Christianity: A Very Short Introduction

There is no better introduction to Christianity imaginable. The author demonstrates an authoritative view on the phenomenon of Christianity as a whole, including both spiritual as societal and political developments. This book is a crucial tool to understand the basic tensions behind contemporary western culture. It liberates the reader from the narrow views on the christian religion that dominate most of the contemporary debates about ethics and spirituality. Also the view on Christianity as a global phenomenon is of special value in our post-colonial world.

Great introductory book. Very Simple. It does not cover all there is to know about Christianity. But it is interesting to read the author's point of view. This book is very short, and ideally should be complemented with another book.

For those who want a very short introduction to Christianity that is historical and objective rather than proselytizing, i.e. written by a biased Christian, than this short book could fit the bill. Since it is written by a woman there is even a chapter written about women in Christianity that was quite insightful and a unique contribution to the understanding of the Christian phenomenon. A word to readers in the United States. All the Very Short Introduction Series of books are written by those educated in the United Kingdom so the emphasis of study is often based on the experiences of the United Kingdom and Europe. Very little mention is made of the phenomena in the United States. If there is mention, then it is made in passing, for instance, the United States is lumped in with North America in references. There is no mention of the Scopes Trial which ocurred in Tennessee, or Mormonism and Jehovah's witnesses which are particularly American. However, Christianity is sufficiently global now that this book gives a good feel for it none the less.

I was required to purchase this book for a religious studies class and it was extremely helpful! It explains religion in easy terms and breaks everything down so it's easy to understand.

This book provides an excellent overview of the Christian religion. There is little doubt that Christianity is an incredibly diverse religion, yet this book is able to adequately account for these wide differences. If you would like to get introduced to this religion, its basic beliefs and rituals, and its history, this is a great starting point. And, I am actually a moderate anti-theist and an atheist.

This is one of the stranger books about the Christian phenomenon I've read due to some of the characterizations that Woodhead makes. Some of the categories sound reasonable: "Church" Christianity, "Biblical" Christianity, "Monastic" Christianity and "Mystical" Christianity. As a Catholic, all these "forms" are nothing more than aspects of the one Faith.Overall, there's a lot of good information about manifestations of Christian belief and practice over two millennium that can be helpful to the uninitiated. Here is an example of an odd statement in my view: "The Holy Spirit is the presence of God in the World, a free floating power which 'blows where it wills' and can overwhelm and possess human beings ( as can evil spirits). This makes the Spirit a potentially dangerous and uncontrollable element for Church authorities." Read a little further and you get the point but I've never heard the Holy Spirit characterized in this way! There are a lot of statements like this that are not necessary wrong, just odd to this reviewer.

Recommended! The typology of Church/Biblical/Mystical Christianity is deceptively simple, evocatively complex, and worthwhile to consider. An original point of view.

A good read and the book was in great condition as seller had mentioned. Cannot be happier with purchase!

Ich bin sehr, sehr zufrieden mit dem Buch und NATUERLICH auch sehr, sehr zufrieden mit eurem SUPER service Viviane Gaub

Creo que es una visión sintética del Cristianismo de una gran calidad. Cómo si hubiera sido capaz de elegir cada palabra, la adecuada, para este fin. Me ha gustado mucho y su lectura es altamente recomendable

I've always enjoyed reading Linda Woodhead's work and this book confirms her stature as a writer. She provides a very clear and well structured introduction to the Christian faith, highlighting its key doctrines, practices, diverse forms of expression and some of the challenges that face it in the future within an increasingly secular society. The author is clearly an expert in her field and writes in a highly accessible way for a broad audience. It was an excellent book and I would recommend it very strongly to anyone wanting to know more about the Christian religion.

very good little book, with all the important information in it and very interesting different focus on main themes. excellent.

A concise, elucidative, informative, helpful, and unbiased overview of the Christian faith, types of churches, and categories of Christians over the past 2 millennia