Its the extended version of the popular podcast of Ligonier Ministries. Being an avid listener to the podcast, brevity is important to me. I hope that their will be a sequel of this book.

This book is a collection of short chapters on church history that could be read as a devotional. Informative and encouraging. I recommend to churches and small groups.

For fans of the podcast this will be very familiar - same format of short snapshots of key points in church history, serves as an excellent, rich introduction and summary of many important individuals and moments and a good launchpad for further exploring those characters that stand out as you read through. Each chapter is short and can be read in a couple of minutes

I hadn’t heard of Nichols’ podcast before reading this book, so I’m new to his take on church history. I really didnt have that much knowledge of church history, and this book changed that. It’s really interesting, and a little heart wrenching at times. I couldn’t put the book down. Definitely recommend.

Church history has always intriguing me but never quite knowing it all,this book gave me an insight to what I've been seeking to know.

5 Minutes in Church History was a good book. I've listened to this author's podcast, 5 Minutes in Church History, and enjoy it...so I was looking forward to this read once I realized it was his book.

Some of the stories were fascinating and others heartbreaking. I loved learning more about Church history and can see myself rereading parts of this book in the future.

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Unfortunately Church History often gets a bad press. It's seen as boring, irrelevant, disconnected, dusty, and perhaps reserved for geeks and historians.

What we often forget is it is part of our family history. Not only that ; we are not the only Christians to have existed - we have a very long line of heritage behind us.

5 Minutes in Church History is a helpful and easy to handle book which introduces readers to various places, characters, items, and times throughout the history of the church.

In his most recent book, Stephen J Nichols walks us through the history of the church and encourages us to spend time learning from these people as they are part of our history and heritage, because, “The past enriches our lives in surprising ways.”

Each chapter is a snapshot from history including: The Early Church, The Middle Ages, The Reformation, and The Modern Age. You will be challenged and encouraged by each story. You may also be curious and want to dig deeper into a person or time period. It’s always a sign of a well written book when it spurs you on to read more extensively on the material they share.

This book is for anyone who is curious about great lives that were lived before us and wants to learn from them. This could also be used as a supplement to home school curriculum for an overview of church history.

Nichols ends the book with an urging to read more when he says that good books will, “Lay out for us the whole breath of the human condition, reflect the best of man’s creative work as God’s image bearer, and point out our need for a Savior, to the glory of God.

Thank you Netgalley and Reformation Trust for the ARC. This is my honest review.

The book was fantastic. I was not aware of the majority of the history covered. I repeatedly found myself referencing or going back to review points during bible studies or even casual conversations.

History was one of my favorite subjects in High School. I enjoy learning stories of the past and often use my spare time researching historical facts. But lately, I have been particularly fascinated with Church history. So when I discovered 5 Minutes in Church History by Stephen J. Nichols, I immediately requested it.

As the title implies, 5 Minutes in Church History is about the history of the Church. It originated from the popular podcast with the same name, and the chapters are an adaptation of the episodes.

The book is divided into four main periods: the early Church, the middle ages, the reformation, and the modern age. Each section features a blend of figures, artifacts, events, and even locations that left an indelible mark in the history of the Church. There are 40 chapters in total, and each one is like a snapshot of a specific time in history and takes about five minutes to read.

The main strength of 5 Minutes in Church History is its unique approach. As the author said in the preface, the book is like a collection of postcards from different eras. Rather than giving us Church history in one large meal, Dr. Nichols presented it in snack bites. And it made it more accessible and easier to read.

However, this approach might also be a drawback for people like me who got really interested in a story and wished the chapters had more information. I would have preferred reading a more cohesive history of the Church rather than some snapshots here and there. The unrelated stories work well with a podcast, but not so much for a book.

Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. It was interesting, well written, informative, and gave me a thirst to learn more. I have already subscribed to the podcast, and I am eyeing a couple of other Church history books to keep learning.

I recommend it to all Christian because, as Dr. Nichols said, Church history is our family history. And it’s essential that all believers learn the story of our faith and how God preserved it throughout the ages despite staunch opposition.

If you get anxious at the idea of a history book, because you have been traumatized by boring lectures in school, do not fear. 5 minutes in Church History is anything but boring; it’s a delightful and inspiring read about our God and His faithfulness.

