Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity 3rd Edition by Mark A. Noll (PDF)

Description

In this popular introduction to church history, now in its third edition, Mark Noll isolates key events that provide a framework for understanding the history of Christianity. The book presents Christianity as a worldwide phenomenon rather than just a Western experience.Now organized around fourteen key moments in church history, this well-received text provides contemporary Christians with a fuller understanding of God as he has revealed his purpose through the centuries. This new edition includes a new preface; updates throughout the book; revised “further readings” for each chapter; and two new chapters, including one spotlighting Vatican II and Lausanne as turning points of the recent past.Students in academic settings and church adult education contexts will benefit from this one-semester survey of Christian history.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐In the first three chapter of his book Turning Points, Mark A. Noll gives summarized accounts of what he considers the first three defining moments of the Christian church. Chapter one discusses the fall of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. According to the author, this moment was the catalyst for making a clear distinction between Judaism and Christianity, particularly within Rome. It appears that as a consequence of this period of distinction, the church began to develop and decide on the relationship of its cannon to the Hebrew scriptures (the Marcionism movement), episcopacy, and early creeds. In chapter two, the author describes the events that led to the Council of Nicea in 325 C.E., and the repercussions it had for later debate. He begins his summary by explaining the events that brought Constantine to call the council together, including his conversion experience and his rise to being the sole emperor. Noll concludes that the foundations laid by this council were four-fold: Christ was “true God from true God,” “was “consubstantial with the Father,” was “begotten, not made,” and that Christ “became human for us humans and for our salvation.” It is on these irrefutable foundations that the church has been built for 17 centuries, which is why Noll asserts it as a major turning point in Christian history. Chapter three covers the events prior to and during the Council of Chalcedon in 451 C.E. Once again, this council was called by the emperor of Rome. Its purpose was simple – to find the delicate balance between a “word-flesh Christology” and a “word-man Christology.” The eventual outcome was recognition that God is one person with multiple natures. The author argues that this was the primary reason he labels this as a turning point: “Chaldeon proved that the heart of the gospel message could be preserved, even when that message was put into a new conceptual language.” Chaldean created boundaries for future discussions about the nature of God that would allow creative minds to examine the person of God for generations to come.Kimbrough 2 Continuing on in Noll’s Turning Points, the fourth chapter highlights the development of monasteries as a rescuing tool in the church’s history, and particularly within this movement, Benedict’s writing of his Rule. Perhaps the most significant tie the author makes between the events explained in previous chapters and the monastic reform was that by adhering to a life of self-denial, monks were essentially carrying on the tradition of martyrdom. Although it’s not explicitly stated, the modern Christian practice of “dying to oneself” as an interpretation of certain Biblical texts is likely a further continuance of this sentiment. Because the monastic rescue has these kinds of long-term impacts, Noll labels it as a significant turning point. In chapter five, Noll surprisingly selects the coronation of Charlemagne as a highly significant historical moment; however, the surprise quickly diminishes after he details what small moments brought about this event. It appears as though the crowning of a new “Roman” emperor by the pope is really just a centralized moment that displays the Pope’s authority by the year 800. This chapter is more about the rise of the papacy as an established power with distinct authority to do things like instilling the position of emperor than it is about the crowning of a man. Finally, in chapter six, Noll begins an explanation of The Great Schism in 1054. His description of the actual schism is brief because he takes care to explain the historical nuances that led to its occurrence (Noll even comments in chapter 4 that all events are products of groups of smaller events). While he certainly doesn’t take away from the importance of The Great Schism, he also takes the opportunity to explain the occurrences surounding the Crusades, particularly the first and fourth, and the impact these had on Russia. This chapter reads more like a narrative text than the other chapters, perhaps because there was more information for the author to draw from.The seventh chapter of Noll’s Turning Points is centered on the Diet of Worms in 1521, and in particular, Martin Luther’s questioning of papal authority over scripture that would eventually lead to reformation of the church. Throughout this chapter, Noll includes several first-person caveats in which he informs his readers that he is of the protestant tradition, and makes note that this personal belief might cause his readers to think his decision to mark this as a turning point might be biased. However, as he goes on to explain in later chapters, the impact of this moment has ramifications not just in the life of Protestants, but in all walks of Christianity. Noll briefly describes the influence Luther has on Bonheoffer and Kierkegaard towards the end of the chapter as examples of Luther’s vast influence. In chapter eight, Noll recognizes the act of Henry VIII breaking away from the Roman Catholic Church as a major turning point in Christian history, and does so in the context of Luther’s precedent for church reformation. Henry wanted an annulment, an act that the pope would not condone; so Henry approached his new archbishop, Thomas Cranmer, to get the authorization he needed. The act of seeking authority outside of the papacy was a piggy-back off of Luther’s aforementioned ideas. The ramifications of this were the birth of full-scale Protestantism: a community church denomination, and what will eventually become multiple denominations within single vicinity. Finally, in chapter nine, Noll addresses the Catholic reformation and the birth of the Jesuits, founded by Ignatius Loyola. As part of this chapter, Noll draws distinct attention to the mission work of the Jesuits, which he not so subtly points out to his Protestant readers began at least 150 years before anything similar came from their churches. Noll’s entire reason for recognizing the Catholic reformation is because out of it came the Jesuits, and out of the Jesuits came a spread of Christianity outside of Europe like none before it after a lack of mission work for 400-500 years.Chapter 10 of Noll’s Turning Points is entitled “The New Piety,” and focuses on the conversion and works of the Wesley brothers in the 18th century. The author is cautious in this chapter to present both John and Charles Wesley as creating the biggest change in the Christian church since the Reformation. John Wesley became known for his modern preaching that was accessible to all, while Charles made history as one of the best hymn writers who ever lived. Together, these brothers united the church under the banner of salvation “by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone,” calling Christians to a life of piety in the highest sense. On a personal note, I was amazed at how many Wesleyan influences I have seen in churches I’ve attended today. In the next chapter, “Discontents of the Modern West,” Noll discusses the effect of the French Revolution on Christianity. Noll talks about the fall of Christendom as the result of several factors, but overall settles on humanity’s secularization and elevation of reason. He makes careful note in this chapter of the difference between secularization and enlightenment, explaining that the former refers to the general population and the latter to individuals. Finally, Noll explains that the culmination of this chapter is the eventual advent of World War I, during which Europe lost a devastating number of lives, the equivalent of which had not been seen since the plague. However, Noll also notes that the crown of Christendom’s demise was that in the devastation of the war, Europe didn’t cling to its own sin as being the culprit for their downfall. Finally, in the first section of chapter 13, Noll depicts the ongoing implications of the Second Vatican Council from 1962-65 as a modern turning point. In this council, called by Pope John XXIII, the leaders of the Catholic Church came to several conclusions that are still debated today. The most influential of these was the recognition that the Protestant and Catholics churches are “in some way united.” To my own knowledge, this is the first time this was vocalized since the split of the churches, and is therefore highly important.

