Learning through easy reading…
Book Review: The 40
Most Influential Christians Who Shaped What We Believe Today by Daryl Aaron
Aaron is a good writer and does a great job at distilling
the kinds of things that make a person important in the grand scheme of church
history. Of course, the task of choosing only 40 such representatives is in
itself a burden, I’m sure. Plus, one cannot avoid the influence of one’s own
theological presuppositions along with a triumphalistic dependence on what some
have termed, “The Historic Christian Church.”
The author, of course, does not share many of my theological
foundations and, therefore, makes no mention of some Christians without which
my own “church history” (Pentecostal) would be different. No doubt other
non-Evangelicals will share a similar feeling.
In the end, the book is an interesting and informative read.
Does Aaron always succeed? No, but no
one can fault him for trying to distill a lifetime into a four-page chapter. If
you have five minutes to spare and would like to learn who Bonhoeffer or
Arminius were, that’s all it will take to get a good introduction to these men.
Disclosure: The book was
received for free from Bethany House book review program. The program does not
require a positive review, only an honest one.
3/5 Stars
