Böcker av Stephen Tomkins

This is an accessible two-part introduction to the most prominent figures of Christian history. Jesus and His World Who was this preacher from Nazareth? Can we be sure he existed? And if he did, what was the world like in which he lived? Placing Jesus firmly in the Jewish world of 1st-century Palestine, Peter Walker explores the religious and social background to his life, the Jewish expectations of a messiah, Jesus' ministry and teaching, and helps readers interpret Jesus' radical mission and the way he related to the world around him. Paul and His WorldWe know little about Paul. For some, his influence has been largely negative. For others, he is simply the greatest mind in Christian history. Stephen Tomkins argues that Paul would have been quite at home with such a mixed reception. Despite enjoying a degree of hero worship in his lifetime, he was also more reviled than any other Christian, and his Christian life was a constant arduous missionary journey of shipwrecks, prison, mob violence, and the depressing politics of church life. This is a lively and lucid portrayal of the man behind the controversy and the drama.

The Clapham Sect was a group of evangelical Christians, prominent in England from about 1790 to 1830, who campaigned for the abolition of slavery and promoted missionary work at home and abroad. The group centred on the church of John Venn, rector of Clapham in south London. Its members included William Wilberforce, Henry Thornton, James Stephen, Zachary Macaulay and others. Stephen Tomkins tells the fascinating story of the group as one of a web of family relations - father and son, aunt and nephew, husband and wife, daughter and father, cousins, etc. Within the story of the people are the stories of their famous campaigns against the slave trade, then slavery, the Sierra Leone colony, Indian mission, home mission, charity and politics. The book ends by assessing the long term influence of the Clapham Sect on Victorian Britain and the Empire.

Worshipped by 2 billion Christians worldwide, Jesus Christ is the most famous human being ever. Stephen Tomkins takes the reader on a enlightening and enjoyable journey through the key stages of Christian development, covering the people, the events, the movements, the controversies and the expansion of the Church in this lively 'warts and all' portrait. The book begins with the life of Jesus before looking at the spread of the early church and the Roman Empire. Tomkins then continues the story of Christianity right up to the present day, including discussion of topics such as: the Eastern church, battles between East and West, the Reformation, the Counter-Reformation, the Enlightenment and the impact of science. The author also provides a snapshot of the worldwide church of the 21st century and explores the challenges it faces.

Gripping story of the events that led up to the sailing of the Mayflower

This biography tells the story of John Wesley's colourful and dramatic life, beginning with his childhood and his family background, looking especially at the influence of his powerful and austere mother, Susannah.