The year 590 was a very tough year, especially if you lived in Rome. For decades the Italian states had dealt with warfare, leaving Italy’s cities destroyed and its countryside a wasteland. By the end of the century, that eternal city, the capital of the great Roman Empire, was in terrible condition. The aqueducts were in a state of disrepair; civil government was barely functioning, and enemy armies were threatening the city. To make things even worse, the plague had arrived (this was the Plague of Justinian), and the Tiber River flooded, leaving Rome a marshland.
However, 590 was also the year that a man named Gregory, a monk and former prefect of Rome, was elected bishop. Gregory didn’t want the job (considering the current state of affairs, who would?), but out of obedience he accepted it taking on the title of servus sevorum Dei (“the servant of God’s servants”). In addition to the normal duties of his office, he took on numerous tasks that would normally have been done by civil authorities. When the Lombards threatened Rome, Gregory became involved in the military defense of the city. He paid soldiers (who were close to mutiny) from the church’s funds. When Roman citizens were starving, he organized relief efforts. He rebuilt infrastructure, and negotiated with opposing armies.
Pope Gregory the Great was an exceptional leader, and he is remembered as one of the greatest popes to ever hold the office. He also, unquestionably, expanded the power and influence of the papacy; a move which would have a tremendous impact on religion in Western Europe. If you want to understand the role of the medieval church, or even how the papacy functions today, understanding Gregory’s tenure is incredibly important.
I started with this anecdote to show how the study of history is critical in understanding our faith and our world today. We live in a world built by the choices of those who lived in the past. Our scriptures were codified by Christians in antiquity. Our liturgies were standardized under order of Charlemagne, the Holy Roman Emperor, in the early medieval period. Our understandings of theological concepts were worked out by theologians across the centuries. Our modern faith is the result of a community of believers that spans both time and space.
I teach the History of Christianity at Luther Seminary. It is an odd subject to teach in some ways. When students show up in a Bible course or a preaching course, they generally understand why they are there. The Bible is, of course, of the utmost importance to all Christians. Likewise, future pastors show up wanting to know how to deliver a great sermon. While I always have students who love history and can’t wait to jump in, I also have a good number of students who don’t understand why they have to take church history courses. Common complaints include: Who cares about a bunch of dead people? We need to focus on ministry today! History is boring and just the memorization of a bunch of dates!
Due to this pessimism, I sometimes joke that I am an evangelist for history, but there is an element of truth to this. When I teach church history survey courses, I start with a list of reasons why it is important to study church history (and why they are required to take the course). This is what I tell my students:
- We are part of a community of believers that spans back 2,000 years. This includes diverse Christian communities from around the globe.
- We come out of a religious tradition (whether we like it or not), and we are influenced by these traditions. Including those coming from non-denominational traditions.
- “There is no new thing under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9): Many of the challenges we face today have been dealt with before. We can learn from those who have come before us.
- There are inspiring and beautiful writings and stories from past Christians.
- There are things we need to know so we don’t repeat the past.
- As a pastor, or even sometimes as a layperson, you will get questions about the history of the faith.
- Last, but probably most important, history helps us understand why things are the way they are today.
History done well is never just a collection of facts and dates. It is a living breathing thing that encapsulates the human experience. History is people and stories. It is the imperfect and fragmented record of humanity. And because history is ultimately the story of people, it is messy and complicated. But there is also a great beauty in this. Through studying the past, you can meet fascinating and brilliant (and sometimes really bizarre) people. You can read texts that are breathtaking. You can learn stories of incredible resilience. In the end, if you want to truly understand your faith, learning about our past is essential.
If you are interested in learning more about church history, below is a list of a few good introductory texts. I have made notes below about each one.
Bibliography:
Justo L. González, The Story of Christianity, 2 vols. (New York: HarperOne).
I have used both volumes in courses over the years. It is one of the more accessible of the church history textbooks. Students tend to like it. However, it is two volumes and quite long.
Irvin and Sunquist, The History of World Christian Movement, Vol. 1 (Orbis, 2001).
The book covers the period from about 100 to 1453. It is denser than the two-volume González text, but it is more focused on global history.
Mark Noll, Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2022).
This book is currently in its fourth edition. It is a short read, and while some things are missing due to its length, it is a nice introduction.
Jennifer Wojciechowski, Women and the Christian Story: A Global History (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2022).
A shameless self-promotion, but I wrote a textbook on women’s Christian history. I think this is an important aspect of history that just isn’t covered in any regular church history text.
