Knowing Church history is critical for Christians. It’s not merely random facts about old dead guys, but it’s a testimony of God’s work since the canon of Scripture closed. It shows us how Jesus fulfilled the promise He made when He said He would build His Church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).
Alas, many professing Christians only live the present. They know very little of those who came before us or the events that shaped our faith. It is even said our generation is the most navel-gazing generation that has ever lived.
Consequently, Ferguson wrote In the Year of Our Lord: Reflections on Twenty Centuries of Church History to provide us with a concise introduction to church history, our family history.
He says, “For we possess a vast multitude of brothers and sisters in Christ from whose lives we can learn, through whose stories we can be challenged and encouraged, by whose writings we can be instructed, and by whose hymns we can be inspired to worship and live with greater devotion to our Lord.”
At 229 pages, In The Year of Our Lord is by no means a comprehensive account of church history. Instead, it’s a guided tour of the last 2000 years, highlighting significant events that marked a particular century. It has 20 chapters for the centuries in the year of our Lord. And each chapter begins with a quotation or writings from the century, an overview of the key events, and a hymn written in that century.
Ferguson provides a faithful account of significant events that happened in the church since the birth of its Head. The book is well written and not academic; one can easily read several chapters a day without tiring. Though he dedicated only five to six pages per chapter, Ferguson packed it with lots of pertinent and crucial information to teach us more about our illustrious family history.
The only thing I don’t like about In The Year of Our Lord is the book’s brevity. The chapters are too short and leave out many details.
My favorite aspect , on the other hand, is the hymns of faith at the end of every chapter. It is so refreshing and amazing to read two thousand years of praise and worship to our God. The same truths people sang two thousand years ago are the same we sing today. God’s Word is truly timeless! I only knew one hymn out of twenty, so I also enjoyed discovering more.
Every Christian ought to learn church history, and In The Year of Our Lord is an excellent place to start. It gives the essential facts every Christian must know about the faith without overwhelming you with too many details. I am thankful I stumbled upon such an easy and enjoyable book on Church history!
You may also want to check out 5 Minutes in Church History by Stephen Nichols.
Grace and peace to you!
