History Lives Series blog by Mindy and Brandon Withrow

2006-12-31T15:39:00.000-08:00

he history of the church does not belong to adults alone. Children have much to gain by hearing about their Christian heritage.

Most church history books for kids are either too textbook-ish to enjoy or too brief and sanitized to be accurate. Our desire for the History Lives series for children (ages 9-14) is to provide an engaging, accurate introduction to the true story of Christianity. These "fictionalized" accounts are based on extensive historical research and incorporate quotes from the character's actual writings. These books are not about the "heroes of the faith," but merely some of the flawed human beings that God used to establish his church from the time of Christ.

Christian history is full of strange, wonderful, and horrible people and events. Prince Vladimir was instrumental in the spreading of Christianity throughout Russia, but was a vicious, opportunistic ruler. Charlemagne promoted education in the Holy Roman Empire, but he showed little mercy to his enemies. Bernard of Clairvaux simultaneously wrote one of the greatest books on loving God and promoted the bloody Second Crusade. Many sacrificed family, wealth, and even their lives for the sake of the gospel. They laid the foundation for the church today.

Like the chroniclers of ancient Israel, we hope their achievements and failures will instruct generations to come.

He said to the Israelites, "In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, `What do these stones mean?' tell them, `Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God." (Joshua 4:21-24).

Enjoy the books? Have suggestions for future volumes? Please feel free to use the comment feature below (no registration required) and let us know.

2006-12-20T08:14:00.000-08:00

Announcing an anniversary contest!
In celebration of 13 years of marriage, we are having a "win an autographed bookplate" contest. To find out the details, see Mindy's blog, www.mindywithrow.com.

2006-06-06T13:09:00.000-07:00

Peril and Peace: Chronicles of the Ancient Church
History Lives, vol. 1
by Mindy and Brandon Withrow
(Christian Focus: ISBN: 1845500822), 224 pages.

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Publisher Description: From the apostle Paul to Benedict you can discover how those in the early church still influence the church today. In their lives you will see the young and developing church struggling and growing in a hostile and difficult world. Watch in amazement as a varied selection of people from different countries, cultures and times merge together to form the Christian church. Learn from their mistakes and errors but more importantly learn from their amazing strengths and gifts. Marvel at the incredible things accomplished by God in such a short space of time. Written in a modern and relaxed style this is a book that will introduce you to history without the tears and with all the wonder.

Contents: On the cover of this volume (as seen above) is Saint Jerome. This volume covers to 590 A.D. and includes, Paul, Polycarp and Ignatius, Justin, Origen, Cyprian, Constantine, Athanasius, The Great Cappadocians, Ambrose, Augustine, John Chrysostom, Jerome, Patrick, and Benedict. The background chapters are: What was the Ancient Church?, Terrible Trials and Persecutions, Worship in the Ancient Church, Early Creeds and Councils, How Did We Get the Bible?, and Other Early Christians.

Monks and Mystics: Chronicles of the Medieval Church
History Lives, vol. 2
by Mindy and Brandon Withrow
(Christian Focus: ISBN: 1845500830), 224 pages.

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Publisher Description: Read the stories of the Medieval church and discover how the young Christian church moved on into another era of time. From Gregory I through to Wycliffe and Huss you can discover about the crusades and the spread of Islam as well as the beginnings of the Universities and the Reformation. As the church moves on through the centuries you can see its people struggling against persecution and problems from inside and out. Marvel at God's wonderful care of his people. Extra features throughout the book look deeper into issues such as Islam; Division; The crusades; the first university; Creeds and Councils and the Renaissance.

Contents: On the cover of this volume is Saint Francis as a young man. This volume covers 550-1500 A.D. and includes Gregory the Great, Boniface, Charlemagne, Constantine (Cyril) and Methodius, Prince Vladimir, Anselm of Canterbury, Bernard of Clairvaux, Francis, Thomas Aquinas, Catherine of Sienna, John Wyclif, John Hus. The background section titles are: What was the Medieval Church?, How did the Pope Get His Name?, What is Islam?, A Divided Church: The Great Schism of 1054, What were the Crusades?, How the University was Born, Councils of the Medieval Church, Other Medieval Christians, The Renaissance: The Middle Ages Come to an End.

Courage and Conviction: Chronicles of the Reformation Church
History Lives, vol. 3
by Mindy and Brandon Withrow
(Christian Focus: ISBN: 1845502221)

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Contents: This volume covers 1500-1700 and includes Desiderius Erasmus, Martin Luther, Menno Simons, John Calvin, Katherine Parr, Thomas Cranmer, John Knox, Jeanne d'Albret, William Bradford, Samuel Rutherford, John Bunyan, and John Eliot. Background chapters include: Reformation Church Timeline; What was the Reformation Church?; The Catholic Reformation; Big Changes in the Reformation World; War and Religion; The Settling of the Americas; Confessions and Catechisms of the Reformation; Other Reformation Christians; and Enlightenment and Awakening.

As sometimes happens...
Errata: Page 248, last line, reads, "He died in 1707." Should read "He died in 1691." (Resulting from an editing error.).
Also, "canon(s)" should be spelled "cannon(s)" throughout volume.

Coming soon!
Hearts and Hands: Chronicles of the Awakening Church
History Lives, vol. 4
by Mindy and Brandon Withrow
(Christian Focus: late 2007)

Contents: This volume covers the years of 1700-1860 and includes Jonathan Edwards, Johann Sebastian Bach, John Wesley, William Wilberforce, William Carey, Elizabeth Fry, Liang Fa, Adoniram and Ann Judson, Fidelia Fiske, Sojourner Truth and Harriet Beecher Stowe, and David Livingstone. Background chapters include: Awakening Church Timeline, What was the Awakening Church?, The Development of Church Music, An Era of Social Reform, Revolutions and Rebellions, A New Method of Missions, The Rise of Protestant Denominations, Other Christians of the Awakening Church, The Beginnings of the Modern World, Where did we get our information?

More information to come soon...

2006-05-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

Read Reviews Online
Grace and Truth Books
Westminster Bookstore
Tenth Presbyterian Church Library
Seasonal Soundings
Sets-n-Service: 'Church History' for everyone - especially the children!
Vox Vendsel: Church History for All of Us