The Making of the Modern Church is a comprehensive introduction to a fascinating and crucial period in church history, starting at the beginning of the nineteenth century and concluding in the modern day. It is ideal for students and those in theological training, though it also has much of value to offer more general readers.
Though dealing with a large time scale, The Making of the Modern Church is thorough. Chapters cover all the major events and trends of the period and a bibliography for each chapter is included to aid those who wish to investigate specific subjects in more detail.
Already an established classic of church history, this third edition contains fresh and updated material. New areas covered including the changing status of women in the church, English Roman Catholicism, and post-modernity.
“He argues that if the sense of ‘ought’ is real it is possible to posit three things—the existence of God” (Page 5)
“For Kant the human mind could have no certain knowledge of truth apart from through sense impression” (Page 4)
“argued that everything which is real is knowable and is indeed reducible to reason” (Page 5)
“Secondly, there was an acceptance of moral discipline” (Page 12)
“But in spite of the appearance of strength and security the Church was actually in a very weak state. Its place in the establishment partly obscured its spiritual, pastoral and intellectual weaknesses and partly caused them.” (Page 2)
This is a very concise and very comprehensive summary and analysis of an important period of English church history… Here are laid out the main contours of a culture which took religion very seriously indeed, and presented with just the clear order and sensible evaluations that students will find beneficial.
—Edward Norman, Journal of Ecclesiastical History
The narrative is clear and the comments are fair-minded.
—David L Edwards, Church Times
Mr. Worrall writes with clarity. He has the gift of being able to simplify complex issues, and to pick out the important things in an involved debate.
—Expository Times
… the most useful survey of recent English church history available.
—Transformation
… recommended as a sound introduction.
—Methodist Recorder
B. G. Worrall is Associate Tutor, Spurgeon’s College, London.