Reprint of the original, first published in 1875.

This popularly-written introduction to church history takes the reader from the early Church Fathers to the days of the modern missionary movement.

'A masterly, vivid and original sketch, not just of the history but of the culture (or cultures) of the Church of England across nearly five centuries.' Rowan Williams, poet and former Archbishop of Canterbury It is hard to comprehend the last 500 years of England's history without understanding the Church of England. From its roots in Catholicism through to the present day, this is the extraordinary history of a familiar but much-misunderstood institution. The Church has frequently been divided between high and low, Evangelical and Anglo-Catholic. For its first 150 years people sacrificed their lives to defend it; the Anglican Church is and has always been defined by its complicated relationship to the state and power. As Jeremy Morris shows, the story of the Church - central to British life - has never been straightforward. Weaving social, political and religious context together with the significance of its music and architecture, A People's Church skilfully illuminates a complex and pre-eminent institution.

Beautifully illustrated narrative history of the English country church In his engaging account, Sir Roy Strong celebrates the life of the English parish church From the arrival of the missionaries from Ireland and Rome, to the beautiful architecture and rich spirituality of medieval Catholicism; from the cataclysm of the Reformation, to the gentrified cleric we meet in Jane Austen novels, Roy Strong takes us on a journey - historical, social and spiritual - to explore what men and women experienced through the age when they went to church on Sunday. ‘Anyone with the slightest interest in the English parish church, of its life today, or its history will be intrigued, informed and enchanted by this lucid, and occasionally provocative, account’ Country Life

Murray analyses major changes in the evangelical movement in the years 1950 to 2000, clarifying the issues raised & assessing events in the light of biblical teaching. The period under review saw the fundamental difference between two contrasting approaches to Christian unity, ecumenism & evangelicalism, gradually obscured. In their desire to distance themselves from the older fundamentalism, some evangelical leaders were too willing, in Murray's view, to jettison, or at least to tone down, previously cherished convictions concerning the nature of Christian conversion, the authority of Scripture & the primacy of gospel truth over denominational loyalty. Leaders whose roles in these changes are discussed include Billy Graham, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, J. I. Packer & John R. W. Scott. Particular attention is given to the evangelical movement within the Anglican communion, the problematic nature of evangelical involvement in the world of scholarship & moves to break down barriers between evangelicalism & Roman Catholicism. Murray emphasizes the basic question, What is a Christian? & its implications for evangelical faith & life.

Offers liturgical material for the journey of each individual through life. For each key element of this journey (birth, marriage, healing, death), it provides both material for key ‘public’ events and resources for ‘private’ pastoral care.