2000 Years of Christ's Power - 5 Volume Set

2000 Years of Christ's Power is a series of volumes covering the history of the church, written by Nick Needham, who teaches Church History at the Highland Theological College. This series was born out of the author's deep conviction that today's Christians can benefit enormously from learning what God has done in the past. Academically reliable, but written with an easy, even humorous style which makes it accessible to anybody with an interest, this work falls into a category all of its own.

Volume 1: The Age of the Early Church Fathers

Every generation has an uncanny tendency to view themselves as more enlightened than those that have gone before. The Church certainly has made mistakes all through history - and yet, no insights which we possess would be possible without the efforts, and even some of the mistakes, of our ancestors. The first volume of 2,000 Years of Christ's Power covers the period from the 1st Century AD to the start of the Middle Ages. From the works of Saint Augustine of Hippo to the first apologetic ever penned, this time in history established the foundations of what we take for granted today.

Volume 2: The Middle Ages

The Middle Ages were dubbed the 'Dark Ages' almost before they had begun to draw to a close. Ever since then, they have continued to be seen as a time of hardship and oppression, full of popes and crusades. In the second volume of 2,000 Years of Christ's Power, another side of the Middle Ages shines through though: The continual workings of Christ as He built His kingdom through figures such as Thomas a Kempis and John Wycliffe, who lived and struggled during these centuries. This was far from a period of stagnation; rather it was the fire from which the Reformation was kindled.

Volume 3: Renaissance and Reformation

The Renaissance was a reaction against the attitude of the Middle Ages. And the Reformation was the passionate, divisive argument that grew out of it. Catholics, Calvinists, Lutherans, Anabaptists - our present-day divisions were the front-page headlines of the Reformation. Volume three of 2,000 Years of Christ's Power, in showing the progression of the Reformation era, and the daring bravery of its figures, presents a period of history from which there are many lessons to be learnt - not least of all, the vibrancy of people's lives and the courage with which they faced death.

Volume 4: The Age of Religious Conflict

The Renaissance and Reformation were exciting times of learning and discovery - they pushed the boundaries of accepted thought. The repercussions of this, however, were that they left in their wake a period of universal uncertainty. The centuries-old status quo had been turned on its head. Nothing was stable anymore. Conflict ensued.
The fourth volume of 2,000 Years of Christ's Power spans from the 16th to the 18th century. It presents a time from which English Protestantism, Scottish Presbyterianism, and French Catholicism, to name only a few, were birthed and refined. Perhaps few eras have had such a direct impact on the characteristics of our own period of history.

Volume 5: The Age of Enlightenment and Awakening

Thoroughly researched with beautifully linked arguments, biographies, context and discussions, Needham provides a riveting text: balancing fact and understanding in the wisdom of experience. The book offers a wealth of knowledge for pastors, missionaries, students and professors as they pursue their own education into the response of Christians during the 18th century towards these shifts in the tides of the affairs of men.
Covering the period bracketing the Enlightenment Nick Needham's new volume in the 2000 Years of Christ's Power series, covers the social, economic, political and evangelical changes across two continents.

Author:

Nick Needham is a Church History lecturer at Highland Theological College in Dingwall. Previous to this, he taught Systematic Theology at the Scottish Baptist College in Glasgow. From 2004 to 2021, he was the minister of Inverness Reformed Baptist church. He is author of the highly collectable 2,000 Years of Christ's Power series.

Endorsements:

For many years now I have said: if you want a thorough, learned but accessible and well-written history of the church, read Nick Needham's 2,000 Years of Christ's Power. Now, with the fourth volume finally available, Christians have an excellent resource for improving their knowledge of the history of their faith. Highly recommended.
--Carl R. Trueman, Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies, Grove City College, Pennsylvania

What makes the books so useful is that in a non-technical (but not simplistic) way, they bring out the main story line of the history of the church through the centuries. But in addition, and most helpfully, each chapter concludes with a selection of writings (translated of course!) from people discussed in the chapter. This means that we are not only told what certain people believed, but we are able to read some of their actual writings -- and this is often extremely illuminating.
--Martin K. Bussey, Lecturer in theology, Africa International University, Kenya

It is a brave historian who tackles the extremely challenging task of writing the 2,000-year history of the Church. Well, Nick Needham has more than risen to the challenge. This eagerly-awaited fourth volume has been well worth the wait and, not to pressure our brother scholar, we now look forward to the concluding volume!
--Michael A. G. Haykin, Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky

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