This Chronology of World Christianity may be seen as a diary, a listing of events in Christianity all over the world, year by year, month by month and sometimes day by day, from the time of Jesus to the present. The strength of a chronology over a history is that it can set side by side events taking place in different parts of the world. The compactness of the presentation makes it possible to view a wide horizon. The mere variety of developments, from wars and political changes in well-established societies to exploration of new regions and the spread of missions, from the building of cathedrals and the founding of universities to the rise of Christian belief and practice can put familiar information in fascinating new contexts.
And what is Christianity? The Chronology describes three aspects: it chronicles the activity of those who call themselves Christians; the set of ideas and beliefs that Christians hold, as set down by councils and individual theologians; and those areas of culture where Christianity has left and indelible mark, works of art which are not necessarily created as Christian art, but which are nevertheless part of the story of Christianity.
By means of cross-references, events are linked together so that they form 'stories' which can be traced over a period of time. Those who pick it up and glance through it will find that it not only contains a wealth of information but is also extremely readable.
Industry Reviews
"A chronology often is part of a much larger reference work, e.g., an encyclopedia...The editors allot about four-fifths of the space to the subject proper (by section from the 1st through the 21st centuries), and the remainder to a glossary and 15 topical appendixes. The introductory overviews for each of the centuries' chronologies are an effective way of framing the array of dates and events. The value of the appendices is less apparent; with so many richer resources to choose from, it is difficult to picture a researcher turning to the back of a chronology for an overview of art, festivals, the Virgin Mary, etc. The broader question here is why a stand-alone volume? Would a companion volume to a historical encyclopedia or a Web-based resource (with the ease of navigation afforded by the Internet) have been better presentation options? If a work like this finds its primary use as a "coffee-table" volume rather than as an authentic reference source, that circumstance likely will reflect a lack of attention to the matter of how resources are used alongside one another. Summing Up: Optional. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers." -D.R. Stewart, CHOICE, November 2008--Sanford Lakoff
