2,000 Years of Christ's Power: Part Three: Renaissance and Reformation

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful historical writing!
Review: In volume three, Needham picks up where he left off and continues his church history masterpiece. While no historian can be exhaustive in scope, Needham nevertheless manages to cover the great men and events in more detail than one would expect, all the while keeping things in their historical context. Most importantly he writes interesting history! These books are a delight to read because they display the hand of God in the acts of history. No naturalist historians need apply!

Needham correctly believes that Christians today can learn and profit from the lessons of the past: the battles that have already been fought, issues that have already been debated, and leaders who have come before us. And he is able to present all this information in a manner that leaves Christians excited about the great work Christ has done through His church, from the first century through to our own day.

One of the most unique, useful, and enjoyable aspects of Needham's histories is the material he places at the end of each chapter. There he gives samples of the primary sources about which he has just written. These brief glimpses of the writings of the great pastors, humanists, heretics, and theologians help the history come alive to modern readers, most of whom have never interacted with these great works before.

I eagerly await volume four. These histories will be the standard for years to come, right up there with d'Aubigne, Wylie, Schaff, and the like.