Book Description

For too long, the history of Christianity has been told as the triumph of orthodox doctrine imposed through power and hierarchy. In A Peoples' History of Christianity, historian and religion expert Diana Butler Bass reveals an alternate history that includes a deep social ethnic and far-reaching inclusivity: "the other side of the story" is not a modern phenomenon, but has always been practiced within the church. Butler Bass persuasively argues that corrective -even subversive -beliefs and practices have always been hallmarks of Christianity and are necessary to nourish communities of faith. A Peoples' History of Christianity authenticates the vital, emerging Christian movements of our time, providing the historical evidence that celebrates these movements as thoroughly Christian and faithful to the mission and message of Jesus.