This book is designed to lead students into the world of Christianity by way of primary literary sources. It contains the most notable and instructive primary sources from the entire sweep of Christian history. Praised as highly for its exceptional selection of primary sources as it is for Robert E. Van Voorst's introductory notes and teachable organization, Readings in Christianity is a wonderful way to begin your study of Christianity. In Chapter One, Van Voorst offers practical guidelines on how to read primary sources. Organized chronologically, the chapters that follow present primary material from various periods of Christian history. For teachability and consistency, the readings for each time period (chapter) are grouped into five categories: people and events of influence, institutional and church organization, teachings of Christianity, personal and social ethics, and ecumenism and Christianity's relation to other faiths.
About the Author
Dr. Robert E. Van Voorst, Professor of New Testament Studies at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan, and former professor of religion at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, has written frequently on religious studies in noted journals and reference works. In addition, he writes frequently on theology and ministry and has contributed dozens of articles to reference works, most recently The New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible. He is the author of twelve books, including widely-used textbooks drawing on his teaching experience. He is also the co-author of two books, one on the death of Jesus and the other a study of the Gospel of Luke for pastors. His latest book for church and pastoral use, Commonly Misunderstood Verses of the Bible: What They Really Mean, was published in 2017. His latest book for scholars, a volume he developed and edited, is Current Trends in New Testament Study, published in 2020.