Moreover, it is written in such a way that anyone can easily read it. I also recommend listening to the podcast.

Taken from the podcast of the same name.
This is an enjoyable and brief history to the history of the church and God's faithfulness through the ages. Nichols takes us through The Early Church, The Middle Ages, The Reformation, The Modern Age and then in a discussion with R. C. Sproul what the next 500 years might hold.
I was given this book by netgalley and Ligonier ministries for a fair review..

This book focuses on 40 different persons, events and objects that have effected Christianity over the last 2000 years. As denoted by the title, each short chapter is meant to be read in about 5 minutes. This makes it useful for history buffs, and even for homeschoolers to get a quick church history lesson before going about the day. A worthwhile read!

Stephen J. Nichols is the host of the popular podcast of the same title. In this book we look at defining snapshots from church history. Each chapter should take around 5 minutes to read and although short each chapter is packed with value. Nichols reminds the reader of the importance of Church history and our past. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about history.

This is a great compilation of biographies of heroes of the Christian faith, from ancient times to World War 2. It is based on the author’s podcast with the same name, which I listen to and highly recommend.

It is a good addition to your daily reading as an encouragement to how Christians in the past have counted the cost of following Christ, held fast on to Truth and ran the race of endurance for the sake of their God.

Each chapter takes no more than a few minutes to read, but it motivated me to do more research on these brothers and sisters in the Lord.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:1-2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Stephen Nichols does such a great job providing stories that are clear, interesting, and beneficial to know about the history of Christianity. Read it fast as want to want to hear the next story as soon as you finish one, or read it slowly and digest the stories and what we can learn from them. Definitely check this book out!

Nice little book, very interesting, can be read in quick sections for reflection or meditation. Would recommend to anyone so interested.

As a homeschooling mom I am always in search of books that will help us learn in an easy, down-to-earth manner. This fit the bill perfectly! The information is interesting without being overwhelming and the short chapters allowed me to read aloud in short sessions. I would definitely recommend this one!

Stephen Nichols, the author of 5 Minutes in Church History, is an accomplished church historian. I had heard a number of his church history podcasts on Renewing Your Mind and was interested to read this book. Each chapter is short (1-2 pages) and discusses a =n interesting snippet of church history. Some of these are well known, such as a discussion of Thomas Aquinas' philosophies. Others were not as well known to me, such as the first Christian mosaic in England, a short biography of Lemuel Hayes, and a discussion of the many Biblical illusions in Shakespeare's works.
This would be an excellent book to read as a family with elementary or older children. Nichols' purpose in this book is best given by this quote, "That is why we study church history: to remind us of these men God raised up to guard the good deposit, and that's even the task in our own day."
I received a complementary copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I do not know much about church history. Since I am an avid podcast listener, I subscribed to the 5 Minutes in Church History Podcast by Steve Nichols and Ligonier Ministries. The episodes in the podcast have been turned into this book. I still remember some of the standout episodes, but I wanted to go deeper. When I saw this book was available to review, I knew I had to learn more.

5 Minutes

There are 40 quick chapters in this book. The chapters read like vignettes. They are short stories of intimate moments, fascinating facts, and points of interest. The chapters do not linger. Once you get the gist, Nichols immediately moves to the next. As a Sunday School teacher, I find the format to be incredibly valuable for illustrations. The topics are broad and each story grabs your attention.

Church History

The book is divided into four sections. The first section is dedicated to The Early Church, and Nichols looks at Ignatius, Polycarp, Lyon, and more. He moves on to the Middle Ages, discussing The $14 Million Dollar Book and The Five Ways of Thomas Aquinas. Next up is The Reformation, and he shares stories of Mrs. Luther, Hymns of the Reformation, and Shakespear’s Bible. Finally, he tackles The Modern Age, telling tales of Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield.

Stories of God’s Faithfulness

I was surprised at the end of the book to read the Epilogue: The Next Five Hundred Years: A Conversation with R.C. Sproul. Although Dr. Sproul has passed away, his legacy lives on. His interview is a fitting conclusion to a book about church history. And it is one that is still being written. Until Christ returns, the Church will persevere. And when he comes, we will have many more stories to share.

5 minutes in church history is great! I like that the chapters are short, but they don’t lack depth. I highly recommend it if you love church history, but are short on time.