be a clear history of the church. One gets the idea that this is a piece of rebellion against the author's father, who was a priest in the Church of England.
What did you like best about this story?
Clearly I did not really understand the way the institutional church split into western, eastern and Russian churches. Often the politics of various leaders of nations worked to co-opt the leaders of the church to get the church to support the secular leaders. Often church leaders were forced to make political decisions for the good of the church as an institution. There were great leaders and weak leaders of the various churches throughout the ages, but the church survived. I also did not understand the development of the Coptic Christians in Egypt. Fascinating reading, but keep in mind the author has a political, secular agenda and watch for his unsupported assertions about the church's leaders and their motives.
Have you listened to any of Walter Dixon’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
This was a good audio book.
Did Christianity inspire you to do anything?
Yes, I was inspired to do much more research due to the unsupported assertions concerning the motivations of various church leaders that the author makes. This additional research has been wonderfully confirming of development of the Christian culture in the west and the key role the church has played in creating the civilization of charity we have today.
Any additional comments?
Listen to the book, but keep your ears open. I bought a copy of the book as a reference and have used it concerning the historical facts that are presented.
15 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mr
- 02-15-15
Jesus, this is interesting
Would you consider the audio edition of Christianity to be better than the print version?
Yes. Because it would have taken me 3000 years to read it.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Christianity?
I'm tempted to say the bit where the central character, Jesus, (spoiler alert) gets crucified but on reflection I think it's the bits where his supporters, Christians, do loads of things that he didn't want them to do.
Which scene did you most enjoy?
The bit where Martin Luther points out that everyone is doing it wrong is priceless.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Yes, the chapter dealing with Joseph Smith. I was so glad that no-one really believed this guy. How sad that he should waste his life in this way.
32 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- Barry
- 04-13-13
Thought provoking
Whether you are a Christian or not, this book is well worth investigating for it's historical content alone. There are a number of surprises and much thought provoking material contained within. My friend and I listened to this while driving around Europe for two weeks, and it was great to provoke discussion. My only quibble is the reader and the appalling American pronunciations which are irritating and detract from the flow.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- G Douglas Whistler
- 09-08-16
Magisterial book; inconsistent reader
This book is a powerful & magisterial survey of the full sweep of Christian history, taking into account all manifestations of the faith across the globe & through all time & dwelling in depth on their historical contexts & results. The performance was, however, frustrating at times due to the editors' insistence on changing all references to "this book" or "this text" to "this audiobook", which made for very clumsy sentences, & the several mistakes made by the reader (he clearly read out the wrong word on several occasions, making the sentence nonsense) & his poor & inconsistent pronunciation of non-US English words, especially proper nouns: British place-names were universally mispronounced, & pronunciation of names in many languages were very inconsistent. This was a pity, & a frustrating distraction from what is an excellent book.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Caillin
- 10-16-13
Narration is very poor but the book is great
I actually got the printed book instead after listening to this for awhile. As others have said, the narration is robotic, and would have benefited so much from having better narration - I have previously bought "A History of the World" on Audible by Andrew Marr and narrated by David Timson, and it is a fantastic listen. Just a pity this book didn't have anything near the same quality of narration. I'll hold off on giving the book itself a review because I'm still getting through it, but so far very good.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Peter Thomas McNeely
- 08-01-15
Pedestrian historiography, shockingly bad reading
Diarmaid MacCulloch wrote mostly as I expected: an unchallenging, unprovocative, uninspired but well informed survey, mostly useful for its inclusion of material on non-Chalcedonian Christian traditions.
Walter Dixon failed fairly spectacularly. His tone was dull. He frequently put emphasis on clearly unemphatic parts of a sentence or paragraph. He read as a joke things which were not jokes, and missed the actually humorous asides. Most distracting was his clueless pronunciation. Simple words like diocese, Karl Barth, ecumenism and other non-technical terms were butchered each in a variety of ways. This was as distracting as hearing "Uncle Tom's Cabin" called "Uncle Tim's Cabin". This may not be his fault. His producers should have sorted this out, just like you would expect a director to make sure his actors can all pronounce the names of the other characters.
I am returning this audiobook.
