Bullies and Saints, John Dickson
Bullies and Saints, John Dickson
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Bullies and Saints
An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History

Author: John Dickson

Narrator: John Dickson

Unabridged: 13 hr 23 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 05/11/2021


Synopsis

Is the world better off without Christianity?Combining narrative with keen critique of contemporary debates, author and historian John Dickson gives an honest account of 2,000 years of Christian history that helps us understand what Christianity is and what it's meant to be.To say that the Christian Church has an "image problem" doesn't quite capture it. From the Crusades and the Inquisition to the racism and abuse present in today's Church--both in Catholic and Protestant traditions--the institution that Christ established on earth has a lot to answer for. But the Church has also had moments throughout history when it has been in tune with Jesus' teachings--from the rise of charity to the invention of hospitals.For defenders of the faith, it's important to be able to recognize the good and bad in the church's history and be inspired to live aligned with Christ. For skeptics, this book is a thought-provoking introduction to the idea that Christianity is, despite all, an essential foundation of our civilization.Bullies and Saints will take you on a big-picture journey from the Sermon on the Mount to the modern church:Giving contextual accounts of infamous chapters of Christian history, such as the Crusades, and acknowledging their darkness.Outlining the great movements of the faith and defending its heroes and saints, some of whom are not commonly recognized.Examining the Church beside the teachings and life of Jesus and how it has succeeded in its mission to imitate Christ. 

About John Dickson

John Dickson (PhD, Macquarie University) serves as the Jean Kvamme Distinguished Professor of Biblical Evangelism and Distinguished Scholar in Public Christianity at Wheaton College. A speaker, historian, and media presenter, John is the author of more than 20 books, two of which became television documentaries. He also cohosted the documentary For the Love of God: How the Church is Better and Worse Than you Ever Imagined. He is an Honorary Research Associate at the University of Sydney, a Visiting Academic in the Faculty of Classics at Oxford University (2016-2021), and Distinguished Fellow in Public Christianity at Ridley College Melbourne. John presents Australia’s no.1 religion podcast, Undeceptions, exploring aspects of life, faith, history, culture, or ethics that are either much misunderstood or mostly forgotten.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Tim on October 22, 2021

As an atheist, I'm probably not in the target audience for this book. Essentially this is a work of Christian apologetics, though thankfully doesn't have the lumbering, low-brow glibness of much of that genre, like the works of Josh McDowell, or the cloying smug assurance of William Lane Craig. Dick......more

Goodreads review by Leonie on September 17, 2021

I found this look at the history of the Christian church fascinating. I listened to this book, which was read by the author, John Dickson. He didn't draw back from acknowledging the failings and disasters, and sometimes downright hideousness of some of Christian history. But it was always within the......more

“Bullies are common, saints are not.” Well this was refreshing! (In a horrible way.) Some Christians act so holier-than-thou and will turn a blind eye to the subject matter of this book—but our history is far from perfect and it is nice to see this acknowledged in such a humble manner. I learned a lo......more

Goodreads review by Brice on February 06, 2025

In my (biased) opinion, this is the most balanced and readable review of the history of the Church that I have consumed. It focused on the moral victories and shortcomings of the Church through the centuries while providing sufficient historical, political, and theological context; it actually atten......more