I have always enjoyed Tim Challies insights and value his opinions on books and current events. I was looking forward to this book he wrote on Church History. I'm not as knowledgeable as I'd like to be but I do know some history. All that being said, I did learn quite a bit from this book and really enjoyed discussing it with my history buff husband. It was an interesting angle to look at artifacts instead of people or events, but it made the book feel rather disjointed. I did appreciate how he also brought in aspects of "Christian" history which were negative, not only looking at the feel-good stories.
My two main complaints are this. First, it covers mainly Western Christian history, and I'd really be interested in a broader view. How about the spread of the gospel through Africa and Asia? My second complaint is what I mentioned before, that everything seemed a bit disjointed. The book hopped around a lot without really a continuous flow. And I would have really liked a deeper look at some points. I'd get interested in a topic and then it would move to something completely different.
I did enjoy the book, and as someone who hasn't previously enjoyed history it did hold my attention. I think this would be a good jumping off point for more study.

Whilst this may appeal to many folks I found it some what disinteresting and not an entirely gripping read. I love church history and artefacts.

Readers looking for something of a curiosity and alamac style read may find this interesting along with finding out something more of the history of Christianity.

I loved the premise of the book and was surprised that I had never heard of many of the objects that Tim Challies drew my attention to. For example, I had never heard of the Alexamenos graffiti in Rome which shows us that the early Christians were clearly well known enough to be the source of mocking and the snub of jokes. Rather than long, wordy chapters dedicated to each object, I appreciated that the chapters were short and there were photos of each object to help us visualise what is hard for us to appreciate given he is on a whistle stop tour on behalf of his readership. Having said that, I think the book was difficult to read as an ebook - the format worked badly for the Digital Editions app and each page took a long time to load. I would be keen to see the video series that accompanies the book but ideally, a physical copy of the book will fall into my hands before I see the video series.

Challies is gifted in guiding the reader through church history and unpacking this scavenger hunt as though he is well-aware of our accompanying presence. This is a book that needed to exist. I especially favor the theological underpinnings and notes of significance that accompany the various sites and ancient treasures that Challies comes upon. I highly recommend this book for information about Christian antiquity and church formation because the whole of this work points back to the treasure of the Bible as the end-all earthly treasure, which culminates in the possibility to hear God and know Him through Christ.

Objects tell a story.

An old low German Bible, pieces of sea glass, and an arrow head; Tanzanian fabric that hang as curtains, a small Zanzibari wood chest, a stuffie that slept with my daughter all three months we were in hospital. These objects sit on my shelves and around my home, reminding me of people, of seasons in my life and lessons I've learned along the way.

These are pieces of my history, my family's history.

There are tangible historical objects available for us to view in museums across the world. They too act as pieces of remembrance, teaching us how history has shaped the world today.

Tim Challies embarked on a project to “travel the world to search for historical objects that tell the story of Christianity.”

He ventured to 5 continents, visiting museums, buildings, meeting with various people along the way, to tell us “the epic story of what God has done and continues to do in our world today.”

Many of these objects I may never have known existed, or wouldn’t have thought twice about. From the Augusta Prima Porta statue in Rome, Thomas Cranmer’s Shackle in England, to David Livingstone’s Writing Box in Zambia, Challies takes us across the world to discover these objects, and the stories that they leave behind for believers today.

These objects remind us of 5 stories that we hear, both in Scripture and through history:

1. God Preserves His Word
We see through the Book of Kells, the Gutenberg Bible, Erasmus’s New Testament, and the Tyndale Bible, the great care God has taken to preserve His Word through the generations. We see how it has been translated, made widely available, and the cost it took for it to be available to us in this way. The last chapter of the book is about the YouVersion Bible app, which now puts Scripture at the fingertips of everyone with a smartphone. Challies reflects,
"we are reminded that you and I are Christians today only because God has preserved his Word, the Bible."
What an amazing privilege we have as believers, to carry God's Word with us. May we be people whose "delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night" (Psalm 1:2).

2. Faithful preaching of God’s Word
Revivals and reformation led by teaching true to the Word of God has spurred on the Christian faith over the centuries, shaping who we are and who we are becoming. The legacies of John Knox, John Calvin, Martin Luther and Billy Graham show us that great preachers have carried the message of the Gospel, sometimes through very difficult times, bearing fruit for His kingdom. We are reminded that,
“All God needs to carry out his work is a faithful believer who will faithfully preach his gospel”
Will we continue this legacy and be faithful to His Word, and faithful to carry its message in this time and this season?

