New book alert:

A Concise History of Christian Thought, by Tony Lane

If you are an Alister McGrath church history junkie like me you may be interested in Tony Lane’s revised edition of A Concise History of Christian Thought. It is a very interesting and concise look at the development of church history. It could use more Puritans in my biased judgment (one page on John Owen and two pages on Edwards?) but overall provides excellent overviews of the major thinkers, works and events from Irenaeus to John Stott.

I do disagree with some conclusions (like the optimism towards Rome and evangelicals coming together on the doctrine of justification) and this is not a textbook to define the limits of evangelical orthodoxy. Rather, this book’s strength is in presenting the important changes and events in Christian history.

A discerning reader wanting a good introduction to the development of Christian thought over the centuries will find Lane’s new release engaging.