Christianity

The First Three Thousand Years

By: Diarmaid MacCulloch

Narrated by: Walter Dixon

Length: 46 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Once in a generation, a historian will redefine his field, producing a book that demands to be read and heard - a product of electrifying scholarship conveyed with commanding skill. Diarmaid MacCulloch's Christianity is such a book. Breathtaking in ambition, it ranges back to the origins of the Hebrew Bible and covers the world, following the three main strands of the Christian faith.

Christianity will teach modern listeners things that have been lost in time about how Jesus' message spread and how the New Testament was formed. We follow the Christian story to all corners of the globe, filling in often neglected accounts of conversions and confrontations in Africa and Asia. And we discover the roots of the faith that galvanized America, charting the rise of the evangelical movement from its origins in Germany and England. This audiobook encompasses all of intellectual history - we meet monks and crusaders, heretics and saints, slave traders and abolitionists, and discover Christianity's essential role in driving the enlightenment and the age of exploration, and shaping the course of World War I and World War II.

We are living in a time of tremendous religious awareness, when both believers and non-believers are deeply engaged by questions of religion and tradition, seeking to understand the violence sometimes perpetrated in the name of God. The son of an Anglican clergyman, MacCulloch writes with deep feeling about faith. His last book, The Reformation, was chosen by dozens of publications as Best Book of the Year and won the National Book Critics Circle Award. This awe-inspiring follow-up is a landmark new history of the faith that continues to shape the world.

©2010 Diamaid MacCulloch (P)2010 Gildan Media Corp

Critic reviews

"Assuming no previous knowledge on the part of readers about Christian traditions, MacCulloch traces in breathtaking detail the often contentious arguments within Christianity for the past 3,000 years. His monumental achievement will not soon be surpassed." ( Publishers Weekly)

"A work of exceptional breadth and subtlety." ( Booklist)

A brilliant overview

MacCullough has managed to present a long, and exhaustively complex story in an interesting and clearly understandable manner. He treats his subject matter respectfully, focusing strictly on the historical record and not taking a religious stand. Walter Dixon, the narrator, does a good job as well reading clearly and briskly, not getting bogged down in sometimes hugely complicated text.

Wow! Exactly what i wanted to buy!

this Is A VERY well written , thorough study of Christianity. An objective , academic, scholarly one. I thought the narrator was also very good, despite complaints about his "American accent"..he was as good if not better than many british narrators. very sober, well pronounced, objective , clear tone throughout. highly recommend if want to get at the truth of Christianity's rise and power in past 2,000, or 3,000 years.

The best book on the history of Christianity.

Neither a hack job nor a paen to Christianity. Includes the distortions, mistakes, misunderstandings, and hate filled conflicts as well as the pain that went into trying to interpret Christianity correctly. Anyone who loves to learn about the historical twists and turns of Christianity will find this an enjoyable read!

Scholarship, intimacy, depth of knowledge .

Rarely have I been so moved by a book of history. Rather, I felt as if a friend was explaining a subject in a private room, with only myself in attendance. This is what it must feel like to be tutored by a master. The depth of his knowledge, the shades of meaning implied by the words used by the original writers is explained, by a friend who want to make sure that I understand the implications, and all of the nuances in someone’s philosophies. While I have read many other histories, this one breathed life into dry dissections of those writings. I found myself rushing back to the books, hardly able to wait for the next section. The writing is accessible, conversational , while filling in the gaps, that must exist when a person is not a linguist and scholar of archaic languages. I can not begin to explain what a joy and pleasure it was to have found this book.

Exhaustive and exacting.

I am in awe of MacCulloch for his ability to treat so large and controversial a subject with intelligence, wit, and clarity.

Long but well worth the time

Clear concise and enjoyable treatment of a complex and wide ranging topic. Your knowledge and appreciation of Christianity will be greatly enhanced.

Epic tome of a long and confusing history

No one document can cover all aspects of a subject, but this does a pretty good job of covering information to give the reader a pretty broad history of the developpment of Christianity. The download is in six parts, over 7-8 hours each. The reader sounds an awful lot like Brent Spiner, the actor who played Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation. He sounds pleasant to me. I recommend this audiobook as you definitely get your money's worth with this performance.

A lot of history in one book

If you could sum up Christianity in three words, what would they be?

Tectonic, relevant & engrossing

What was one of the most memorable moments of Christianity?

The epiphanies...

What about Walter Dixon’s performance did you like?

His even cadence

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Can't do it.

Any additional comments?

I have wanted something this detailed, but had no interest in donning robes to do so. It is a large subject that this book helps to tame.

Really fascinating, and thorough.

Excellent read for anyone interested in learning much about such a wide-ranging and diverse institution as the Christian faith. Very well researched and constructed.

Excellent read - over and over.

Waited thirty years for this book. Learn more each time I read it. Dr. MacCulloch is a genius among geniuses! Highly recommend 6-set DVD by same name.