⭐I taught 12 classes using the book “Christian History Made Easy” by Timothy Jones and using this as a reference the “Turning Points:….in the History of Christianity” was just as good if not better than Timothy’s. Turning Points was more concise and gave introspective into each moment along the way. Mark Noll did a good job to give us reasons why certain points in history was important and how it affected the modern Christianity we have today. I would highly recommend either book to study and have a better understanding of our history today.

⭐Noll’s “Turning Points” provides an in-depth analysis of what he deems to be the major events or turning points within Christianity. His task was not to trace the entire history of the church, rather to write a history of the most significant events, as a result, many important movements don’t make the cut. This is not a fault of the author, rather a natural byproduct of spacial constraints. However, for what it is, Noll does an excellent job. Each turning point is expounded upon in great detail and is thoroughly researched. While books could be written on each one, Noll provides the historical setting for each and carefully outlines the consequences of the events. I recommend it for anyone who is looking to better understand the history of Christianity and what events have shaped the church as it is today.

⭐THE FALL of JERUSALEM (AD 70)The destruction of the Jewish temple and the city of Jerusalem in AD 70 by the Romans marked the turning point when Christianity could no longer be just another variety of Judaism. In the coming years, the fledgling Christian church would establish fixed authoritative writings to add to the Hebrew Scriptures, establish local Christian churches led by bishops, and compose creeds summarizing their faith.It took the church about 200 years to decide on the 27 books of the New Testament. They were named in Athanasius’ (Bishop of Alexandria) Easter letter in 367 and in a document from a synod held in 397 at Carthage in North Africa. Key acceptance of a book was apostolicity. Was the book written by someone chosen personally by Jesus? (Mark the Gospel writer was an associate of Peter) A book whose author was uncertain took longer to approve (Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, and Revelation).The Scriptures mention “traditions” handed on from the apostles to the church (II Thessalonians 2:15; 3:6; I Corinthians 11:2), including how Paul had received and then transmitted what had become a traditional summary of the Gospel.”that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3).An early version of the Apostles’ Creed, which was not finalized until the 7th century, is traced back to the 2nd century. Ignatius of Antioch (Ad 110) says,”Turn a deaf ear to any speaker who avoids mention of Jesus Christ who was of David’s line, born of Mary, who was truly born, ate and drank; was truly persecuted under Pontius Pilate, truly crucified and died while those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth beheld it; who was also truly raised from the dead, the Father having raised him, who in like manner will raise us also who believe in him — his Father, I say, will raise us in Christ Jesus, apart from whom we have not true life.”These early church creeds were used to prepare converts for baptism and to combat heresies.THE COUNCIL of NICAEA (AD 325)On May 20th about 230 bishops met in Nicaea for the first worldwide church council. Arius, a presbyter from Alexandria, believed that since God was the only uncreated being, then Jesus must have had a beginning. Jesus therefore would not be equal to the Father nor share the same substance.Athanasius argued that if Jesus were not truly God, then His sacrifice on the cross for our sins could not bestow life on believers. He also could not be worshiped as God. The Bible says that “the Word was God” (John 1:1), Jesus “existed in the form of God” (Philippians 2:6), Jesus is “the exact representation of God’s nature” (Hebrews 1:3), and is addressed as “O God” (Hebrews 1:8). The bishops used the Greek word “homoousios”, which means “same substance” and which is not found in the Bible, to accurately summarize Jesus own teaching that “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).The Nicene Creed formulated in 325 was expanded upon in 381 AD.”We believe in one God, the Father all-powerful, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things both seen and unseen. