I found this to be an outstanding introduction to Church history. The gorgeous full-color illustrations on magazine grade paper really made history come to life, getting to see places, illustrations of people from centuries ago, and archaeological artifacts I was reading about simultaneously. The fantastic writing also made it a book that was exciting and hard to put down! (Yes, I never thought I would say this about a history book). Unlike another reviewer, I felt the language was appropriate for a wide variety of audiences; (saying this as a college graduate). The author comes from a Biblically conservative perspective, which I value. Highly recommended!

Timothy Paul Jones, PhD wrote a colorful and well organized 224 page guide book. Each lesson takes a specific period of time and lists events, names, and terms every Christian should know. I have to admit history is not easy for me, it was never my favorite subject, but Dr. Jones book has taught me more history of my faith than any other course. The book has an abundance of photos and paintings for each period. Timelines, key concepts, quotes from Church founders and links to information on the web fill the pages of this resource book. "In case you are confused" "Did you know?" insert boxes are filled with explanations and fun facts that liven up the pages. History can be dry, but this book is a pleasure to pick up over and over again. A variety of learning activities from crossword puzzles to fill in the blank will help participants remember key facts. Resources to lead the study are in the back of the book. Rose Publishing provided this kit for my unbiased review.

Christian History Made Easy is an extremely well put together book. I am a curious person who is always looking for answers to many things. How we have so many denominations has always had me wondering how they evolved. And, the Bible itself, how did we come to have so many versions?

I found answers to these thoughts/questions and plenty more in this book. The book briefly summarizes the church history throughout the ages touching down at greater length when discussing key figures or moments in history. What I like is enough information is given to address each time period but then the information can be expanded into a further in-depth study with the web references, so you can continue on with your studies if you want.

At the beginning of each chapter is a timeline which basically shows you what is covered in the chapter. In each chapter besides web references, there are key concepts highlighted in a box, pictures, diagrams, and maps pertaining to the subject at hand. You will also find 'In Case' youre confused highlights that help clarify some of the things that are discussed. The 'Think About It' and 'Did You Know' highlights get you thinking about what you have read.

Truly, this makes learning about church history fun and entertaining. The author interjects little quips here and there that lighten the mood while reading. I appreciate that this book is laid out more or less as a tell it like it is format and doesnt try to give an opinion on what is right or wrong. That is left up to you as a reader to accept or reject.

I received an ARC from Rose Publishing at my request for review purposes. I so enjoyed it that I will be ordering a print copy!

This book was purchased for a small group Bible study. Dr. Jones presents church history in a way that provides the reader with an easy to comprehend understanding of what our early church fathers and mothers went through to preserve our rich theological heritage. For the average layperson, this overview will provides excellent understanding. Some of the reviewers evidently expected a doctoral thesis on Christian history. That is not the intent of this book. To those people, I would recommend Justo Gonzalez's 2 volume set "The Story of Christianity" and R. Ward Holder's "Crisis and Renewal, The Era of the Reformations." In fact, Dr. Jones states in his own review that this book was written in his early ministry days for his own church parishioners. I am using this combined with the slides and DVD available in the kit.

This is a good history, although brief and occassionally opinionated. It has a great layout and is easy to read and understand.