This weekend I finished reading Diana Butler Bass‘ latest book A People’s History or Christianity: The Other Side of the Story. The long and the short of it is, I really liked this book.  I found the writing style to be just as accessible as her other offerings.

Butler Bass is a church historian with a knack of communicating text and context of the events that have helped to shape Christianity over the centuries.  In addition to an friendly and comfortable writing style the format of the book was also appealing.

She breaks down different historical eras of Church history in to broad categories located within history (The Way, The Cathedral, The Word, The Quest and The River).  She then talks about the nature of Christianity as it was understood in the historical context  for each of these eras and then talks about the devotional and ethical practices that characterized Christianity in those times.

I would recommend this book as a terrific study book for congregations and people who are interested in knowing more about where the Church has been and done while also suggesting what God might be calling it go and do.

I found the theological basis of the book solid (and not just because she’s an Episcopalian like me) and her understanding of the various streams of the church to be grounded in solid scholarship, faithful observance and broad experience.

Take the time to read this, you won’t be disappointed. I suspect this will be one I’ll refer to again and again.