Research Guides: Church History: General CH and Biographies

Major Textboooks for Church History - General Introduction

The gallery below offers a number of general textbooks for Church History. Many of these are standard introductions for undergraduate and master's level courses. Some titles are part of multi-volume sets, so be sure to check the time frame that each title covers. These are excellent secondary sources.

Shorter Introductions

These smaller works offer a quick entry into the topic of Church History

The Great Tradition of Christian Thinking by David S. Dockery; Timothy George
ISBN: 9781433525131

Publication Date: 2012-04-30

This user-friendly guide will equip Christian students to apply their faith in various academic fields and make the most of their education.
Pocket History of the Church by D. Jeffrey Bingham
ISBN: 9780830827015

The story of Christianity is a fascinating tale. Here we find drama, vision and expansion along with failure, setbacks and tragedy. Yet during the past two thousand years the power of Jesus is felt throughout the interplay of human actors and the forces of world events. How can you grasp the story played out on such a gigantic stage? This book is an ideal place to start. D. Jeffrey Bingham has skillfully selected the key people and episodes to tell a grand and humbling story. This pocket history has been crafted for students, pastors and other busy people who want an informed, clear and concise presentation that feeds the mind and moves the heart. It is an account that nurtures the Christian virtues of faith, hope and love.
Pocket Dictionary of Church History by Nathan P. Feldmeth
ISBN: 9780830827039

Studying church history is like learning your genealogy, with ample helpings of family recipes, scandalous disputes, inspiring heroes, quirky uncles and scrapbooks of photos thrown in. Someone needs to point out what's important and remind you of the facts as you learn to tell the story on your own. The Pocket Dictionary of Church History is designed to help students identify the people, places, events, movements and ideas that checker the story of the church through the ages. Among the three-hundred-plus definitions you'll find terms, from ad fontes to via media leaders and theologians, from Abelard to Zwingli "isms," from Arminianism to Unitarianism places and events, from the Azusa Street Mission to the White Horse Inn councils, from Nicaea to Vatican II Here is an indispensable glossary, the perfect companion to your study and reading of church history.
Chronological and Background Charts of Church History by Robert C. Walton
ISBN: 9780310258131

See how the rich tapestry of nearly 2,000 years of church history unfolded. Packed with teaching and learning tools, from charts and timelines, to maps and visual guides, Chronological and Background Charts of Church History will help you quickly grasp the historic foundation on which contemporary Christianity rests. This revised and expanded edition contains 126 charts (43 of which are new) that cover: The history of the ancient church The medieval church The Reformation The modern European church The American church and more The accessible visual presentation is perfect for enhancing every type of teaching and learning situation and style, including homeschooling curricula and tutoring, church classes and Sunday school.
Atlas of Christian History by Tim Dowley
ISBN: 9781451499704

Fortress Press is pleased to offer the Atlas of Christian History from acclaimed author and editor Tim Dowley. The Atlas of Christian History is built new from the ground up. Featuring more than fifty new maps, graphics, and timelines, the atlas is a necessary companion to any study of Christian history. Concise, helpful text, written by acknowledged authorities, guide the experience and interpret the visuals. The atlas is broken into five primary parts that correspond well to most major introductions to the topic. The final section on the modern era pays significant attention to the growth of Christianity as a global religion. Extensive maps are provided that illuminate Christianity in Asian, African, and Latin American contexts.

Biographies and Biographical Reference Works

The gallery of titles below offers biographies and biographical entries on key theologians and historical personalities. Some are more like reference tools and others are more like illustrative life stories. These titles are also of a general nature.

While these are general in scope, there are other, more detailed, biographical materials on the pages for each major time period in Church History.

Significant Reference Works and History Sets

In addition to general textbooks and biographies, this section offers some of the major Reference Sets for studying Church History. These will cover the early church through the modern era. Reference materials are a great starting point for a research project as the student begins with a Tertiary level resource, and then moves on to secondary and primary texts (as found on other pages of the Church History Guide).

The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church by J. D. Douglas (Editor); Earle E. Cairns
ISBN: 9780310238300

A comprehensive evangelical dictionary of the history of the Christian church with more than 180 contributors and nearly 5,000 articles.
The Dictionary of Historical Theology by Trevor A. Hart (Editor)
ISBN: 9780802839077

The Dictionary of Historical Theology is a major reference work designed for everyone with an interest in the history and development of Christian theology. With 314 entries covering the key figures, theological movements, and significant texts that have shaped Christian thought, The DHT traces the doctrinal development of Christianity from the early church to the present. The 173 contributors to The Dictionary of Historical Theology are without exception proven experts on the topics they address. Drawn from international and interdenominational circles, they tell the story of Christianity from a wide variety of perspectives, successfully capturing the great diversity of traditions that make up the Christian community today.
The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church by Andrew Louth (Editor) * earlier editions were edited by F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone
ISBN: 9780199642465

Uniquely authoritative and wide-ranging in its scope, The ODCC is the indispensable reference work on all aspects of the Christian Church. It contains over 6,500 cross-referenced A-Z entries, and offers unrivalled coverage of all aspects of this vast and often complex subject, from theology; churches and denominations; patristic scholarship; and the bible; to the church calendar and its organization; popes; archbishops; other church leaders; saints; and mystics. Since its first appearance in 1957, the ODCC has established itself as an essential resource for ordinands, clergy, and members of religious orders, and an invaluable tool for academics, teachers, and students of church history and theology, as well as for the general reader.
The Encyclopedia of Christian Civilization, 4 Volume Set by George Thomas Kurian (Editor)
ISBN: 9781405157629

