A History of Christianity, a six-part series presented by Diarmaid MacCulloch, an Oxford history professor whose books about Cranmer and the Reformation have been acclaimed as masterpieces. A History Of Christianity will reveal the true origins of Christianity and delve into what it means to be a Christian. Intelligent, thought-provoking and magisterial in its scope the series will uncover how a small Jewish sect that preached humility became the biggest religion in the world. Most Christian histories start with St Paul’s mission to Rome, but Diarmaid MacCulloch argues that the first Christianity stayed much closer to its Middle-Eastern roots. He describes not only the main ideas and personalities of Christian history, its organization and spirituality, but how it has changed politics, sex, and human society.
The series includes subjects from Palestine in the first century to India in the third, from Damascus to China in the seventh century and from San Francisco to Korea in the twentieth. MacCulloch is one of the most widely travelled of Christian historians and conveys a sense of place as arrestingly as he does the power of ideas. He presents the development of Christian history differently from any of his predecessors. He shows how, after a semblance of unity in its earliest centuries, the Christian church divided during the next 1400 years into three increasingly distanced parts, of which the western Church was by no means always the most important: he observes that at the end of the first eight centuries of Christian history, Baghdad might have seemed a more likely capital for worldwide Christianity than Rome. This is the first truly global history of Christianity.
Diarmaid MacCulloch is one of the world’s leading historians and Professor of History of the Church and Fellow at St. Cross College Oxford. The series is a BBC co-production with the Open University and Jerusalem Productions.
Giftbox set of 6 one hour DVDs
Programs in the series:
Program 1: The First Christianity
Program 2: Catholicism: The Unpredictable Rise of Rome
Program 3: Orthodoxy: From Empire to Empire
Program 4: Reformation: The Individual Before God
Program 5: Protestantism: The Evangelical Explosion
Program 6: God in Dock
Rating: 
(out of 19 reviews)
List Price: $ 79.99
Price: $ 69.95
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September 2, 2010
#1
Review by Laura Davis
Rating:
A History of Christianity The First Three Thousand Years is a wonderful six DVD collection that everyone should have on their shelves. It is hosted by Diarmaid MacCulloch, one of the world’s leading historians and Professor of History of the Church and Fellow at St. Cross College, Oxford. This series (co-produced by the BBC) has so much information about the history of Christianity in it, that I learned things I’d never known before – and that was just the first DVD!
In the first DVD we are taken to Jerusalem where Christianity began. MacCulloch begins his journey in the church of the Holy Sepulchre and sweeps across four continents where he goes in search of Christianity’s forgotten origins.
I was particularly moved when he talked about the early church in Jerusalem that probably would have remained a unified church if not for the 70 AD uprising by the Jews against the Romans which ended in a siege against Jerusalem. As Jesus predicted, Jerusalem fell and the Temple went up in flames. Christians, quit the city before the siege, spreading throughout the eastern world beginning in Turkey and reaching as far as China (and yes, MacCulloch brings the archaeological evidence to prove that early Christians were there).
MacCullogh has done his research and this first DVD alone required watching twice because there is so much information! He even enlightened me about the origins of Church music. You will be surprised where it started. Not only that, he even claims that the headquarters of Christianity may well have been Baghdad not Rome!
Oh yes! This is one set of DVD’s you want to get for your collection!
September 2, 2010
#2
Review by My Four Monkeys blog
I’m one of those people that absolutely loved Calculus in school and will spend an entire evening watching the Discovery Channel or reading a (gasp!) nonfiction book. That’s me! And being a Christian, I am always interested in learning all I can about the history of Christianity. I was very curious when I got the chance to preview the first DVD, The First Christianity, in the new 6 DVD series entitled History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years.
Rating:
I’ll admit it! I’m a nerd.
Each of the DVDs runs for about 60 minutes and covers a wide stretch of time in Christian history. I was pleasantly surprised at how intriguing the history was, and this definitely wasn’t the “same old same old” I thought I was going to hear. There was almost nothing about the story of Christ, and most of the information was regarding the history of the church and its growth and development over the years. The host of the series, Diarmaid MacCulloch, reminds me of the character Noah Wyle plays in The Librarian movies, except with an accent. Diarmaid MacCulloch is one of the world’s leading historians and Professor of History of the Church and Fellow at St. Cross College Oxford. He’s quite entertaining and very scholarly.
The First Christianity starts in Jerusalem and ended surprisingly in China, covering the start of Christianity to about 1500 A.D. For me, it was very interesting and I think anyone who loves history or is just plain interested in finding out the history of the Christian church would really enjoy this DVD series. Even my 8 yr old daughter became very interested and ending up watching a majority of the DVD with me. I also think it would be a great basis for a course of lessons for a middle school or high school student wanting to learn about the history of the Christian church!