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten from the Father before all the ages, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, con-substantial with the Father, through whom all things came to be; for us humans and for our salvation he came down from the heavens and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, became human and was crucified on our behalf under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried and rose up on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures; and he went up into the heavens and is seated at the Father’s right hand; he is coming again with glory to judge the living and the dead; his kingdom will have no end. And in the Spirit, the holy, the lordly, and life-giving one, proceeding forth from the Father, co-worshiped and co-glorified with Father and Son, the one who spoke through the prophets; in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. We confess one baptism for the forgiving of sins. We look forward to a resurrection of the dead and life in the age to come. Amen.”THE COUNCIL of CHALCEDON (451 AD)520 bishops met at Chalcedon to explain Christ’s divinity and humanity.The council decided:”So, following the saintly fathers,we all with one voice teach the confession of one and the same, our Lord Jesus Christ,the same perfect in divinity, and perfect in humanity,the same truly God and truly man,of a rational soul and a body,consubstantial (homoousios) with the Father as regards his divinity,and the same consubstantial (homoousios) with us regards his humanity;like us in all respects except for sin;begotten before the ages from the Father as regards his divinity,and in the last days the same for us and for our salvation from Mary, the Virgin God-bearer (theotokos) as regards his humanity;one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, acknowledged in two natures which undergo no confusion, no change, no division, no separation;at no point was the difference between the natures taken away through the union,but rather the property of both natures is preserved and comes together into a single person and a single subsistent human being (hypostatis);he is not parted or divided into two persons,but is one and the same only-begotten Son, God, Word, Lord Jesus Christ, just as the prophets taught from the beginning about him, and as the Lord Jesus Christ himself instructed us, and as the creed of the fathers [the Nicene Creed] handed it down to us.”THE MONASTIC RESCUE of the CHURCHIn the centuries between the reign of Constantine and the Protestant Reformation, almost everything in the church that approached the highest, noblest, and truest ideals of the gospel was done either by those who had chosen the monastic way or those who had been inspired by the monks.The first recorded monk, Antony, went into the Egyptian desert in 270 to find God.The Egyptian Pachomius, around 320, established the first cenobitic (communal) monastery under a rule for a life of prayer.Around 370 Basil of Caesarea, who did so much to define the Holy Spirit as a full member of the Trinity, wrote a rule that serves today as a basic guide for monastic life in the Orthodox Church.Athanasius was the great 4th-century defender of Christ’s divinity.In 360, Martin of Tours founded the first monastery in France, making monasticism the primary bearer of Christianity into northern Europe.Benedict of Nursia wrote a rule that produced a zealous devotion to Christ, curbed asceticism, preserved the centrality of Scripture, restored prayer, and dignified the realities of work, study, sleep, and eating. It became the norm for tens of thousands of new monastic communities in Europe. Monasticism sought to preserve the Christian ideals of self-sacrifice, humility, self-denial, study of Scripture, prayer, work, and poverty.Benedict’s Rule promotedwork (“Idleness is enemy of the soul”),prayer (“Prayer should be short and pure”),and caring for strangers (“All guests…are to be welcomed as Christ, for he himself will say, ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me’ [Matthew 25:35]).The English monk Boniface (680-754) founded a Benedictine monastery at Fulda (northeast of Frankfurt, Germany).The monks Cyril and Methodius translated the Bible into Slavonic, the common language around Great Moravia and Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) and sealed a bond between the Eastern European and Orthodox Church to this day.Monasteries established in a pagan area allowed the local population to see the application of Christianity to daily existence, as monks tilled the soil, welcomed visitors, studied the Scriptures, and prayed. So arose the saying that monks civilized Europe “cruce, libro, et atro” (with cross, book, and plow).New orders of mendicant friars (monks on the road), the Dominicans and the Franciscans, engaged in evangelism. The Dominicans’ greatest theologian, Thomas Aquinas (1225-74), designed some of his writings for apologetic use among Muslims. Monasteries also preserved critical Christian documents.THE CORONATION of CHARLEMAGNE (800)On Christmas Day AD 800, when Pope Leo III crowned Charles, king of the Franks, the people then shouted three times, “To Charles Augustus, crowned by God, great and peace-giving emperor of the Romans, life and victory.”This act formed a strategic alliance between the papacy and the Roman emperors for the next seven or eight centuries.But how did the papacy acquire such power to crown a king?Roman Catholics, using the English translation of Matthew 16:18, believe Peter was given authority by Christ Himself: “and I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church.” Peter means “rock”. Therefore, Jesus was referring to Peter as the foundation upon which He would build His church. Catholics therefore designate Peter, the first bishop of Rome, as