In this pilgrimage through church history, Joseph Kelly provides a colorful, graphic representation of the events and people of the Roman Catholic Church and puts in hand a wealth of historical information in a clear, easy-to-access format. Adults and young adults will find The Collegeville Church History Time-Line an invaluable tool as they encounter numerous examples of change in the remarkable history of the Catholic church. Kelly examines how the Roman Catholic Church has not just survived but flourished though 2,000 years as it strives to make Jesus Christ a presence in the world. He focuses on how the church has developed historically and will continue to do so. The time-line begins in the era of Jesus, leads through a history of Christianity including Constantine's conversion in the fourth-century, to the growth of the papacy in the twelfth-century, to Vatican II and the election of John F. Kennedy in the twentieth-century, and ends with the state of the church in the twenty-first century. Twenty-four pages of text explain the eras delineated on the time-line and provide fuller details regarding important people and events. Joseph F. Kelly, PhD, is professor of religious studies at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. He is the author of The World of the Early Christians, The Problem of Evil in the Western Tradition, Responding to Evil, and The Origins of Christmas published by Liturgical Press.

Fold-out panoramic time-line - brief history of the Israelites - Genesis through to Revelation - major Bible dates - contemporary world events.

There have been twenty-one universal gatherings 'ecumenical councils' of the Catholic Church. The first opened in 325, the last closed in 1965, and the names of many ring out in the history of the church: Nicea, Chalcedon, Trent, Vatican II. Though centuries separate the councils, each occurred when the church faced serious crises, sometimes with doctrinal matters, sometimes with moral or even political matters, and sometimes with discerning the church's relation to the world. The councils determined much of what the Catholic Church is and believes. Additionally, many councils impacted believers in other Christian traditions and even in other faiths. In this accessible, readable, and yet substantial account of the councils Joseph Kelly provides both the historical context for each council as well as an account of its proceedings. Readers will discover how the councils shaped the debate for the following decades and even centuries, and will appreciate the occasional portraits of important conciliar figures from Emperor Constantine to Pope John XXIII.

Kelly turns to the infancy narratives to see what the New Testament says about the Nativity. He also reveals that Christmas celebrations, cards, pageants, and crches are often combinations and embellishments of the gospel narratives.

A few weeks after Easter AD 33, the entire church fit in one upstairs room. In just decades, it exploded into a worldwide movement. What happened? Follow the action with this collection of the highs and lows of the people of God. Its twenty informative and fast-paced chapters are arranged by centuries. Each one begins with a summary of the most important statistics and influential Christians at that time. In the rest of each chapter, you'll find concise notes about the history of Christianity, including its... practices and beliefs denominations and movements institutions and traditions evangelism and persecution literature, art, and architecture You can also use the helpful index to read topically rather than chronologically. Follow the explosive spread of the gospel and discover your amazing heritage as a member of God's family.

This book is a study of how congregational song developed and has been used in the worship of Western churches in general and specifically churches in the United States. Beginning with the worship of ancient peoples, the Hebrews, and early Christians and continuing to the present, the author examines historically how song has been and is used as an intentional sacred ritual action, like prayer or Scripture reading. Written primarily as an introductory text for college and seminary students, the overall goal is to make a historical journey with the people, events, and ideas from which have evolved the various types of song we have in American worship today. To help readers think more deeply about the material, study questions are given at the end of each chapter.

The publication of William J. Abraham’s The Logic of Evangelism in 1989 marked a turning point in the field and practice of evangelism. Almost thirty years later the book still provokes discussion as it stimulates both theorists and practitioners to comprehend evangelism as initiation into God’s reign. Combining theological insight and historical analysis, Abraham’s groundbreaking work remains the primary text to set the stage for how evangelism may be conceived. In these timely essays written by both theologians and church leaders, The Logic of Evangelism Revisited takes a critical and yet appreciative look into the ways Abraham’s work still speaks to the church in today’s world. The authors, coming from a wide array of backgrounds, show how The Logic of Evangelism remains a key text into the twenty-first century.