×

It is always great to see theologians and pastors write books for children. I am thrilled that my children get to benefit from writers like Sinclair Ferguson and David Helm. Now my children can read about church history by Stephen Nichols in The Church History ABCs: Augustine and Twenty-Five Other Heroes of the Faith (Crossway). Nichols, a church history professor at Lancaster Bible College and Graduate School, has authored many books, ranging from early church theology, to the Reformation, and through today.

The Church History ABCs runs through each letter of the alphabet, and couples each letter with a figure from church history. So, for example “A” is coupled with Augustine, “L” is coupled with Martin Luther, and so forth. Each figure has a one-to-two paragraph biography description along with a profile illustration by Ned Bustard.

The biographies are given in first person—sort of pseudo-autobiographies—and includes a little bit about their times, what was important to them, and how they impacted the history of the church. At the end of the alphabet, the book includes some added information on each figure to fill in some gaps. Obviously, from the above description, The Church History ABCs is at the most introductory of levels. While the short biographies, even coupled with the added details in the back of the book, serve only as conversation starters, they show the excitement and drama of church history. 

The Church History ABCs: Augustine and Twenty-Five Other Heroes of the Faith

The Church History ABCs: Augustine and Twenty-Five Other Heroes of the Faith

Crossway (2010). 34 pp.

The Church History ABCs is a fun way for kids to learn about great figures in Christian history. Twenty-six heroes of the faith march through the alphabet, boldly telling their stories in language children can understand. This wide range of characters―men and women from across the centuries, from all over the globe―reflects the breadth of church history and reminds children that these great figures of the past were living, breathing people who lived and died for the glory of God.

Crossway (2010). 34 pp.

Its strength is Nichols’s writing style.  As C. S. Lewis put it, Any fool can write learned language. The vernacular is the real test. If you can’t turn your faith into it, either you don’t understand it or you don’t believe it. You must be able to communicate your faith so a child can understand. Nichols shows his superior grasp of church history and the truth that shaped it in his ability to make it plain to children. The age that Nichols is aiming at is either familiar or getting familiar with the ABCs, so capitalizing on the alphabet to teach church history has obvious value.

However, inherent in the study of history (at any age) is chronology. Since The Church History ABCs goes by alphabetical order, it has no sense of chronology. For example, when moving from Martin Luther (“L”) to Monica (“M”)—the mother of Augustine, my fussy impulse is to produce a time-line for our kids.

The alphabetical order also limits the figures you can choose from. You can only choose one “A.”  Nichols made the choice of Augustine, so he could not include Athanasius or Thomas Aquinas.  Since he picked Martin Luther, C. S. Lewis couldn’t be included. (I wonder why Nichols chose Anne Bradstreet (“B”) instead of John Bunyan). The limitations of the use of the alphabet should not discourage parents.

Nichols offers a great tool for teaching church history. These short biographies work well supplementing family devotions or for just fun reading. What is central to church history is its battle for truth and faithfulness to the gospel, which is a dominant theme in every profile. The Church History ABCs helps create heros for our children who have labored, suffered, and died for Christ and his Church.

Podcasts

LOAD MORE
Loading