Christianity: The Complete Guide

A monumental and authoritative work covering every aspect of Christianity and the impact it has made on the world, throughout history and to the present day. This is the complete guide to the astonishing heritage of Christianity worldwide. One way of looking at Christianity is to see it as a landscape, indeed as a land - for many people today it is in fact a foreign land. Some of the features of the land are indicated in the introduction to the guide, which is an invitation to explore them in some depth. The Guide will make it possible to understand better who Christians are, why they exist in so many kinds, and what role they play in today's societies. It provides a firm idea of the nature of Christian spirituality, prayer and worship; of Christian beliefs; of Christian thinking on moral issues; the bewildering developments brought on by science, technology and modern economic forces. It explores the contribution Christianity has made to the shaping of culture; it sees church buildings, paintings and sculpture with new eyes; recognises the motive force which Christianity has provided for music poetry and literature. The book is fully cross referenced and indexed and also includes a guide to further reading and international websites.