by Dan Petty

A Primer in Church History

This work is intended to serve as a short introduction or “primer” in the study of church history. It presents a brief history of Christianity since its beginnings in New Testament times to the present. It highlights key people, events, movements, and ideas in church history, while providing its general historical context. It also focuses on those who sought diligently to follow the apostolic faith, as well as those who courageously undertook the work of renewal, reform, and restoration. An underlying assumption of the study is that God’s plan for redemption, for discipleship, and for his church has been revealed in Scripture and was intended to be normative for ages to come. The book is suitable for individual reading, group study, or classes in church history. Each chapter is followed by suggestions for further reading, as well as questions to stimulate reflection, discussion, and scriptural application.

Contents

1. Introduction

2. The New Testament Church

3. Christians in a Hostile World

4. The Church Confronts Heresy

5. Doctrinal Controversies in the Early Church

6. The Emergence of Catholicism and the Middle Ages

7. Luther and the Protestant Reformation

8. The Spread of Protestantism and Reform Movements

9. The Reformation and the Story of the English Bible

10. Anabaptists: Sixteenth-Century Restorationists

11. Denominational Growth and Religious Renewals

12. Modern Challenges to Faith

13. The Restoration of the Ancient Order