Short History of the Christian Church

by John Fletcher HURST (1834 - 1903)

Preface

Short History of the Christian Church

"The present work has as its basis the series of five Short Histories by the same author, which appeared in the following order: The Reformation, 1884; The Early Church, 1886; The Medieval Church, 1887; The Modern Church in Europe, 1888; and The Church in the United States, 1890. The five volumes form a connected History of the Church nearly down to the present time." (from the preface) John Fletcher Hurst was an American bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church. He wrote the 5 histories as Chautauqua textbooks. The audio files are in the following order:Part 1: The Early Church (A.D. 30-750)Part 2: The Medieval Church (A.D. 750-1517)Part 3: The Reformation (A.D. 1517-1545)Part 4: The Modern Church in Europe (A.D. 1558-1892)Part 5: The Church in the United States (A.D. 1492-1892)


Listen next episodes of Short History of the Christian Church:
1.1 The Church and Its History , 1.10 The Pagan Literary Attack , 1.11 The Christian Defenders , 1.12 The Christian Schools , 1.13 Liberation under Constantine , 1.14 Reaction under Julian , 1.15 The Montanistic Reform , 1.16 Controversies on Christ , 1.17 The Later Controversies , 1.18 Ecclesiastical Schisms , 1.19 The Scriptures and Tradition , 1.2 The Scene of the Labors of the Apostles , 1.20 Apocryphal Writings , 1.21 Theology During the Early Period , 1.22 Ecclesiastical Government and the Roman Primacy , 1.23 Sacred Seasons and Public Worship , 1.24 Ecclesiastical Discipline , 1.25 Christian Life and Usages , 1.26 The Church in the Catacombs , 1.27 Monasticism , 1.28 The Age of Gregory the Great , 1.29 The Expansion of Christianity , 1.3 The Greek and Roman Conditions , 1.30 The Close of the Early Period , 1.4 The Attitude of Judaism towards Christianity , 1.5 The Period of Universal Persecution , 1.6 Christian Worship , 1.7 The Life of Christians , 1.8 Ecclesiastical Organization , 1.9 Ebionism and Gnosticism , 2.1 The Medieval Transition , 2.10 Moral Life and Ecclesiastical Usages , 2.11 The Public Services , 2.12 The Writers of the Times , 2.13 New Missions , 2.14 Schism between the East and the West , 2.15 The Anglo-Saxon Church , 2.16 Arnold of Brescia , 2.17 The Waldenses and the Albigenses , 2.18 Thomas Becket , 2.19 The Monastic Orders , 2.2 The Reign of Charlemagne , 2.20 Monasteries as Centres of Intellectual Life , 2.21 Christian Art , 2.22 Christian Worship , 2.23 The Crusades: A.D. 1096-1270 , 2.24 Arabic Philosophy , 2.25 The Hohenstaufens in Italy , 2.26 The Jewish Philosophy , 2.27 The Scholastic Philosophy , 2.28 Abelard and his Fortunes , 2.29 General Literature , 2.3 Church and State under the Later Carolingian Rulers , 2.30 The Great Schools , 2.31 The Divided Papacy , 2.32 Retrospect , 2.4 The Fictitious Isidore , 2.5 Mohammedanism , 2.6 The Schools of Charlemagne , 2.7 Theological Movements , 2.8 The Rule of the Popes , 2.9 The Gregorian Reform , 3.1 The Heralds of Protestantism , 3.10 The English Reformation: Second Period , 3.11 The Scotch Reformation , 3.12 The Reformation in the Netherlands , 3.13 The Reformation in France , 3.14 The Reformation in Italy , 3.15 The Reformation in Spain and Portugal , 3.16 The Reformation in Scandinavia , 3.17 The Reformation in the Slavic Lands , 3.18 Survey of Results , 3.19 The Four Hundredth Anniversary of Luther's Birth , 3.2 The Humanism of Italy , 3.3 The Reformatory Councils , 3.4 The German Reformation: Martin Luther , 3.5 Luther: Further Labors and Personal Character , 3.6 Melanchthon and other German Reformers , 3.7 The Reformation in