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Book Review of The Dark Side of Christian History

The Dark Side of Christian History
reviewed Dark Side of Christian History on + 44 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3


It's too bad, Ms. Ellerbe dumbs down the information she gives out in this book.

While the Christian Church, like all institutions, definitely ha had its problems throughout history, since it is run by human beings, Ms. Ellerbe doesn't necessarily do her research all that well. This book is a pro-feminist, post-modern revisionist history of the Church quoting, and often misquoting, mostly popular, second hand, opinionated, unreseached sources instead of primary sources that real scholars use. Since when do scholars research anything in bookstores???

On the back cover it is said that "By denying evil we do harm". True, but, as an author, she needs to do her research well, making the reader understand why the church did what it did, not simply offer her own opinion of what has happened. And she can offer her opinion, but then title the book accordingly - Ellerbe's Dark Side of the Christian History.

She's completely misguided on the definition of Gnosticism, so any opinions on that subject are questionable from the beginning. Christianity is NOT a branch of Judaism (ask any Jewish rabbi that question, if you want an earful!), so her polytheism theory goes out the window.

We are also told Marcion was a Christian and the Church Fathers certainly didn't call him one; he was excommunicated.

I would like to spend a day writing down & correcting the errors from an author who apparently didn't do much reading herself, but time is of the essence here.

Interesting read, but take much of it with a grain of salt. Do your own research. Look up the facts from early sources, not books with other people's opinions in them, like Ms. Ellerbe's, or Dan Brown's.

Don't present facts as facts unless they are truly facts. i.e. truth.