Church History: History Lives series

History Lives series

Peril and Peace: Chronicles of the Ancient Church Volume 1
by Mindy and Brandon Withrow
Isbn: 1845500822
* This series is written from a Protestant perspective

Suggested age: 8-12 but I would easily say a student of 16 would be quite happy to read this book.

I love learning about Church History! But finding a good book that are not way above my head can be tricky, for me. Finding a good book that the children can learn from is also tricky. Not so with the series from ChristianFocus.

Volume One contains the history of the early and Ancient Church. You will read about Paul, Polycarp, Justin, Origen, Cyprian, Constantine, Athanasius, Ambrose, Augustine, John Chrysostom, Jerome, Patrick, and Benedict. This volume will allow you to discover the roots of Christianity and learn about issues such as worship; creeds and councils and the formation of the Bible.

This series is written in a fairly modern style, so it differs slightly from other books such as “Trial and Triumph“. It isn’t gory so it’s a good read to get an overview of Church History. This 240 page book has longer chapters interspersed with shorter, factual chapters.

If you’ve been wondering how to study Church history with your children, you’ll want these books! They aren’t too brief or dumbed down but they definitely aren’t textbook style, which puts many young people to sleep.

Volume 2 is Monks and Mystics: Chronicles of the Medieval Church.
by Mindy and Brandon Withrow
Isbn: 1845500830

Ever wanted to learn about Gregory the Great, Boniface, Charlemagne, Constantine Methodius, Vladimir, Anselm of Canterbury, Bernard of Clairvaux, Francis of Assisi, Thomas Aquinas, Catherine of Sienna, John Wyclif and John Hus? Well, you’ll want to get Volume Two in the History Lives series.

The period known as the Middle Ages wasn’t just dark and oppressive. God was spreading the message of Jesus Christ to previously foreign lands. In this book, you’ll learn how the early Church moved on…you’ll learn about the Crusafes and the spread of Islam and the Reformation. You’ll also see how and when the Bible was translated into various languages

Through this book you’ll have opportunity to learn about and discuss with your children, issues like the rise of Islam, The Crusades,Creeds and Councils and the Renaissance.

At present, I don’t have the other volumes but they are:
Volume Three – Courage and Conviction: Chronicles of the Reformation Church
Volume Four – Hearts And Hands: Chronicles of the Awakening Church

Each volume is approximately $10 – $15
Koorong:
Word:
Christian Bookworld:
Find a Christian Bookstore near you:

See more about this series here: http://christianfocus.com/series/show/40/-/d_series

If you read this and decide to read the series, or if you have read the series, drop me a line. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

p.s. [edited to add] How cool. Mindy Withrow, the author, just left a comment. How cool is that? She also left the link to the History Lives website, which you’ll want to visit: http://www.historylivesseries.com./
p.p.s. How cool. Mindy was also homeschooled!

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