The Encyclopedia of Christian Civilization is a comprehensive reference work on the history and impact of Christianity. Over 1,400 entries provide an in-depth and dynamic look at Christianity both through its history and the way it has shaped societies around the world. Through a clear and attractive format, a series of interlocking major themes is explored, including: key theological ideas; global and regional history; worship; society and Christianity; literature; music; art; architecture; education; politics; law, and scholarship. The entries are written by a team of over 350 scholars and teachers from over 24 countries. The Encyclopedia of Christian Civilization is an essential reference for students, researchers, academics, and practitioners.
Encyclopedia of Christianity by John Bowden (Editor)
ISBN: 9780195223934

A one-volume encyclopedia dedicated to studying Christianity on a global scale. It covers all forms of Christianity throughout history and the world. Over 300 major articles by distinguished international contributors are linked through a novel series of pointers that provide different angles on topics and show the connections between them. The contributors include the leading experts on the topics under consideration, which range from regional surveys to portraits of denominations and sects, explorations of theological and moral questions, relationships with other faiths, and a "Who's Who" of Christianity. Helpful "fact boxes" present basic factual material, often in the form of lists, bringing together information that is often surprisingly difficult to find.
The Encyclopedia of Christianity, 5-Volume Set by Erwin Fahlbusch; Jan Lochman; John Mbiti; Jaroslav Pelikan; Lukas Vischer
ISBN: 9789004145962

The multivolume Encyclopedia of Christianity is a monumental reference work that addresses the broad interest in Christianity and religion around the world today. Comprehensive, up to date, reflecting the highest standards in scholarship yet intended for a wide range of readers, the EC describes the Christian faith and community in their myriad forms today and throughout the 2,000 years of Christian history. The EC also looks outward beyond Christianity, considering other world religions and philosophies as it paints the overall religious and sociocultural picture in which the Christian church now finds itself in the new millennium.
The Cambridge Dictionary of Christianity by Daniel Patte (Editor)
ISBN: 9780521820967

The Cambridge Dictionary of Christianity is an authoritative reference guide that enables students, their teachers, and Christian clergy to reflect critically upon all aspects of Christianity from its origins to the present day. Key features: * Offers a presentation of the Christian beliefs and practices of all major Christian traditions in each continent and each nation * Highlights the different understandings of Christian beliefs and practices in different historical, cultural, religious, denominational, and secular contexts * Includes entries on methodology and the plurality of approaches that are used in the study of Christianity. Includes clusters of entries on beliefs and practices, each presenting the understanding of a given Christian belief or practice in different historical and contemporary contexts. Provides a full bibliography on all topics covered in the volume.
The Cambridge Dictionary of Christian Theology by Ian A. McFarland (Editor); David A. S. Fergusson (Editor); Karen Kilby (Editor); Iain R. Torrance (Editor)
ISBN: 9781107414969

With over 550 entries ranging from Abba to Zwingli composed by leading contemporary theologians from around the world, The Cambridge Dictionary of Christian Theology represents a fresh, ecumenical approach to theological reference. Written with an emphasis on clarity and concision, all entries are designed to help the reader understand and assess the specifically theological significance of the most important concepts. Clearly structured, the volume is organized around a small number of 'core entries' which focus on key topics to provide a general overview of major subject areas, while making use of related shorter entries to impart a more detailed knowledge of technical terms.
The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Modern Christian Thought by Alister McGrath (Editor, Introduction by)
ISBN: 9780631168966

The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Modern Christian Thought is an authoritative and readable reference source for all interested in the development of Christian thought from the dawn of the Enlightenment to the present day. The Encyclopedia includes substantial review essays dealing with the development of central themes of Christian thought, including the doctrine of God, the person and work of Christ, and Christian understandings of other religions. The work also includes substantial material relating to Christian biblical interpretation, ethics, economic thought, political theory, aesthetics, music and philosophy. Additionally, it covers the impact of the sciences upon Christian thought during this seminal period.
Global Dictionary of Theology by William A. Dyrness; Veli Matti Karkkainen
ISBN: 9781844743506

The Global Dictionary of Theology' is inspired by the shift of the centre of Christianity from the West to the global South. But it also reflects the increase in two-way traffic between these two sectors as well as the global awareness that has permeated popular culture to an unprecedented degree. 'The GDT has approximately 250 articles written by over 100 contributors representing a global spectrum of theological perspectives. Many articles are composite in nature and achieve a sort of conversation between more than one global perspective. The GDT surveys, describes and classifies the rich variety of theological perspectives that have grown in local and diverse soils around the globe.

Brill Encyclopedia of Early Christianity Online

Full-text articles covering the history of early Christian texts, authors, and ideas up to 600 CE and including iconographic, martyrological, ecclesiastical, and Christological traditions, as well as cultic phenomena, such as the veneration of saints

Westminster Handbooks and Dictionaries
Multiple volumes on the early church, the Reformation, and modern theology. Both handbooks and dictionaries provide Reference-level entries and articles for further study.