What People Are Saying

Now Featured in the Patheos Book Club 
The Bible: An Introduction, Second Edition
By Jerry L. Sumney
Introduction to the History of Christianity, Second Edition
By Tim Dowley

Endorsements for the Print Editions

The Bible: An Introduction

"Serving as an expert tour guide, Jerry Sumney provides informed, understandable, and interesting descriptions of the biblical terrain from Genesis to Revelation, calling attention both to prominent features and important particulars. 'Tourists' who have been this way before as well as those who have not will profit from the knowledge that Sumney shares on this enlightening journey through the Bible."
—Victor Paul Furnish, University Distinguished Professor Emeritus

Southern Methodist University, Dallas

"This comprehensive guide to the Bible, full of helpful charts and illustrations, will prove a valuable resource both in the classroom and for personal study. Sumney keeps an excellent balance between the big picture—for those beginning to explore the Bible—and the more sophisticated details that will assist those who seek to expand their biblical knowledge."
—Leticia Guardiola–Sáenz, Assistant Professor of Christian Scriptures, Seattle University

"Jerry Sumney's The Bible: An Introduction provides a clear, concise, and engaging invitation to the study of the most influential book on the history of western civilization, without sacrificing either the complexities of academic approaches to biblical studies or the nuances of people's relationships with biblical texts within all kinds of communities of commitment. This book embodies such a delicate balance, struck so appropriately, and should not be overlooked!"
—Davina C. Lopez, Associate Professor of Religious Studies

Eckerd College, Saint Petersburg

"What amazed me was how this textbook united [the class] in a quest for understanding the Bible and in an experience of being a community despite our differences. Here is a quote from one of the young men. 'In this class, we all pushed forward and studied biblical texts hand in hand, regardless of religious identification or beliefs. This was definitely something I thought was cool.'  What a testimony!  What made this happen? Multiple students noted that this textbook is 'like a conversation that I can actually follow'."
—Beth Marie Halvorsen, Belmont University

Introduction to the History of Christianity

"This is a book whose honesty, scholarship, and general attractiveness commend it even to the nonreligious reader."
-- Publishers Weekly

"If you have only one church history book, this should be it. No other survey so attractively combines accuracy and readability with an abundance of well-chosen illustrations. It will please both those who like to read about the past and those who never knew how interesting it could be."
—Christianity Today

"This fine handbook...with its charts, maps, diagrams, and color illustrations will help readers through the maze of complex Christian history."
—New York Times