3. Steadfastness in Suffering
Here's a story that we often find hard to face. The presence of suffering in our world. We need not look further than our Savior to recall that God's purposes are sometimes fulfilled in suffering. We see through the life of Marie Durand, Thomas Cranmer, John Bunyan and Nate Saint, that the willingness of God's people to suffer has the divine ability to further His kingdom work. Challies notes that,
“Because the gospel’s greatest advances often are met with the greatest suffering, it’s also a story of God sovereignly using suffering for his purposes and for the advance of his mission.”
May we reflect on the model of Christ, and the faithfulness of these believers in the midst of persecution and suffering, to trust God's purposes in our own lives and also be willing to endure suffering for the sake of the Gospel.

4. Unity of Believers
Hymns that were written by John Wesley, generous gifts that were bestowed by a wealthy Countess, the blessings, talents and abilities God has given us prove a stark reminder of the unity among the church.
“Wesley’s simple organ reminded me that when I stand to sing and worship today, I do not stand alone.”
The Countess of Huntington gave very generously out of her wealth to support missions, evangelists and seminary students. The gifts God has given to us are meant to serve those around us, and through the lives of these, we recall the privilege to serve others with what we are given.

5. The Sobering Reality of Sin
By far the Slave Bible impacted me the most. I did not know that this object existed. That Christians would modify a Bible, in order to preserve their practice of slavery is a piece of Christian history that has left a legacy in much need of confession, repentance and reconciliation. Challies writes,
“Far from an object to celebrate, it’s a sober reminder of the lengths human beings will go to hide and cover their sin…it told me of the evils of slavery and the long legacy of this horrific practice within “Christian” nations. Knowing that this great evil was often perpetuated by those who called themselves after the name of Christ humbled me. Likewise, considering that many of those who disagreed with slavery remained silent rather than risk their reputation by speaking up humbled me. And the Slave Bible reminded me that Christians must teach and know and proclaim the whole counsel of God in every generation.”
Given the current events, it seems fitting to continue learning about this painful part of Christian history, to recognize what has happened in the past, and bend our knees before the Father. My unawareness of the slave bible somewhat proves a point, that my lack of understanding and knowledge about history leaves me ignorant to the grieving of generations before me, prodding a more intentional approach to listen and learn.

Conclusion
I thought this book was a very interesting read. I give it 5 stars. It is one I will come back to, and one I will read with my kids to help them discover different parts of the world and the believers who have gone before us to glorify God in their work, their suffering and their gifts.

This book will be of interest for the believer who wants to learn more about church history through a discovery of objects around the world. There are 33 chapters, each are short and manageable for a quick read. A video documentary was also put together, which you can find at www.epicchristianhistory.com (the video on the trip to India was free to watch click here).

If you’re already intrigued and want to find out more, here’s an article and trailer at his blog and the link to Amazon!

These tangible pieces of history represent the work of God in the world, spanning continents, crossing cultures and enduring through chaos.

How does the epic story of what God has done, impact you today?


Thanks to Zondervan and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy of this book, and the opportunity to post an honest review!

#EpicanaroundtheWorldJourneyThroughChristianHistory #netgalley #bookreview #bibliophile

Twenty-four countries, 6 continents, 75 flights and 180,000 miles! That's the statistics for Tim Challies' journeys to come up with this book entitled epic. It is not the journey that he is refering to as being epic but rather the epic unfolding of Christian history.

To capture the stories, the author wanted to see and experience and, if possible, touch the objects that represented the work and lives of those who championed the gospel through the ages.

I loved reading about the 33 artifacts (with 5 bonuses) and the fascinating stories of the people behind them. Some examples include Jan Hus's cell door, the indulgence box, Calvin's chair, John Bunyan's jug, the slave Bible, Hudson Taylor's grave, Nate Saint's aircraft, and Billy Graham's travelling pulpit.

I bet you did not know that so many of those things still exist and can be seen and visited! I certainly didn't.

Indeed, I wish I went to see some of those treasures when I went to the places where they are located, for example, the British Museum where there is apparently an area full of the objects significant to Christian history . If I am ever near those places again, I will have to go and see!

This was a fun read, and yet at the same time inspiring and informative. Challies is an excellent writer!

Thank you, Netgalley and Zondervan for the chance to read this book. This is my honest review.

Tim Challies invites his readers on an international journey visiting museums and many public access displays of artifacts and physical ties to our rich Christian history.



Each of the 33 chapters is short and accompanied by photographs, and insights into the changes occurring at that time in history. This is a good introduction to just a small part of Christian history and I think that it might encourage many to dive deeper and learn for themselves about these men and women who lived for their faith.



The chapters are conversational and concise, and the author shares his personal experiences on the journey as well. This book also has a companion video series and Bible study, which I can see this working well alongside.



Overall, a enjoyable read and great reminder how many people were used by God to bring his word to a multitude of people over the centuries.



I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.