the first Pope.To Protestants, using the Greek translation of the same verse, “Peter” is “petros” which means “detached stone, a stone that might be thrown or easily moved”. “Rock” is “petra” which means “a mass of rock or bed-rock”. So Christ builds His church not upon Peter, a small stone, but upon the large bed-rock of Peter’s confession that “Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Protestants view Peter as the first bishop of Rome but not a Pope.Historically the bishops of Rome rose to prominence and authority over bishops of other locations.Catholics would explain this development as inevitably occurring because Christ gave this authority to Peter.Protestants would explain this development as a result of the bishops of Rome articulating and adhering to the teaching of Scripture when the church was in crisis.DIVISION BETWEEN EAST and WEST (1054)In 1054, Cardinal Humbert, representing Rome, entered Hagia Sofia and placed a papal bull on the altar, excommunicating Cerularius, the Patriarch of Constantinople.What led to this great schism?1) Cultural differences. Rome was Latin. Constantinople was Greek.2) Theological differences. Latins thought of the unity of the Godhead in the Trinity. Greeks emphasized the three persons of the Trinity. Regarding the crucifixion, Latins thought of Christ the Victim, Greeks of Christ the Victor.3) The word “filioque.” In AD 589, the Third Council of Toledo inserted this word which means “and from the Son” after “the Holy Spirit…who proceeds from the Father.” This changed the original wording of the AD 325 Nicene Creed that the Holy Spirit proceeded forth from the Father only. The Western church wanted to equalize relationships among the three persons of the Trinity. The Eastern church said this violated an explicit canon of the Nicene Council that the wording of its formula not be changed.4) Rome’s claim of papal supremacy. The Eastern patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Constantinople were willing to grant preference to the Roman Church, “but how shall we accept decrees from her that have been issued without consulting us and even without our knowledge? If the Roman pontiff wishes to rule us by not taking counsel with us but at his own arbitrary pleasure, what kind of brotherhood or parenthood can this be?”5) The Fourth Crusade of 1202-4. Influenced by Venetian merchants, the Venetian, French, and Flemish soldiers took part entirely for material gain and not to protect Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land from the Muslims. They attacked Christian Constantinople and sacked the nine centuries of Christian treasures it had stored. “They rushed in a howling mob down the streets and through the houses, murdering and raping. Women and children lay dying in the streets. For three days ghastly scenes of pillage and bloodshed continued.” This Crusade was an act of sheer barbarism. By 1453, when the Turks besieged Constantinople, Eastern Christians were too divided to make an effective defense.Today, significant progress has been made between Roman Catholics and Orthodox. Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras met in Jerusalem in January 1964. This had not been done since the Council of Florence in 1439.In 1965, the excommunications of 1054 were formally revoked.In 1980 formal theological dialogue was begun.In 1987 Pope John Paul II met in Rome with Patriarch Demetrios I. They both recited the Nicene Creed without the “filioque”).In June 1995, Pope John Paul II met with Patriarch Bartholomew I.THE DIET of WORMS (1521)On April 18, 1521, Martin Luther was 37 years old and had been a monk for over 15 years. He was summoned to appear before Charles V, Germany’s Holy Roman emperor, to recant, to publicly confess what he had written about the gospel, the nature of the church, and the current state of Christendom.Luther responded, “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not retract anything.”With these words, Protestantism was born.The imperial court asked a disturbing question, What if everyone simply followed his or her own conscience? The Catholic church viewed Luther as putting the authority of his conscience above the authority of church councils and tradition, whereas Luther specified that it was the authority of Scripture that his conscience relied upon.Luther struggled greatly with his own sin. How could miserable, unworthy sinners escape the wrath of God and be reconciled with God in His perfect holiness? He found a clue in a single phrase in Psalm 31:1 “deliver me in Your righteousness.” With this insight Luther could make sense of his discovery in Romans 1:17 concerning “a righteousness that is BY FAITH from first to last” and hear with relief that “the righteous will live by faith.”In Christ, the sinner could receive the righteousness of God as a gift.After Worms, Luther retreated to Castle Wartburg, under the protection of Prince Edward the Wise of Saxony, where he produced a magnificent German translation of the New Testament. Luther was a prolific writer, producing a treatise, sermon, lecture, or biblical exposition every three weeks during his adult life.In 