Lost History of Christianity The: The Thousand-Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia--And How It Died - Softcover

Jenkins Philip

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0061472816 ISBN 13: 9780061472817

Publisher: HARPER COLLINS PUBLISHERS, 2009

Synopsis

"Jenkins is one of America's top religious scholars."
--Forbes magazine

The Lost History of Christianity by Philip Jenkins offers a revolutionary view of the history of the Christian church. Subtitled "The Thousand-Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia--and How It Died," it explores the extinction of the earliest, most influential Christian churches of China, India, and the Middle East, which held the closest historical links to Jesus and were the dominant expression of Christianity throughout its first millennium. The remarkable true story of the demise of the institution that shaped both Asia and Christianity as we know them today, The Lost History of Christianity is a controversial and important work of religious scholarship that sounds a warning that must be heeded.

About this title

Review:

"The Lost History of Christianity is a fascinating study of the first thousand-plus years of the Church--a Church rooted in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. We have much to learn from the tale of its reach, its particular way of being Christian, and its eventual decomposition "--Beliefnet.com (One of the Best Religious Books of 2008)

"[Jenkins'] depiction of the long Christian history of Asia, Mesopotamia, and the greater Middle East is both a much-needed education and a spiritually fruitful provocation."--Books & Culture

"Philip Jenkins' book is a tour de force in historical retrieval and reconstruction, a work of scholarly restoration that strikes an overdue balance in the story of Christianity. It is studded with insight, with the story presented in a lively and lucid style."--Lamin Sanneh, Professor of World Christianity and Professor of History, Yale University

"Philip Jenkins's marvelous new book...tells the largely forgotten story of Nisibis, and thousands of sites like it, which stretch from Morocco to Kenya to India to China, and which were, deep into the second millennium, the heart of the church."--The Weekly Standard

"Jenkins is one of America's top religious scholars."--Forbes

"Jenkins's well-crafted new volume...is not only a welcome addition to the literature on Christianity as a truly global religion, to which he has already made substantial contributions, but also an invitation to retrieve a forgotten chapter of history that has not inconsiderable relevance to current events."--Religion & Ethics Newsweekly

"Using his skill to discredit murky thinking and propose new understandings where the old no longer serve a good purpose, Jenkins offers yet another jewel in what is becoming a crown of paradigm-shattering studies. [This book] will amply reward your investment of time and attention."--America

"In this highly readable and sobering exploration of how religions - including our own - grow, falter and sometimes die, Jenkins adds a unique dimension to present day religious studies in a voice and style that non-specialists can also appreciate."--Harvey Cox, Hollis Professor of Divinity, Harvard University

"In leaner, clearer prose than ever before, Jenkins outlines and analyzes this history, which few present-day Christians have even heard of. This may be the most eye-opening history book of the year."--Booklist

"Philip Jenkins always writes well on very interesting topics. This time his topic is more than interesting-it is essential reading for anyone with any interest in the history of Christianity."--Rodney Stark, author of The Rise of Christianity

About the Author:

Philip Jenkins, the author of The Lost History of Christianity, Jesus Wars, and The Next Christendom, is a Distinguished Professor of History at Baylor University's Institute for Studies of Religion. He has published articles and op-ed pieces in The Wall Street Journal, The New Republic, The Atlantic Monthly, and The Washington Post and has been a guest on top national radio shows across the country.

About this edition

• Publisher: HARPER COLLINS PUBLISHERS
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0061472816
• ISBN 13: 9780061472817
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 315