It basically gives an overview of World History through the lens of Christianity. Justo does a very good job of tying everything together, so that the pieces of disjointed movements and history I have a vague understanding of, come together to make much more sense as a whole. ( )

Gonzalez's two-volume work on the history of Christianity is the best short work on the subject I have encountered so far. It is mostly free from bias, the topics are discrete, the books are mostly well-organized and logically put together. If you are looking for a work on the history of Christianity, and would like an overview and an introduction, I would recommend Gonzalez's two volume set. ( )

This second volume of González's history of the Christian Church takes the reader from the Reformation through the present day. While I enjoyed this continuation of his history, I felt like González got more bogged down in listing out historical events of the twentieth century and often lost sight of the theological and denominational changes that were such a focus of the first volume. Some of this is just the nature of writing a history of more modern times -- it's a lot harder to have the same perspective on events of the past few decades that you do of the church in the ancient world -- but I still missed some of the focus and energy of the first volume. Or maybe the Christian church was just more entertaining before the Reformation? Either way, this is still a worthwhile read and a helpful guide to the influence of the Christian church on our shared history and culture. ( )

In The Story of Christianity, Volume II, Justo L. González continues to chronicle Christianity, but where his first volume covers 1500 years in 490 pages, the second volume takes slightly longer to cover a shorter period of time – a testament to the diversity and complexity of the story of God’s people as it continues to unfold. Beginning with the corruption that plagued the leadership of the Catholic Church, the story quickly moves to the response of and contributions of the estimable Martin Luther. After discussing the contributions of Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin in the Reformation and the rise of Protestantism, the story quickly moves to the contribution of the English to the grand mix of Christian denominations. Since González is presenting only the most influential highlights from this period, one assumes the content at this point could be considerably expanded to examine the effects on Christian theology and doctrine as the Catholic and Anglican Churches collide.

A significant development begins to take shape as The Story, once dominated by an intertwined church and state, develops into the history of an increasing distance between government and church. Those that sought deeper reform for the Church began postulating various theological positions which tested the resolve and liberality of world governments as they dealt with the increasing desire for self-expression. Of course, even as some began movements that improved the theology and spirituality of changing Christianity, others initiated movements that tended toward separation and isolation. Yet that same separation and isolation also led to an atmosphere ripe for a new religious zeal in The Great Awakening – individual pietism asserting against established rigid religiosity. The arch of Christianity has moved from reliance upon to independence from government, from well-established form to individual expression, and from sluggishness at the center to vitality at the periphery. As Christians, we should seek ways to embrace the ever shifting environment of Christianity while remaining true to the Word of God. ( )

I only read Part I and half of Part II before I got overwhelmed by the volume of primary source readings for this course.