1525, he married Katherine von Bora, a former nun. Luther never meant to start a new church, just reform the existing Catholic one, including banning the sale of indulgences, an offense to grace through faith in Christ.Luther’s contribution was not being the model of Christian decorum.He was too blunt and crude, suffering his whole life from mood swings, doubts and depression. In 1543, he violently denounced the Jews.His contribution was that Christianity begins with Christ dying for sinners, not people trusting in their own efforts to gain acceptance from God. It is what GOD has done for us, not what WE have done for Him. Luther realized that as a monk he had tried to gain acceptance from God through human effort. The cross made him realize “where man’s strength ends, God’s strength begins.” Grace was a gift from God through faith in Christ, not something that could be earned through human endeavor.THE ENGLISH ACT of SUPREMACY (1534)At the end of 1532, King Henry VIII was in a hurry to get his marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled. He wanted to marry Anne Boleyn who was pregnant with his child. If it was a boy, he would have to be married to her so his son could inherit his throne.Pope Clement VII would not give him an annulment. Catherine was the aunt of the Holy Roman emperor Charles V whom Clement relied upon for security.But both Henry’s new archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, and Parliament were willing to ratify his divorce and sanction his marriage to Anne Boleyn. In 1534, Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy which made the King of England the “Supreme Head of the Church of England. The English faithful Christians would no longer be a part of the Roman Catholic Church.WHEN THE CHURCH PURSUED POWER OVER PIETYFor over 200 years prior to the Reformation, the need for reform of the Roman Catholic church came about when the church devoted more energy toward the pursuit of power and wealth than toward personal godliness and piety.The Great Western Schism of 1378-1417 found three men simultaneously claiming to be the true Pope.In 1415, Jan Hus, a Roman Catholic priest in Prague who was falsely promised safe passage to the Council of Constance to voice his belief that greater concentration should be upon the Bible than church authority, was burned at the stake.Pope Alexander VI (1492-1503) was immoral and fathered illegitimate children, including Cesare Borgia.Although Pope Julius II (1503-13) founded the Vatican Library and commissioned Michelangelo’s frescoes on the Sistine Chapel, he was rebuked by Erasmus the Dutch Catholic priest for expanding the papacy through military wars.His successor, Pope Leo X (1513-21), authorized the sale of indulgences in Germany which Martin Luther protested.Such worldly and immoral behavior stood in contrast to the great insights of Bernard of Clairvaux, the inspiration to prayer and self-giving of St. Francis, and the theocentric theology of Thomas Aquinas. The Brethren of the Common Life in the Netherlands and Northern Germany spread godliness and service through its schools, charities, and writings. Thomas a Kempis’ “The Imitation of Christ” encouraged finding union with Christ through spiritual self-discipline.The invention of the movable type printing press by Johann Gutenberg in the-1450s helped disseminate Reformation writings. It aided the spread of the Renaissance, a movement which sought out authentic ancient texts in Latin and Greek to return European civilization to its ancient roots just as the Reformers sought to restore the church to its apostolic purity by submitting to the authority of the Bible.Erasmus (1466-1536) and the churchman Cardinal Ximenez (1436-1517) sought to secure the most exact possible text of the Greek New Testament.THE RISE OF PROTESTANTISMThe first generation of Protestants tried to answer foundational questions that had long been neglected by church hierarchy.”What must I do to be saved?”To trust by faith in the free grace of God for the justification of sinners in the work of Jesus Christ.”Where can I find reliable religious authority?”The Bible is one’s ultimate authority.”How should the church’s spiritual interests be balanced by our need to live in the world?”Every Christian is a priest and minister of the Gospel to others. John Calvin believed that only church officials should be in control of preaching, administering the sacraments, and carrying out church discipline.Secular authorities could provide protection and civil order.”O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Saviour, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions. Take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatsoever else may hinder us from godly Union and Concord: that, as there is one Body, and one Spirit, and One hope of our Calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may henceforth be all of one heart, and one soul, united in one holy bond of Truth and Peace, of Faith and Charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify Thee: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (Anglican Book of Common Prayer)