12 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- Deborah
- 05-02-11
Great content - disappointing narration
Having enjoyed Diarmaid MacCulloch's BBC series, I was thrilled to see this book available on Audible. The content is fascinating - however, I find the American narration off putting and distracting (timbre, pronounciations e.g. deity, Israel etc). Had it been a British narrator, I wouldn't hesitate to give it 5 stars.
30 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- Jeremy
- 05-19-12
Christianity as history
This is a very interesting book. The author describes himself as a friend of Christianity. The first few chapter cast doubt on the New Testament which I found difficult listening as a Christian. Once past this New Testament era the author paints a sweeping vista of Christian history which is amazing. It is worth knowing the world wide history of the church to see the amazing grace of God and foolishness of so many Christian leaders. There are real lessons to be learned.
12 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Campesque
- 04-24-19
A long read, but a book everyone brought up in the Christian tradition should read.
A masterpiece of scholarship delivered in an accessible and entertaining style. I enjoyed this book from start to finish. As with any book about religion, this is also very much a social and political history. I feel it has really improved my understanding of other societies and their development in parallel to my own. It casts light on the 'national psyche' of every country influenced by the Christian religion.
The only thing I disliked about this audiobook was the narration. It's a testament to the excellent content of this book that I did not give up and return it. The pronunciation of European and British place names and people was diabolical. This book deserves better!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Sarah Fegredo
- 10-29-16
Great writing, very disappointing reading
As many other reviewers have said, the reader of this book is very disappointing. I have no objection to listening to Americans, but in this case some of the pronunciations of words, particularly when they are referring to things relating to England, are just wrong, and I've never even heard Americans pronounce them that way. I was also irritated by his apparently careful pronunciation of the words "Irish" and "Ireland" with a self-conscious Irish brogue; I kept thinking "If he goes to that much trouble for those words why can't he put a bit of effort into the rest of it!
I spent most of my listening time having to suppress a constant level of irritation with the poor reading. I would definitely NOT buy another Audible book if it was narrated by this reader.
This is a great shame because the writing itself is really good.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mary Carnegie
- 03-06-16
Great book, shame about the narrator.
It is disappointing that an important book written by a British academic is read by an American. It almost seems to make it dishonest, and removes it from decent scholarship, which owns up to authorship. "Separated by the English language" - don't mind USA books read by USA narrators one bit, but...
An hour in, I'll translate it back to Standard English in my head, just like listening to Belgian French...
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 01-09-18
Connecting world history and Christianity
I was looking for a book connecting world history with the development of Christianity. This book makes a brave attempt at doing that, though sometimes it has too much detail about religious controversies for my taste and perhaps too little detail on the historical side. I guess this is to be expected, as its focus is on Christianity rather than world history. The book still provides a lot of useful connections between the two subjects.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- blueskyapplepie
- 02-06-18
Great book, okay narrator
The narrator uses incorrect pronunciation on certain words, and more annoyingly, changes the way he pronounces them throughout the book. The book itself is great though.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- RMH
- 03-09-22
Solid review of Christianity
The book is good. but there are multiple mistakes, errors and significant biases - but these are to be expected.
The narrator also struggles to understand Christianity, and makes many mistakes in pronouncing key terms in history and theology. Very annoying.
Still worth a listen when you have a spare 2 days.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Random gronk
- 05-14-21
Outstanding!
Where to start? It’s simply brilliant!
My understanding of theology is reasonable. However, I was wanting to understand the history of Christianity and forces that shaped our modern understanding of Christian theology + alternative interpretations that emerged.
This book serves as a one stop reference book for all the above.
What a pleasure to listen to/read (I also ordered a hard copy for reference)
+ I very much enjoyed the narration. It too was outstanding!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Nick Moodie
- 06-26-19
Great story. Great Presentation (at 1.5x speed)
McCullough uses so much detail, but also presents it in a fascinating and captivating way. Loved his factual, unbiased writing
Dixon was engaging the entire time, though I had to keep it on a solid 1.5x speed, and by the end was going at a 1.8x speed. I appreciate audible's accessibility to this function.
Best to read it along side a physical copy, and even underline/take notes, as its so big, I can now go back and find specific parts later.