Honest history

BULLIES AND SAINTS:
An Honest Look at the Good and Evil
of Christian History
By John Dickson
Zondervan. 352 pages. £16.99
ISBN 978 0 310 119 371

Does religion – and Christianity in particular – represent a negative and even damaging force in the world, and so would we be better off without it?

This is a view that seems to be gaining momentum, and John Dickson sets out to give an answer by providing what he describes as an honest view of Christian history, the good and the bad.

Accessible and readable

The result is an accessible and very readable history from the first century until the modern day. Dickson does not shy away from examining some episodes of church history that are frequently targets of criticism today, such as the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the lesser-known Thirty Years War of the 17th century, which is shown to eclipse both the former events in terms of brutality and lasting effects.

The book is brought up-to-date by reflections on the Northern Ireland ‘Troubles’ and the more recent clergy abuse scandals.

Positive effects

Alongside some honest and heart-searching descriptions of events that we would rightly be ashamed of, Dickson also provides many examples of the very positive effect of the church down through the years, with the provision of hospitals, schools, and general humanitarian efforts to improve the lives of many. He also debunks a number of popular and unfounded criticisms of Christianity. One example is to compare the huge number of deaths that occurred during the nine months of the (secular) ‘great terror’ period in the French Revolution and the markedly smaller number during the several hundred years of the (supposedly Christian) Inquisition.

A ‘beautiful tune’

The powerful metaphor that is used throughout is that of a ‘beautiful tune’ (original Christian teaching), and the way in which that tune has sometimes been played very badly, and distorted over the years of history since. The original tune, though, is as beautiful and powerful as it has ever been, and God continues to build His church, in spite of our human weaknesses and failings.

The chapters are comparatively short and the content is organised in a concise way, which makes the book easy to read. Recommended both as an overview of the past, but with also with great relevance for the present.