The Soul Of Christianity Restoring Of Great Tradition Summary

Songchai Wongyeemoh
No: 2130722265
Class: ISS 412

The Soul of Christianity: Restoring of Great Tradition. By Huston Smith. New York: Harper Collins, 2005, 176 pp.
The basic accounts of the book “The Soul of Christianity: Restoring of Great Tradition” is based on the Christian’s tradition and principle. Besides, this book has tried to cover all information of Christianity throughout the history and also adds some information about the reformation, changes in Christian society, but this book is not a complete account of all topic. So, the author divided his book into three sections. The first (pp. 1-35) describes the Christian worldview. The second part (p. 37-128) treats the Christian story. And the last one, author presents the three main
branches of Christianity today.
Before starting to read the book, the writer claimed that there are several points can help to place the book in perspective. Firstly, this book is not a complete account of its subject, it is just restricted to the faith of Christian. Secondly, it is not a scholarly book, he excludes references and shows very few footnotes. Thirdly, it is not combative. This book also respects other interpretations of Christianity and dose not dispute with them. (pp. viii)
The author claimed that in order to understand the first part of this book or the argument about the Christian worldview, the fixed points of Christian, it is necessary for the readers to have been trained in philosophy, if not, this part may have seemed intensive and over your heart at times. (p. 34) Smith said “Christianity began with the disagreement whether over Jesus was and was not the Messiah, but Christians honor their heritage.” Moreover, “Christianity entered history through God’s revelation in Christ, but it does not end there. It moves on, through the new Testament, the church fathers, great theologians and saints” (p. 34) So, the author has tried to offer the real background and reformation or changes through Christian history.
For the historical Jesus, Smith argued that the biographical details of Jesus’s life are insufficient. He said “Jesus was a charismatic wonder- worker who stood in a tradition that stretched back to the beginning of Hebrew history” (p. 35). Besides, Smith believed “Jesus’s tradition belongs to the Jewish tradition of the Sprit-filled mediators in the most significant truth for understanding his historical career” (p. 41). Moreover, author explained the position of God, they called “Sprit” (from breath, as in aspirate). Smith also claims that most Christians in nowadays believe that God is defined by Jesus, not confined to Jesus.
Furthermore, Smith shows the relationship between religion (Christianity) and politic.
There was the relevant position of the Jews in Jesus’s time; these groups are a Sadducee, Essence, Pharisee, and Zealot. In addition, he describes the history of “Holy Week” in Jesus history; these are Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, the Night on the Mount of Olives, and important one is the Crucifixion. And in the past part of this chapter, the author presents an account of the foundational points in Christian theology: the incarnation, the trinity, the atonement, the resurrection of the body, the virgin birth, hell, and life everlasting. So, these concepts are occurred in the mind of the
church.
In the last chapter of the book, the author describes the three main branches of Christianity today: Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism.
First of all, Smith presents places where these three branches are dominated, “Roman Catholicism focuses on Vatican in Rome and spreads out from there, being dominant in Poland central and southeast Europe, Ireland and South America. Eastern Orthodoxy has its major influence in Greece, the Slavic countries, and Russia. Protestantism dominated northern Europe, England, Scotland, and North America.” (p. 129). In the year 380, Christianity became the official religion in the Roman Empire, but before this century, the Christianity struggled so much in Roman Empire. However, in 1054 the Christian church occurred the great division, it divided in to two group; the Eastern Orthodox dominated in the East and the Roman catholic is in the West. Smith stated that the reason of division sophisticated geography, politics, language and culture. And in sixteenth century, there was a big division happened in the Roman Catholic Church, then one group called Protestant occurred. “Protestantism followed four main courses; Baptist, Lutheran, Calvinists, and Anglican.” (p. 130) Smith gives information about these three branches in summarily way. He does not explain the topics deeply by according to another book. For example, he describes the authority of Roman Catholicism, the sacraments; the corporate view of the church in Eastern Orthodox,
mystical emphasis; moreover, the justification in by faith in the Protestantism, its principle. But the author Smith same to state negatively only of Protestants.
The author has tried to write this book which, without oversimplifying, is readily comprehensible to every intelligent reader who is interested. This book is not intended to be a textbook for students to seeking to learn about primary history of Christianity, it is just suitable for people who learned and known it before and continue to criticize which one is true and false. So, it is difficult a little bit to understand Smith’s book. And the language that the author used was difficult for the general readers to read and understand. because, there are special concepts that belongs to Christianity. For example, in the first part of this book, he has attempted to describe and criticize the fixed points of Christian, that presents the points how Christian was suffered and experienced. So, at this point, it means that the reader who have not get the basic Christian history before or person who is not Christian and followed its tradition seriously, cannot be unable to understand in better. So, in my opinion this book is appropriate for intellectual readers.
Moreover, the author writes this book with own perspective, and own understanding. Smith criticized with own opinion in some point such in the topic of Protestant with discussion in negative view. Besides, in this book contents very little footnotes, evidences and references to assert the arguments, and it is also clearly that Smith did not write the references at the end of the book. Therefore, in my opinion, in order to achieve the original sources, this book does not provide the readers as possible as. On the other hand, as stated above, this book is exclusively restricted to the Christian faith, but is tis not a religious literature.
In conclusion, I recommend this book for those who are interested in the history of Christianity, that how Christian became to be the most widespread religion in the world. Moreover, this book may answer and offer the reason and cause why Christianity had been divided and reformed in previous days, and what Christian suffered and experienced throughout history. Besides, the readers can learn the foundational points, principles, beliefs of the Christian theology and the important days of Jesus and then became the Christian Holy days in today. In my opinion, this book can be an example book that attempts to criticize and find the truth of the Christian great tradition through the history and attempt to persuade and invite people to restore the great tradition in Christianity.