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Christianity's Family Tree
What Other Christians Believe and Why
Adam Hamilton
Christian - Non Fiction
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Book Review Recently, I was asked to teach a Wednesday evening class at church. I love teaching, so that was not the problem. The problem was what to teach and how to work it into my schedule. I, of course, turned to my good friend Beth at the conference Media Center. As usual, she pulled a rabbit out of the hat.
Christianity’s Family Tree by Adam Hamilton is an excellent small group study. The leader’s guide was invaluable. It clearly laid out the lesson plan. The guide suggests an opening prayer, followed by a question to get the group warmed up. Each week we listen to Adam Hamilton bring a message on the denomination of the week. The message is between 14-20 minutes. Do not try to do this study without the DVD; it adds depth. Following the DVD, there are discussion questions and a group activity. A take-home handout and a prayer end the session.
My suggestions are to stay one week ahead of the handout. While most of our class members had the member’s book, few read it. It really is not necessary to this study. We did not use the Pastor’s Guide in our study. There are eight different denominations covered in this study: Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Lutheranism, Presbyterianism, Anglicanism, Baptists, Pentecostalism, and Methodism. I was surprised to find that the class on Presbyterianism had the most discussion. The content of this study is interesting and brought a lot of discussion. At the end of each class, I ask what they felt was the emphasis of the denomination? What they are taking away with them? Reverence, missions, sovereignty are just a few of the answers.
Our class enjoyed the group activity. One night we served each other communion. Sometimes we broke into groups for discussion. The best night was when we brainstormed missions. One member approached me a few weeks later to share with me her new outlook on missions.
Christianity’s Family Tree is user friendly! It does not take a lot of preparation to lead this class. Hamilton laid it out nicely, and I just followed the guide. I had to condense each class into one hour. It would have been more effective to have 90 minutes. All in all, this is an excellent study. |
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Tina Colton |
5.0 / 5
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This book is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to better understand Christian beliefs and why they vary. I am impressed that the book is written in a positive manner. The author, Adam Hamilton, stresses the effective beliefs and customs of eight Christian denominations that will strenghten us and allow us to know and grow closer to God.
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D. G. Van Dussen |
5.0 / 5
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I just led a church study group based on this book and its related video series. Adam Hamilton presents the major denominational families respectfully and with insight. He gets at the theological core of each tradition and relates it to his own United Methodism (also the tradition of our group). Each description is enriched by an interview with a representative of that tradition.
This is a great study for those who would like to get beyond "all churches are basically the same," as well as the common, often negative stereotypes people hold. While it is especially useful in a United Methodist context, I believe it would work well in other churches of the Wesleyan tradition and beyond.
Those who enjoy this book would also appreciate Hamilton's study of Christianity and World Religions, which follows a similar format.
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Scott R. Johnson |
4.0 / 5
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Written in an accessible sytle, Hamilton provides a general history and overview of eight mainline Christian denominations: Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Anglican/Episcopalian, Baptist, Pentecostal and United Methodist. With each he provides a short (3-4 page) discussion into the beliefs and practices of that denomination and a model diagram of how that denomination might see itself in Christianity's history. Each chapter has footnotes and there is a bibiography at the end for more indepth reading into each denomination. He does not consider one denomination superior to another--rather that each is "nourished by the same sap, connected to the same trunk, anchored by the same roots." Recommended as a beginning overview of the plethora of Christian denominations.
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