Christianity: A Very Short Introduction

This is a review of "Christianity - a very short introduction" by Linda Woodhead. I found this book fitting very well in the Oxford University Press vsi series: it is brief and after reading it my understanding of the topic has increased a lot. Throughout the book the author uses a scheme to categorize the different types of religions. One axis describes where ultimate authority is located (god, ratio enlightened by god, or subjective experience), and the other axis to which power is attributed (church, scripture, or mystical). Then she continues describing the historical development and coming into existence of these different versions of Christianity. I found this way a good way to familiarize myself with the various types of belief. Also discussed are the reasons why certain type are more popular than others, and how this has changed over time and in different regions. Finally, the writing style of the book is what I would call 'plain and normal English, appealing to common sense' making the book very accessible. There are also books that are clearly written in a style appealing only to readers who are already familiar with the topic and share the authors belief (i.e. jargon), but this book does not fall into that category. And I think this is good and fitting the purpose of the vsi series. Recommended!

I can't comment on the theological or academic veracity of this book, nor can I be objective in my review of it (I am a Church/Mystical Christian under Ms. Woodhead's typology). However, I can say that the author covers alot of ground in less than 200 pages, including basic Christian theology and history, its relation to prevailing political, social and economic factors, and its current situation and future prospects. On several subjects, I feel that the author advocates her personal agenda. However, this doesn't affect the overall quality of the book. I recommend it to those who want a short, general introduction to this topic.