Church history

Church history or ecclesiastical history as an academic discipline studies the history of Christianity and the way the Christian Church has developed since its inception.

Henry Melvill Gwatkin defined church history as "the spiritual side of the history of civilized people ever since our Master's coming". A. M. Renwick, however, defines it as an account of the Church's success and failure in carrying out Christ's Great Commission. Renwick suggests a fourfold division of church history into missionary activity, church organization, doctrine and "the effect on human life".

Church history is often, but not always, studied from a Christian perspective. Writers from different Christian traditions will often highlight people and events particularly relevant to their own denominational history. Catholic and Orthodox writers often highlight the achievements of the ecumenical councils, while evangelical historians may focus on the Protestant Reformation and the Great Awakenings.

Notable church historians

• Hegesippus
• Eusebius
• Macarius Bulgakov
• Daniela Müller
• Leonard J. Arrington
• Hans Werner Debrunner
• Henry Melvill Gwatkin
• Owen Chadwick
• Henry Chadwick
• Diarmaid MacCulloch
• George Marsden
• Martin E. Marty
• Mark Noll
• Jaroslav Pelikan
• Catherine Pepinster
• Philip Schaff
• Carl Trueman
• Paul Woolley
• David Brading

See also

• Ecclesiastical history of the Catholic Church
• Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People
• Historical theology

References

Further reading

• Reinhold Zippelius, Staat und Kirche. Eine Geschichte von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart, 2nd ed. Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, 2009, ISBN 978-3-16-150016-9
• Church History and Religious Culture journal. http://www.brill.com/chrch

1. Church History
2. History of the Church
3. History of the Church of England
4. Women in Church history
5. Ecclesiastical History (Eusebius)
6. History of the Eastern Orthodox Church
7. History of the Moravian Church
8. Armenian Apostolic Church
9. History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
10. History of the Catholic Church
11. Ecclesiastical History of the English People
12. Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
13. Timeline of Christianity
14. Early Christianity
15. San Bartolome Church (Magalang)
16. History of the Church (book)
17. Churches of Christ
18. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
19. Seven churches of Asia
20. History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints