Reclaiming Our Roots, Volume II

Book excerpt: This second volume of Reclaiming Our Roots carries readers on a whirlwind journey from the eve of the Reformation to developments in Christianity in the twentieth century. As in the first volume, Mark Ellingsen gives special attention to the history of Christianity in the southern hemisphere, the church among minority cultures in North America, and the role of women in church history. Ellingsen's careful and critical eye ranges over the entire panorama of modern church history. He provides balanced theological analyses of major movements and figures as well as the interactions between them. Ellingsen presents church history as an opportunity to enter into a dialogue with the church's richly diverse heritage. He sees the role of church history as: Community builder--teaching the faithful their heritage, Safety patrol--sensitizing church leaders to the errors of the past that they must still confront, Liberating instrument--learning to look at reality from the perspective of the other, no longer chained to one's own suppositions and cultural biases, and Source of theological creativity--providing access to the stimulating insights of the great theological minds of the past. This thought-provoking book offers readers a sympathetic exposure to a variety of credible, scholarly interpretations of major figures and encourages them to make their own judgments with the help of suggested primary source readings. Ellingsen closes each chapter with questions that lead readers to ponder the deeper meanings of various events in the history of Christianity.