German Switzerland , 3.8 The Reformation in French Switzerland , 3.9 The English Reformation: First Period , 4.1 Recuperative Measures of Romanism , 4.10 Mysticism in Germany , 4.11 The Thirty Years' War , 4.12 The Protestant Emigration to America , 4.13 Arminius and the Synod of Dort , 4.14 The Salzburg Persecution , 4.15 Spener and Pietism , 4.16 The Moravians , 4.17 Swedenborg and the New Church , 4.18 Rationalism in Germany , 4.19 The Evangelical Reaction , 4.2 The Order of Jesuits , 4.20 French Mysticism and Flemish Jansenism , 4.21 French Infidelity , 4.22 French Protestantism , 4.23 The Russo-Greek Church , 4.24 Wesley and Methodism , 4.25 The Tractarian Movement , 4.26 The Schools in the Church of England , 4.27 The English Universities , 4.28 Scholars and Divines of the English Church , 4.29 Puritan and Presbyterian Scholars and Divines , 4.3 The English Church under James I and Charles I , 4.30 Critical Periods in the History of the Scottish Church , 4.31 The Ekskine Schism and the Haldane Revival , 4.32 The Great Disruption , 4.33 Learning and Literary Culture in the Roman Catholic Church , 4.34 The Growth of Mary-Worship , 4.35 The End of the Temporal Power of the Papacy , 4.36 The Contest with Germany , 4.37 The Survival of Superstition , 4.38 Roman Catholicism in England , 4.39 The Vatican Council , 4.4 The English Puritans , 4.40 The Old Catholics , 4.41 The Evangelical Alliance , 4.42 The Sunday-School , 4.43 The Revision of the Bible , 4.44 The Protestant Mission Field , 4.45 The Temperance Reform , 4.46 Philanthropy in England and Germany , 4.47 English Preachers , 4.48 Literature and Religion in England , 4.49 The Salvation Army , 4.5 The Quakers , 4.50 Survey of Religious Life on the Continent , 4.6 Cromwell and the Commonwealth , 4.7 The Church During the Restoration , 4.8 English Deism , 4.9 The Protestant Church in Germany , 5.1.1 The New Christendom , 5.1.10 Education , 5.1.11 Intolerance in the Colonies , 5.1.12 Religious Life of the Colonies , 5.1.13 Colonial Worship and Usages , 5.1.14 Missions to the Indians , 5.1.15 Theological Movements , 5.1.16 Religious Literature , 5.1.17 Early Leaders , 5.1.18 The Influence of the Puritans , 5.1.19 The Episcopal Defection in Connecticut , 5.1.2 The Spanish Colonization , 5.1.3 The French Colonization , 5.1.4 The English Colonization: Virginia and Massachusetts , 5.1.5 Maryland, Pennsylvania, and other English Colonies , 5.1.6 Continental Colonies: Dutch, Swedes, Huguenots, and other Protestants , 5.1.7 The Providential Planting , 5.1.8 Political Framework of the Colonies , 5.1.9 Church Government in the Colonies , 5.2.1 The Church at the Founding of the Republic , 5.2.10 The Presbyterian Church , 5.2.11 The Lutheran Church , 5.2.12 American Methodism , 5.2.13 The Roman Catholic Church , 5.2.14 The Unitarian Church , 5.2.15 The Universalist Church , 5.2.16 The Moravian Church , 5.2.17 Alexander Campbell and the Disciples of Christ , 5.2.18 The Quakers , 5.2.19 Other Denominations , 5.2.2 The Separation of Church and State , 5.2.20 The Transcendentalists , 5.2.21 Communistic Churches , 5.2.22 The Mormons , 5.2.23 The Antislavery Reform , 5.2.24 The Temperance Reform , 5.2.25 Philanthropy and Christian Union , 5.2.26 Missions , 5.2.27 The Sunday-School , 5.2.28 Christian Literature , 5.2.29 The American Pulpit , 5.2.3 The French Infidelity , 5.2.30 Theology of the American Church , 5.2.31 Theological Scholarship , 5.2.4 Revival at the Beginning of the Century , 5.2.5 Expansion in the South and West , 5.2.6 The Protestant Episcopal Church , 5.2.7 The Congregational Church , 5.2.8 The Reformed Churches , 5.2.9 The Baptist Church