Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity Reviews

• Thoughtful, Engaging and Unique Overview of Church History

  
  By A37A44LEGU3T45 on 2001-08-20
  Dr. Noll's reason for organizing church history around a series of "turning points" arose from his need to have a framework for teaching the history of Christianity to diverse groups. The author selects twelve defining moments in church history and uses them as entry points into the sweeping and potentially overwhelming events of the two-thousand-year history of the Christian Church. He hopes this method will bring order into a massively complicated subject, provide an opportunity to highlight moments that constitute the actual history of the church, and provide an opportunity to interpret why certain events may have marked an important fork in the road for the outworking of Christian history.

  Turning Points was written for lay people and introductory students rather than for scholars. The style of writing is interesting, easy to read, and to the point. As such, it makes a great book for his audience. Though Noll is a Protestant evangelical, he is careful to avoid bias as he attempts to present Christianity as a worldwide religion. The book is a survey of church history but the thesis revolves around the importance of twelve defining moments within the two-thousand-year span. His selection of "turning points" include the Fall of Jerusalem (70), the Council of Nicaea (325), Benedict's monasticism (530), the coronation of Charlemagne (800), the schism of East and West (1054), the Reformation (1521), the English Reformation (1534), the founding of the Jesuits (1540), the conversion of the Wesleys (1738), the French Revolution (1789) and the Edinburgh Missionary Conference (1910). The book is chronologically arranged around each of these events. Conspicuously and intentionally Noll leaves off major events of the twentieth century, to be evaluated for significance from the preferred perspective of future generations. The author believes that book will have been successful if it "inspires others to think about why the turning points found here are not as important as other possibilities." There are many other possibilities that come to mind but Noll's list of most significant turning points is hard to dispute. Each chapter begins with a hymn and ends with a prayer from the era being addressed. This add an interesting flavor that sets the tone for the history Noll unfolds and then leaves you with a glimpse into the spiritual life of a contemporary to the event being studied.

  There are obvious pros and cons to this style of writing history. When you are through reading "Turning Points" you feel like you've moved through the most significance events in the history of the church and some of the most momentous in human history. Such a whirlwind journey gives you a good feel for the chronology and sequence of each defining event. Because of Noll's ability to keep you moving along the plot line of the stories, the trip through history is an enjoyable journey. Along the way Noll shares interesting commentary from history itself. His historical exposition agrees with other church history work but without personal judgment or clearly biased commentary. He uses reliable evidence to demonstrate his observations, without stretching it to accomplish his agenda or prove his point.

  Examining two thousand years of Church history by investigating the twelve most significant turning points in that history is a valuable method of covering such a large body of information in a condensed form. I highly recommend Turning Points as a thoughtful, engaging, and inspiring treatment of church history. The reader should realize the book is not meant to be comprehensive or by any means an exhaustive treatment of the subject. The book will give the novice a good overview of the history of Christianity and should provoke the curious student to further study.
  
  

• Splendid introdutory history of Christianity

  
  By A14PHG6QJ1DTG on 2000-11-24
  In my opinion, Mark Noll is the foremost (American) church historian of our generation. In a series of books, he has set forth biblically-grounded and scholarly rigorous treatment of a vast range of theological and historical issues. Almost single handedly he is has reversed the dearth of evangelical intellectualism.

  Turning Points is one of Noll's most accessible books. Not a dry scholarly treatise, but rather a lively and well-written overview of 12 critical events in the history of Christianity. Noll's idea is that focusing on specific episodes not only allows for a more detailed treatment of each than would be possible in a comprehensive text, but also permits "more opportunity interpretive reflection." I think he was exactly right--he can go into considerable depth on each event, explaining why it was so significant.

  Turning Points thus does not pretend to be a comprehensive narrative. For those looking for such a treatment, may I recommend Paul Johnson's "History of Christianity," which I regard as the finest one-volume comprehensive church history.

  Like any list-making project, one can quibble with Noll's choices. He leaves out some of my favorite episodes (which is not exactly the right phrase, but you get my point). Not included are such events as the three Great Awakenings; the installation of John Paul II; the crusades; and so on. At the same time, however, it is hard to quibble with Noll's choices. Events like Nicea, Worms, the French Revolution, and so on were all major "turning points" that deserved comprehensive treatment.

  As an adult convert to Catholicism from evangelicalism, I particularly appreciated Noll's objectivity and even-handedness. Without betraying his own evangelical tradition, Noll treats Catholicism eminently fairly.
  
  

• A great place to start a review of Christian history

  
  By on 1999-03-13
  I'm just finishing this book and found it to be a thought provoking approach to the subject. Noll takes an openly evangelical approach to things, yet is very fair to the Catholics and the Orthodox. In fact, the chapters on monks and on orthodoxy were quite good. The format is also appealing, with each chapter bookended with hymns and prayers from the period being covered. The bibliography after each chapter is also very useful.
  
