Book Review: 30 Events that Shaped the Church by Alton Gansky

“Very few churchgoers today know his name, but their beliefs have been shaped by him” (Gansky 70).

This was said of Athanasius, and I wholeheartedly agree. A churchgoer my whole life, I can’t say I have ever heard his name before. He was a determining factor in forming the Nicene Creed, a doctrine which proclaims the eternity and equality of the three members of the Trinity, a much disputed fact in the year 325. The Nicene Creed is still recited on a regular basis is many churches today, and it serves as the foundation to most believers’ understanding of the Trinity.

This is just one of the snapshots of history given in Alton Gansky’s book 30 Events that Shaped the Church. In his book, Gansky walks the reader through a timeline of events, starting with the Pentecost in AD 30 and ending with the Atheistic movement of present time. He explains how conflict and discontent led to the Reformation and how Gutenberg changed history with his Printing Press. He elaborates on events, such as the burning of Rome and the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. He explains the culture and time periods surrounding the events, making it easy for the reader to grasp the full meaning.

Gansky thoroughly researched each event recorded in his book, as is evident in his long list of references. His easy to understand language and simple yet insightful explanations makes this book both a great cover-to-cover read for scholars looking to advance their understanding of the church history, as well as a great reference tool for anyone needing clarification on matters of church history.