History of Christianity by the BBC

I've been watching this series the over the last few weeks. There have been three parts so far covering the (very) early church in the East (including in China) and the developments of both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. Next week is the Western Reformation.

It has been a very illuminating look into what is a very living history of the belief system I subscribe to. Like many of my fellow Christians I haven't ever really had an appreciation for where exactly so many of our doctrines and particular local beliefs have come from. Has also been equally fascinating to see how they have both been shaped and tailored the history and culture of the world over the last 2000 years alongside seeing their interactions between themselves and other world powers of the various times.

I read a book on Jesus earlier this year that explored how a lot of things recorded in the Gospels as simply fact but with no explanation on motivation fitted in very well with local events and political situations of the time. This was a great encouragement to me as it helped ground the story of Christ not just as simply historical fact but also as very real and human in terms of people and places.

Similarly this series is helping me to get a wider view of the development of Christianity and its various incarnations and associated theologies and how they are often very much products of their times.

I was chatting with my flatmate about it tonight after we watched the latest episode and I was wondering what a similar programme might look like in 500 years time as they looked back on our own church era - global, with mass communication and being closely associated with the only world super-power. Will many of the things the church of today seems to overly dwell on look as simultaneously hair splitting and world changing as many of the things over the last 2000 years? Will the church be perceived as again influencing the political situation of the world however indirect? Will the patriotic view of the Church in the US be viewed as just as deviant as we might view some of the early church strands?

I suspect so as this seems to be how things have always been and it is perhaps human nature to approach such matters with the best of intentions and yet to inflate them over and above what they should rightfully be.

The over ridding thing I am taking from this series though is just how many forms and quirks of Christianity have been genuinely and honestly held by large groups of Christians over the years. Many of these beliefs do in fact conflict with what I have been raised and taught are Christian beliefs and values and yet they are all still so small in comparison to the ultimate belief of Christianity - that of the Resurrection of Christ.

If God will judge us all fairly then surely it can't be just modern 21st century Christians that have got it 'truly' right at last. Rather His love and grace extend far beyond that. If God can cope with such a spectrum of beliefs that come out of Jesus' death and resurrection then it surely gives us all greater motivation to extend our unity, tolerance and humble brotherhood with all in the wider church.

A good series, recommended. And currently up on iPlayer.

(Oh and also one frightening example of people getting things very, very wrong and perhaps the ultimate case for good biblical scholarship and learning in our churches... Never confuse 'Redeemer' with 'Castrater'..... Ouch.)