Alec Vidler (1899–1991)

I've been putting off reading this volume of the PHC, because I'd convinced myself that it wouldn't be interesting. That was particularly silly, because 'the' church at this period is fascinating, and Vidler does a wonderful job of writing about it clearly. There are definite problems--there's far too much here about the churches in Britain, which didn't contribute anywhere near as much as those on the continent; and there's almost nothing about the U.S. or the Eastern churches. But Vidler does balance social movements, theology, and the ties between churches and states very well. He tells the story, in the main, as one about the ways that Christians responded to, promoted, or rejected modernity, whether that be anti-enlightenment thought (e.g., Kierkegaard), scientific advances (most obviously, Darwin in the U.K.), or modernism as a whole (the pre-Vatican II popes).

One problem is the book's age; there's little on Vatican II, or liberation theology. But I hope that they find a home in the more recent 'Christian Church in the Cold War.'

As I said, Vidler writes very well, and if you have any interest in world history after the French Revolution--even if you don't much care about religion--I can recommend this one.… (meer)