  

• Primers for Historians...nicely done

  
  By ASO7RFPO3JMWM on 2003-05-02
  Noll is to be commended for doing a nice job concerning an impossible task. Someone wisely stated that one does not evaluate church history by events, but by people. Noll challenges that assumption, by evaulautaing events in church history.

  This book is written as an intro text, easy to read, for laymen. But more advanced historians can profit from it, sharpening them on finer points. Of particular interest to me were the chapters concerning the middle ages (monasticism, crowning of Charlemagne, and Luther, especially Luther.) Noll's commendation is for giving a list of possible turning points for future historians...worth noting. On a personal level, one hopes that an historian would write a modern-day, post communist history on the church concerning their survival of that satanic, abominable philosophy. Such a work would point to the glory of God.

  Final Analysis
  This is a good, intro text. If read with Bruce Shelleys's work, one would have an adequate grip on the Church. Granted, the book has its sleepy parts (thus the four stars), its brilliant parts (Luther), and its soul-stirring parts (the church surviving Communism). Also, Noll is to be commended for his objectivity as a Protestant historian.
  
  

• Excellent work on the history of Christianity

  
  By on 1998-12-04
  The first user freindly church history book that does not miss the point. Noll never loses sight of the fact that history has been shaped by the hand of God. A scholarly and yet suprisingly lively aproach to church history.
  
  
• Outstanding Starting Point
  By AMTK54YZAO411 on 2003-06-12
  With this book, Mark Noll provides an introductory-level study of Christian history - NOT as a sweeping movement over thousands of years (which many larger, more ambitious works encompass), but as a series of turning points - events that changed the way Christianity perceived itself, and was perceived by the world. In this way, a student can gain a quick introduction to many of the issues that have faced Christianity throughout history without being overwhelmed by dates, names, doctrines, etc.

  Obviously, as with any "best of" listing, there are things I would have liked to have seen added. There is no mention of the Scopes trial, and Darwinism receives small mention. This trial, more than any other event, triggered the rise of fundamentalism, which has certainly had an impact on the way Christianity is perceived. The controversy over Darwinism still shapes Christian thought today -- as can be seen in Noll's The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind.

  Overall, an excellent resource, though I would encourage readers to invest in a more thorough treatment of Christian history in addition to this book.
  
  

• Great stuff--but with gaps
  By on 2000-09-20
  This is an outstanding, balanced, evangelical presentation of several key events in the history of Christianity. Noll is one of the best writers of church history, and he never loses sight of the true context of Christianity, having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

  However, to understand the book adequately, the reader needs a grasp of history that many lay-people don't have. The best book I've found to give this overview simply and clearly is _Christian History Made Easy_ from Rose Publishing. Together with _Christian History Made Easy_, _Turning Points_ provides the lay-person with an excellent breadth of knowledge of this subject.
  
  

• Tedious, Meandering, but Worth the Effort
  By A1VFKMHY42W2O3 on 2006-05-02
  Noll identifies twelve "turning points" in the history of Christianity, times at which the faith struck off in a distinctly different direction from that which it had been traveling. He seeks to set forth the significance of each turning point and set it in its proper place in the broad sweep of history.
  
  You cannot argue with his first few choices, although he seems to read more consequence into the events than may be warranted. The fall of Jerusalem was indeed a watershed event, but Noll sees its significance in the formation of canon, clergy, and creed. These three things formed after the fall, and would have formed quite differently but for the fall, but were not the direct result of the fall. The main significance of the fall is that it freed Christianity from its status as a sect of Judaism. Until Jerusalem fell, the premier church of Christianity was the Jerusalem Church. The Jerusalem Church considered itself a sect of Judaism. Until the death of the Jerusalem Church, all Christians everywhere would feel constrained to follow its lead.
  
  One must wonder whether it was the Council of Nicaea or the Battle of the Milvian Bridge that was the second turning point in Christian history. Nevertheless, the Nicene Creed's significance cannot be overstated.
  
  The next turning point, the Council of Chalcedon, "settled" Christ's nature. Although there is still disagreement among various Christian denominations, most still adhere to the doctrine of Christ hammered out at Chalcedon.
  
  Later "turning points" are more debatable. Charlemagne's coronation may or may not have laid the foundation for Christendom. You could make an excellent case for the proposition that we have Constantine, not Charlemagne, to thank for Christendom.
  
  Some "turning points" aren't so much turning points as symptoms of greater movements within Christian history. The English Act of Supremacy, which was basically an act of convenience for an heirless king, was more symptom than turning point, as were the French Revolution and the ministry of Wesley. Noll makes this amply clear in the chapters devoted to those "turning points."
  
  His most intriguing chapter is the last, as he maps out the survival of Christianity under Communist repression and the explosion of Christianity in Africa and South America. This last phenomenon goes far to set at naught the arguments of those who see Christianity as irrelevant in the postmodern world.
  
