Parade of Faith: A Biographical History of the Christian Church
Overview
Part storybook, part textbook, part historical overview, Parade of Faith presents the history of Christianity in riveting fashion. Ruth Tucker adopts the metaphor of a parade, journey, or pilgrimage to explore the history of Christianity, which began as the Messiah marched out of the pages of the Old Testament and will end one day when “the saints go marching in” to the New Jerusalem. The book is divided into two chronological groupings: first, the advent of Christianity until the German and Swiss Reformations; second, the Anabaptist movement and Catholic Reformation until the present-day worldwide expansion of the church. Yet, ultimately the topic matter is not movements, dates, or a stream of facts, but instead people—people who still have stories to tell other Christians. And with a little help from clues to their own contexts, they can still speak clearly today.
This book is laid out systematically to showcase the biographies of such prominent figures within their historical settings. The pages are peppered with historical “what if” questions, explorations of relevant topics for today, personal reflections, illustrations, and lists for further reading. Parade of Faith is an excellent introduction for undergraduate students and interested lay readers.
- Explorations of relevant topics for today
- Suggestions for further reading
Top Highlights
“Jesus’ followers were Jews who were utterly unaware they were on the ground floor of the Christian faith.” (Page 18)
“Manichaeism, a dualistic religion that reveres Jesus as well as Buddha and other prophets” (Pages 88–89)
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“First taught at home to read and write, they began by age ten a more formal study of the Torah. The eager scholars among them might continue their studies for as many as eight years and then seek out a more distinguished rabbi for advanced learning. Most boys typically carried on in their father’s line of work. Girls married young and had babies—unless they were barren, a condition that brought a woman much grief.” (Pages 20–21) |
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“A twentieth-century evangelist, he continued on into the twenty-first century—his last Crusade in New York in 2005—and lived to see all of his children following him in evangelistic ministry.” (Page 494)
“Augustine’s emphasis on God’s sovereignty and election and human sinfulness is thought by some to be too deterministic.” (Page 93)
Ruth Tucker is one of the finest storytelling teachers and writers I know.
—Scot McKnight, Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies, North Park University
Church history at its best—a must for ministers and lay people alike.
—Hutz Hertzberg, executive pastor, The Moody Church
The reputation of Tucker as a masterful storyteller is well known.
—Larry Lindquist, professor, Denver Seminary
Ruth A. Tucker (PhD, Northern Illinois University) has taught mission studies and church history at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Calvin Theological Seminary. She is the author of dozens of articles and 18 books.