September 2, 2010
#3
Review by Karla Cook
Rating:
I’ve only seen the first episode, so my comments are based on that. This is a fascinating look at the history of Christianity, not only the history we are familiar with as Western Christians with roots going back to the Catholic church… but also a history of the Church of the East. Diarmaid MacCulloch is an excellent narrator and makes what could be a very dry subject matter instead very interesting. Great footage as well! I really enjoyed it!
September 2, 2010
#4
Review by Michael Dalton
Rating:
Among other things, A History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years shows that seeds planted in youth flower in adulthood. This six-part series, co-produced by the BBC, the Open University and Jerusalem Productions, is hosted and narrated by Diarmaid MacCulloch, Professor of the History of the Church at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of St. John Cross College in Oxford.
When MacCulloch’s father, an Anglican minister, and his mother took their young son Diarmaid on their explorations of historic churches, they probably never realized they were sowing the seeds of his future. Diarmaid became fascinated with church history and so began his life work, of which this series is a part.
Now, instead of his parents leading the way, it is MacCulloch taking viewers through ancient structures and landmarks around the world. Ever the explorer, he searches for meaning in places that hold clues to the past, interviewing local experts and people who provide a diversity of thought.
MacCulloch is not only a well-respected historian, but an excellent narrator and a likeable guide. He unashamedly professes his fondness for the Anglican faith, he being the last of three generations of Anglican clergy. If he has a bias, it may be against the western form of Christianity as practiced by the Roman Catholic Church. He seems more charitable toward the eastern wing, exhibited in the Orthodox Church. The good news is that over the course of the six episodes shown below, he gives equal coverage to each of the major branches of the church.
1. The First Christianity
2. Catholicism: The Unpredictable Rise of Rome
3. Orthodoxy: From Empire to Empire
4. Reformation: The Individual Before God
5. Protestantism: The Evangelical Explosion
6. God in the Dock
One of the highlights is that MacCulloch tells more than just the same old story. He is not afraid to correct conventional wisdom and to bring out what might be overlooked. For example, he believes that Christianity stayed closer to its Middle-Eastern roots than many people realize. To illustrate that point, rather than initially tracing the spread of the faith to Rome, he takes the eastern road, which goes from Jerusalem to Asia, including parts of China.
In another segment, he takes us to Skellig Michael, a place that might be overlooked by many historians, but significant because this remote island was a center for the monastic life of Irish Christian monks for 600 years. Equally interesting is his account of Russian history and orthodoxy.
Filmed in HD, everything about the production is first-rate. This is no surprise given that the series is licensed by the BBC.
For all its merits, it falters somewhat in the last episode. Calling himself a “candid friend” rather than a Christian, MacCulloch asserts that the church failed to resist the Nazis. He reasons that since the Jews were considered killers of Christ and enemies of the church, the church is “implicated in the murder of Jews.”
It gets even more controversial in his interview with Rev. Nicholas Holtam of St. Martin Church-in-the-Fields, London. MacCulloch believes that questions about gender and sexuality present significant challenges to the church. He identifies himself as a gay man, and in response to an inquiry from MacCulloch, Rev. Holtam states, “The Scriptures don’t say anything about faithful, same-sex relationships and therefore, what’s condemned in Scripture isn’t what we are dealing with now…. I think the Bible’s answer is that what matters between human beings is loving, faithful, honest relationships.”
It should be noted that MacCulloch does not accept the authority of the Scriptures. He alludes to being unconvinced that the Bible is different from all other books.
Throughout the series, MacCulloch continually emphasizes that the Church has survived by its ability to adapt. He may wonder if the Church will successfully adjust to changing gender and sexual norms. Conservative Christians must be prepared to discuss these concluding ideas if they want to use this in a group setting. Unfortunately, this last segment detracts from the overall excellence of the series. Even so, this production provides a thought-provoking overview of Church history, and I give MacCulloch credit for telling it like he sees it.
September 2, 2010
#5
Review by J. Slingerland
Rating:
To begin with, it is great that an eminent scholar is the host and the creator of a BBC series on the history of Christianity. McCullogh’s original and scholarly view on the subject deserves to be available to a massive audience on an entry level.
On the other hand, the intelligibility of the series often results in talking head television. The images of the program are very beautiful and absolutely worth watching, but after seeing all dvd’s, many of the shots are used over and over again. That is a pity, because this unique program had been even better with a more careful production.
If you decide to ignore its creative shortcomings, you will be rewarded with a marvellous introduction to the history (and future) of Christian faith. McCullough visits surprising places and reveals stunning historical aspects of Christianity. After watching this, you’ll definitely want to read Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years!