A People’s History of Christianity: The Other Side of the Story

Just as Diana Butler Bass's Christianity for the Rest of Us tells the story of how and why modern liberal church congregations are resurfacing with a newfound vitality, her latest book provides the historical evidence that legitimizes these trends as authentically Christian.

A People's History of Christianity sheds light on the lesser-known social, political and spiritual movements within the faith; care for the environment and celebrating God in nature, defining compassion, hospitality, and social justice as the primary function of the church, pacifism as the dominant Christian response to war, highlighting the female attributes of God, and celebrating human sexuality as a gift from God. Drawing from examples of alternative practices from every period of Christian history, this book provides a much-needed "other side of the story" for liberal and progressive Christians.

Diana Butler Bass is the author of five books on American Protestantism, including Christianity for the Rest of Us (HarperOne), Strength for the Journey and The Practicing Congregation. She earned her Ph.D. in Church History from Duke University and has served on the faculty at the University of California at Santa Barbara, Rhodes College, and Virginia Theological Seminary. From 1995-2000 she wrote a weekly column on American Religion for the New York Times syndicate and is an increasingly popular speaker at retreats and workshops across the country. She lives in Alexandria, VA.

"[T]he writing here is deeply personal and airily structured. What emerges is a persuasive argument that the real traditions of the church are 'faith, hope, and love entwined.'" -- Washington Post

--Wade Clark Roof, University of California at Santa Barbara