Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
Barely can a book like this be called a history. MacCulloch attempts to pass his opinions and unfounded assumptions off as historical commentary, often belittling groups and cultures by keeping his discourse ignorant of the human condition and historical development in general. There is little in this book that is not dripping with MacCulloch's opinions, and it takes more work to tease out actual reflections on historical fact from MacCulloch's soap box than should be necessary. If we've come to the point where we, as a culture, argue that all historiography is ideology (a false assertion, I'd argue), then MacCulloch's book is the poster-child for the genre. Yuck. Long detailed, sometimes overwhelming read, but well worth it. Because of the huge expanse of time, places, and people the book attempts to cover, it's easy to get bogged down. The overall impression is extremely positive though. The author is sharp, witty, and the attention to detail and breadth of sources is amazing. In this broad sweeping overview, he gives you a good sense of all the historical trends that have shaped Christianity, and he leaves no stone unturned. He explores the history in places you might not have thought of, while still giving the traditional power centers their due time. The author uncovers a world of political marriage with Christianity that was the norm from Constantine all the way to the end of the First World War. Christianity as we know it today had a very different feel and look for the majority of its life. Because this book is so broad, I kept a list of key persons or events that interested me so I could explore them further. In that sense, this book is a great starter for anyone looking to study Christianity's history further. Highly recommended.
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