Hitting the Holy Road
A Guided Tour Of Christian History From The Early Church To The Reformation
Hitting the Holy Road
A Guided Tour Of Christian History From The Early Church To The Reformation
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Paperback / softback
£14.99
Publisher: Inter-Varsity Press
ISBN: 9781844745111
Number of Pages: 304
Published: 18/03/2011
Width: 15.2 cm
Height: 23.1 cm
'This book invites you on a journey through some of the regions and cities which have played a pivotal role in Christian history down through the ages. Along the way it provides you with an overview of the history of the church - warts and all - together with reflections on the lessons we may learn from the past.'
Stuart Coulton's lively and accessible survey covers the first fifteen centuries of Christian history, centred on Europe, and includes numerous photographs, timelines and text boxes.
Each chapter is divided into three sections: the first gives a short introduction to the historical location, providing a feel for the place today; the second discusses the story of the church during the relevant period, seeking not only to describe events but also to suggest some reasons for what happened and the consequences; the final section offers some reflections to stimulate thought and discussion.
Coulton's ultimate aim is to encourage us to look critically at ourselves, our churches and our communities, and to reflect carefully on what it means to follow Christ in a complex and at times confusing world.
1. Spreading its wings: the expansion of early Christianity to AD 312 27
The place: the Appian Way, Rome 27
The story 29
A serious commitment to proclaiming Jesus 31
Pax Romana 31
A Jewish heritage 32
Roman religion 34
A radical message of grace 35
Showing the gospel 36
Reflections 36
2. Setting the house in order: early church government 41
The place: the Catacombs, Rome 4
The story 42
Pope Damasus 46
Pope Gregory the Great 48
Reflections 49
3. Alienating the neighbours: persecution 53
The place: Domus Aurea, Rome 53
The story 55
Questions needing answers 63
Reflections 64
4. Defending the faith 69
The place: Ephesus 69
The story 72
Gnosticism 73
Marcion and the battle for the Bible 74
Searching for authority 76
Canon 76
Creeds 77
Government 77
Reflections 78
5. Standing firm for the truth 81
The place: Iznik 81
The story 83
Constantine and theological controversy 87
The road to Chalcedon 89
Reflections 91
6. What must I do to be saved? 95
The place: Church of St John Studius, Istanbul 95
The story 97
Anthony - 'father' of early monasticism 98
Pachomius 99
Some reasons why monasticism arose 100
Starting to get organized 101
Western monasticism - the Rule of Benedict 102
Reflections 105
7. Change and decline in the Roman Empire 109
The place: Hagia Sophia, Istanbul 109
The story 113
The formation of the Byzantine Empire 113
The decline of the Roman Empire in the west 115
Augustine of Hippo 116
Augustine the controversialist 117
The final decline of Rome in Western Europe 118
Divisions within Christendom 121
Reflections 122
8. This world is not my home 127
The place: Iona, Scotland 127
The story 129
The place: Lindisfarne, England 131
The story 132
Another mission to England 133
Refl ections 137
9. Out of chaos: eighth-century Europe 141
The place: Aachen, Germany 141
The story 144
Boniface 145
Charlemagne 150
Reflections 154
10. The rise of the medieval papacy 159
The place: Cluny, France 159
The story 160
The Peace of God Movement 162
The monastery of Cluny 162
The Investiture Controversy 170
Refl ections 171
11. When clergy ruled the earth 175
The place: St Peter's, Rome 175
The story 178
Reflections 181
12. Onward Christian soldiers 185
The place: Vezelay, France 185
The story 187
Outcomes of the Crusades 194
Refl ections 195
13. Medieval monasticism 199
The place: Assisi, Italy 199
The story 202
Augustinian Canons 203
The Cistercians 203
The Dominicans 205
Francis of Assisi 209
Refl ections 212
14. The journey to reformation 217
The place: Avignon, France 217
The story 220
The decline of the papacy: 'Babylonian captivity' 221
The papal schism 222
Political developments: the rise of nationalism 222
The changing face of society 224
The printing press 226
The Renaissance 227
Northern humanism 230
Reflections 232
15. The crisis in the church 237
The place: parish church, Wittenberg, Germany 237
The story 238
The dysfunctional family - the church of the fi fteenth century 238
Refl ections 240
The wrong answer to the right question 241
The sale of indulgences 243
The crisis 244
The place: Luther's Wittenberg 245
Luther's journey 246
Refl ections 250
16. Why I would like to have a beer with Luther 255
The place: Wartburg Castle, Germany 255
The story 257
Why I would like to have a beer with Luther 262
