In the Year of Our Lord

In the Year of Our Lord: Reflections on Twenty Centuries of Church History offers a century-by-century survey of the Christian church from the first century to the twentieth, introducing readers to the people, stories, and songs that have shaped the faith across two millennia.

Dr. Sinclair B. Ferguson presents this book not as a comprehensive history but as a personal tour of the Christian family—highlighting key figures, theological developments, and pivotal moments from the early church fathers through the Reformation and beyond. Each of the twenty chapters focuses on a single century, drawing attention to individuals such as Athanasius, Patrick, Anselm, Wycliffe, Luther, the Puritans, and Spurgeon, among many others. Ferguson weaves together biographical narrative, theological reflection, and historic hymns to give readers a sense of the breadth and depth of the church’s story.

Throughout, the book emphasizes God’s faithfulness in preserving His church through persecution, doctrinal controversy, and cultural change. Ferguson writes with pastoral warmth and accessibility, inviting readers to see themselves as part of a living tradition that stretches across centuries and continents. The result is a work that encourages Christians to learn from the past and to find hope in God’s sustaining work across the ages.

Key Themes

• God’s preservation of the church through suffering, error, and cultural upheaval
• The centrality of Christ and the authority of Scripture across every century
• The lives and contributions of key figures in the history of the Christian faith
• The relevance of church history for contemporary Christian belief and practice

Featured Quotes “It is to Christ alone and not to the mediation of the church that we need to turn for grace and salvation.”

“’Sacrifice’—a word that was dominant in earlier views of the Christian life—has virtually disappeared from the vocabulary.”