  
• Well written and thought provoking
  By A341BG8RMH8QW on 2000-05-11
  Turning Points is a very well written book. I admire Mr. Noll because he is a very good writer. I like the things he has written about in this book as well. Turning Points is interesting and thought provoking. It would serve well as a jumping off point for further study of these areas of Christian history. I especially enjoyed the first two chapters. I do not always agree with Mr. Noll. I disagree with him in this book and in other writings. However, there is much to profit from in all his writings. I recommend this book.
  
  
• Great stuff--but with gaps
  By on 2000-09-20
  This is an outstanding, balanced, evangelical presentation of several key events in the history of Christianity. Noll is one of the best writers of church history, and he never loses sight of the true context of Christianity, having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

  However, to understand the book adequately, the reader needs a grasp of history that many lay-people don't have. The best book I've found to give this overview simply and clearly is _Christian History Made Easy_ from Rose Publishing. Together with _Christian History Made Easy_, _Turning Points_ provides the lay-person with an excellent breadth of knowledge for the lay-person.
  
  

• Great Supplemental Text
  By A37EJZV3XGK35B on 2007-06-27
  As a Church History professor I highly recommend this book as a supplemental text that would complement an edited book of readings and perhaps a biography or two. This volume picks up on decisive events, and as such is not an encyclopedic text with all the facts and figures. Noll is a great writer and he knows how to synthesize very complex matters such as the Council of Nicaea. He does a masterful job in explaining this theological maze to students--especially ones who do not have theological degrees. Because of the brevity of the book, some important figures recieve very little space (St. Augustine) or no space at all (Abelard), and women are few and far between. Nevertheless, it served as an excellent text in my classes at Calvin Theological Seminary, where I taught before I was given the boot ("My Calvin Seminary Story"). Each chapter begins and ends with worship liturgy, hymns, and prayers fitting the time period.
  
  
• Triumphant account of Christian History
  By on 2001-12-27
  Excellent book for any person, protestant or catholic, who is interested in a brief but thurough examination of the events that shaped Christ's Church.
  
  
• A Valuable Book for Believers and Nonbelievers Alike
  By A1PHVLYS6T4YW5 on 2005-09-02
  By describing the ten events which the author thinks are the most important in the history of Christianity, Dr. Noll has developed a great framework on which to structure a survey history of the entire religion.
  
  Dr. Noll is an evangelical Protestant, but he makes it quite clear where his prejudices lay and how it may affect what he has to say. He also helpfully points out how someone who disagrees with him could reach different conclusions. In fact, he is so scrupulous in examining his own biases, that this book is a model for any honest historian writing about any subject.
  
  The book is also a lot of fun. In addition to thorough discussions of each of his turning points, he has sidebars on things like developments in the writing of hymns and prayers. You learn more about Christianity (and the development of the Western world) in this short book than you do in many books ten times as long.
  
  
• History! - A God of History?
  By AY2NE9ZEZ5LCE on 2006-05-29
  Christians believe that God is a God of history. Events, councils, decisions, all involving people, are part of God's continuing revelation through history.
  
  This book allows the reader to see Christianity's history since the fall of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. with the pushing of the early church from its Jewish roots into the surrounding Roman world to events that are occurring around us today.
  
  Christians who do not know their Christian heritage since the New Testament times including the struggles and debates that bring us to where we are today should read this book.
  
  Included "turning points" in this book are as Luther and what we now call the Reformation. There are endless numbers of books with 300 to 600 pages available to read and learn about Luther and the Reformation. If, however, you want to learn of the Reformation and other chosen turning points with their beginnings, issues, and consequences in about 20 pages per topic, this is your book.
  
  Noll brings over 13 turning points in the history of Christianity to his book in 20 page segments. The turning points are placed in full context of surrounding, influencing forces such as government, wars, economics, languages, theology, church maturity, Christian zeal, personalities, etc.
  
  He closes with "turns" that are occurring today and what Christianity might look like in the future.
  
  
  
• Excellent introduction to the history of the church/theology
  By A10T0OW97SFBB on 2006-06-12
  This book was used for a class I took last year on the history of Christian theology, and I greatly enjoyed this book. Noll manages to take 2000 years of history and center it around 12 major turning points, interweaving ideas and events around these points. He makes it very readable to someone who had not studies the subject before, and presents a new perpective on a number of issues to those who have studied this before. I found it to be a very enjoyable book.
  
  The only complaint I have about this book is the lack of discussion of the 20th century. Barth, Lewis, Vatican II, etc. hardly get mentioned. He really should have dealt with this some. As it is, he brings us up to about 1910 or so then leaves us with only a vague and fuzzy vision of where the church has gone from there.
  
  Overall grade: A
  
  

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