What has Christianity ever done for us ? How it shaped the modern world. by Jonathan Hill
Lion Books, 2005 192 pages £14 ISBN 978 0 745 951 683
This is history with a light touch. Christianity is the largest religious faith in the world, followed by about one third of the globe’s population.. It spread from the Middle East to the West and thence to Africa, Asia, South America and the Pacific.
Jonathan Hill is successful in compressing into just 8 chapters, the cultural as well as the religious or spiritual impact of Christianity on the global community over many centuries.
He begins with culture and thought, passing through the Reformation, the printing press, Christian festivals and aspects of history.
Times and places not affected by Christianity also get a mention.
Turning to more specific areas of human life, we look at the Arts, Education,the landscape, the individual, society, the world, ethics and social justice.
A final chapter asks what Christianity will do for us.
This is a reliable overview, well illustrated with many colour pictures, of the effects of Christianity on people and cultures over time, laced with good humour and many odd facts about events and people.
It is both informative and entertaining – history with a light touch.