The 40 Most Influential Christians . . . Who Shaped What We Believe Today - Softcover

Compelling Accounts of Key People Who Have Formed Christian Belief through the Ages All Christians' beliefs are shaped by those who went before them. Now these giants of Christian history are presented chronologically and in a format that helps readers get to know them. In addition to a biographical sketch, readers will discover each person's primary contributions to the Christian faith along with a brief quotation from their work. Students, history buffs, and curious readers will be fascinated as their faith is strengthened. Included are Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Karl Barth, Carl F. H. Henry, and more.

Learn From the Greatest Teachers and Thinkers in Christian History

The Bible is the bedrock of Christian belief, yet how Christians think and talk about God, the Bible, and faith has been shaped by influential thinkers from the first century right up through the twentieth. In this book, Dr. Daryl Aaron tells the powerful stories of forty who have helped us better understand what we believe and why we believe it.

With insight--and some surprises--Dr. Aaron explores the lives and most important teachings of these giants of church history, from Justin Martyr and Augustine to Martin Luther, John Calvin, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and many others, underscoring how their teaching has influenced the church--for better or, occasionally, for worse.

Let your faith be strengthened as you encounter those who paved the way for us, often risking their lives for the sake of the very beliefs we hold today.

"A helpful overview of 40 men and women who have most influenced today's Church through their words and deeds. Each chapter gives a brief biography of the subject, discusses their contributions to theology, and analyzes that impact. Aaron has profiled many of the 'heroes of the faith' here, but he doesn't shy away from including figures who influenced the Church in negative or conflicting ways either, as he critically engages each author's work."  --Disciple Magazine

"The approach is academically sound but easy to read. Most likely, you will find your favorite theologian as the subject of a chapter. This is an extremely interesting book." --Baptist Standard