As we have encouraged our readers to keep an awareness of what is going on in today’s world, so have we also attempted to underscore the importance of understanding the past. Church history is one of those topics that Christians should have high on their list for study and comprehension. So many things going on in the church and world today are not entirely new. Understanding the past can help us assess and determine the importance of today’s circumstances.

This little volume is small in size only. It is one of thirteen books in the Pocket Dictionary series published by Inter-Varsity Press. There are over 300 terms defined in this book. It is a quick reference to key people in church history such as Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, and a host of other major players.

You can get a bird’s-eye view without having to do long and arduous research. You can read about significant events such as the Crusades of the eleventh century or the Azusa Street Revivals and the birth of modern Pentecostalism in the early twentieth century. The church councils that were so instrumental in developing the doctrines upon which the church stands are included, as well as many of the terms that have come to us down through the years. For example, you’ve heard about the social gospel. This book contains a good brief definition. Covenant theology and rule of faith are other familiar terms briefly defined here.

This Church History edition of the series stands alongside other topics such as Hebrew and Greek, Apologetics, North American Denominations, and the History of Theology. These books are affordable and to one who teaches, they are a handy quick reference.

- Charles Dunahoo