The Puzzle of Christianity

The Puzzle of Christianity
Peter Vardy

An excellent overview of Christianity, suitable for students (and teachers!) embarking on the new GCSE and ‘A’-Level Religious Studies specifications.Written in the same clear and engaging style as the bestselling Puzzle of Ethics and Puzzle of God, this book covers key content common to all the new specifications – including:• Jesus: His incarnation, life, ethical teaching, crucifixion and resurrection, saving importance for Christians and relationship with God;• The development of Christianity through from the Early Church to contemporary Global Christianity;• The similarities and differences between different types of Christianity in terms of beliefs, teachings and practices;• The use and authority of the Bible and other sources of authority within the Churches as well as how the Bible shapes Christian Ethics;• Christian responses to science, feminism, secularism, philosophy and the new atheism as well as crises in social justice.Most importantly, Vardy places these themes in context and helps students to understand and appreciate Christianity, the largest religious tradition in the UK and worldwide. Through this latest book in Vardy’s bestselling series, students will enjoy their studies and see the relevance of taking the subject further.

Copyright (#u7b5c17d8-be11-5cfc-b56e-68942f502aa5)

William Collins

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This eBook edition published by William Collins in 2016

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Text © Peter Vardy, 2016

Photographs © individual copyright holders

Peter Vardy asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

Cover photograph: Ascent of the Blessed by Hieronymus Bosch (c.1490). Photo by Marco Secchi/Corbis via Getty images

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version (Anglicised edition) Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica (formerly International Bible Society). Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica (formerly International Bible Society). UK trademark number 1448790.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

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Source ISBN: 9780008204242

Ebook Edition © September 2016 ISBN: 9780008204259

Version: 2016-09-05

Dedication (#u7b5c17d8-be11-5cfc-b56e-68942f502aa5)

To Christine Smith

Who, first at HarperCollins and then at SCM,

has published most of my books and to whom

I owe a great deal. With thanks.

Peter Vardy

Easter 2016

Contents

Cover (#udfba3b98-677c-5ab9-91dc-d6aaa4fbf838)

Title Page (#ufc4503a0-8dec-52d6-a288-7f34ca62c662)

Copyright

Dedication

1. United and Divided (#u70b57646-6237-5e5a-aa4a-27a0c59f5fe1)

2. From the Beginning of the Universe (#uf4c3c3f0-19b3-54df-94e6-7af4e0cd1498)

3. The Life of Jesus (#udd7804c7-9bc1-575b-bab0-10d39995cb4c)

4. The Message of Jesus (#uf95836a8-501e-5af7-b080-a3109740584e)

5. The Resurrection and the Initial Spread of Christianity (#u178cffd5-a92d-5f4f-9f7b-bdecb9b2ad14)

6. The Development of the Early Church (#litres_trial_promo)

7. Unity, Growth, Division and Discord (#litres_trial_promo)

8. Reformation and Counter-Reformation (#litres_trial_promo)

9. The Rise of the Protestant Churches (#litres_trial_promo)

10. The Bible (#litres_trial_promo)

11. The Philosophy of Religion (#litres_trial_promo)

12. Christian Ethics (#litres_trial_promo)

13. Spirituality and Mysticism (#litres_trial_promo)

14. Outward Expressions of Inner Realities (#litres_trial_promo)

15. Christianity Today (#litres_trial_promo)

16. Conclusion (#litres_trial_promo)

Postscript (#litres_trial_promo)

List of Illustrations (#litres_trial_promo)