⭐While reducing the whole of church history to a series of key events is difficult, Noll manages to give us the highlight reel. If you were to read one key book on church history, this might be the one chosen. With his customary flair for making the difficult legible, Noll creates a layman’s guide to the major plays that shaped the church as we understand it today.

⭐There are a number of very good books on the development of Christian thought. This one comes at the subject from a slightly different angle, is a good read while being academically competent as well. I shall look for more of Noll’s books

⭐I think it is a book with good balanced views. The book has helped me to understand more about the Eucharist and more topics for my history essay. I recommend it to anyone who want to know about most of the church history.

⭐Set text for course. Only read first three chapters but so far very clear and very readable on complex issues.

⭐A bit dissapointing book – very text heavy and focussing mostly on the disputes and changes in doctrine and less on the actual events. From the title I thought it would be a description of the events that lead up to the turning points and a historical account thereof – and on how the decisions were made. That was not the case.

⭐Covers the history if the church from the beginning to current days. It gives information in a clear way and is easy to read from beginning to end

Keywords

Free Download Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity 3rd Edition in PDF format
Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity 3rd Edition PDF Free Download
Download Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity 3rd Edition 2012 PDF Free
Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity 3rd Edition 2012 PDF Free Download
Download Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity 3rd Edition PDF
Free Download Ebook Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity 3rd Edition