Marcus Paul has two degrees in English and history and has enjoyed a life-long career working with students and sixth formers in universities and schools in three continents. He now spends his time writing and speaking about the Gospel and the Church, as well as painting and reading. He also enjoys rock climbing and travel - having had (as a young man) the now nearly impossible experience of hitch-hiking ‘on a shoestring’ ten thousand miles round Africa and the Near East.
Described by celebrated Oxford apologist and author Dr Michael
Green as “a fascinating and frank re-evaluation of the impact of
the Christian faith on society”, Marcus Paul’s comprehensive guide
to the modern day battle over Christianity’s image and historical
legacy is a must-read and useful resource for Christians
increasingly on the defensive. In a society where a critical and
dismissive view of the Church’s history is becoming commonly
accepted as the norm, Paul’s thoroughly researched, well-argued and
commendably frank assessment is a valuable asset to any bookshelf.
In his book Paul analyses afresh many of the Church’s frequently
highlighted sins and historical controversies, and takes issue with
an often lazy mentality evident in anti-theists. Despite supposedly
anchoring their worldviews in reason, logic and factual accuracy,
they are happy to settle for a generalised and historically
uninformed understanding of the Church’s history so as to dismiss
the institution today. Whilst of course the Church’s slate is far
from clean, an honest appraisal of 2000 years’ worth of
world-shaping history can only be a good thing for the debate, and
to correct the record Paul looks at both historical wrongdoing in
the Church, seeking to identify where criticism is due and where it
has been misplaced, but also invites the reader to reflect on the
enormous contribution of the Christian faith to western
civilisation. With topics ranging from the obvious Crusades,
Inquisitions and ‘Dark Ages’ to such triumphs as the abolition of
slavery, the reform of prisons and an unparalleled motivation to
serve others, The Evil That Men Do makes for informative
reading on a range of subjects spanning the Church’s extensive
history, impressively well written for its concise 242 pages.
Commenting on this book, the Bishop of Leeds wrote, “Read it and be
challenged”, and this advice is there for both Church sceptics and
also the Christian faithful, as this book does a fine job in
prompting thought on the role and attitude of the Church today.
Whilst a valuable contribution to apologetic literature, Paul’s
work makes a series of sound and coherent points about what sort of
Church we should seek to build today and how it engages with
society. In his assessment of the Church’s historical wrongdoing,
Paul draws out where and why the Church really did fail in
following the teachings of Christ and his apostles, and reminds us
that there are many areas in which today there is still
considerable room for improvement. These sincere calls for
reflection mark the author’s commitment to an improved debate which
is both honest and self-critical where there are grounds to be, and
distinguishes this book as not just being a Christian defensive
dictionary but healthy food for thought for all readers. Naturally
for a study spanning a history as diverse and controversial as
Christianity’s, not everyone will agree with Paul’s analysis all of
the time; indeed it is to be expected for any work which
necessitates reflection on the character of Oliver Cromwell or the
scope of the Spanish Inquisition. Evaluating the past wrongs of the
Church requires these wrongs to be seen and measured against their
contemporary norms and standard practises, and some readers might
feel that at certain points Paul is too comfortable pointing to the
context of more brutal times in which controversial events
took place – when they were perpetrated by the very people whose
faith calls them counter-culturally to love their neighbour and
turn the other cheek. However for a writer clearly and genuinely
motivated to contributing to a higher standard of debate, a full
context is essential to painting an accurate picture of a
frequently misunderstood and clichéd set of subjects. Paul’s
commitment to objectivity remains strong in spite of the naturally
controversial subject matter. Overall this book is not only a fine
resource as a historical work but also an excellent,
thought-provoking read for anybody with interest in the debate over
the soul of this incredibly influential institution, and I can only
add my recommendation to the array of Church and academic figures
as well as casual readers who give this book consistently high
praise.
*Jubilee Centre*
In an age where it is fashionable to 'bash' the church at every
opportunity, it is rare to read such a clear defence of its history
and ideas. Marcus Paul provides a compelling and fresh look at the
impact of the Christian Church down the ages and educates us as to
how best to navigate our way through the current fog of cultural
hostility.
*The Revd Richard Cunningham (from the Foreword), Director of UCCF
(Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship)*
The Evil that Men Do is a considered and thoughtful book which
seeks to examine the way we look through twenty-first-century eyes
at the "darker" events in Church history. In doing so, the author
helps us re-examine some of our own prejudices and whilst not
denying or minimalizing those things that clearly have been at
times truly evil he provides a more balanced viewpoint. He seeks to
engage with some of the historians, chroniclers, poets,
philosophers, novelists and others who were living during those
events which today are placed under a negative spotlight. In doing
so we are challenged to look at the story of the Christian Church
afresh and to see the Spirit of God moving through human history
and through the people of God as they have sought to live, witness
and share with others the love of God which they have experienced
through Jesus Christ.
*The Rt Revd Peter Hancock, Bishop of Bath & Wells*
A fascinating and frank re-evaluation of the impact of the
Christian faith on society, for good and ill, from the first
century until the twenty-first.
*The Revd Canon Dr Michael Green, Hon. Fellow, Wycliffe Hall,
Oxford*
It is always vital to check our assumptions about historical
judgements-not least in the twenty-first-century west. Marcus Paul
invites us to correct our memory and to look afresh at assumptions
about religion in general, and Christianity in particular. Read it
and be challenged.
*The Rt Revd Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds*
At a time when attacks on Christianity in the media are as
commonplace as controversial comments from Donald Trump, it’s
refreshing to read a book which unashamedly reminds the modern
reader of the many monumental achievements of this 2,000 year old
institution. In The Evil That Men Do (2016, Sacristy
Press), Marcus Paul notes that not least among these achievements
is the fact that it survived at all, given its very unpromising
beginnings, with a founder who was in the public eye for just three
years...
*Quadrapheme*
[Marcus Paul] helps us not only have confidence in our Christian
heritage and to value the biblical faith that inspired it, but also
to renew our commitment to play our part in the ongoing mission of
the Church - to hold out the offer of eternal life while working
also to make this world a better place in the name of Christ.
*"A Somerset parish magazine"*
Marcus Paul disinters much that is positive about the impact of
Christianity from its presumed bones, or at least death-throes. He
is no mob orator himself, but someone who is able to write with
learning passion, judicious observation and cultural awareness.
*News and Views (TISCA magazine)*
This is a very accessible, and, at times, passionate account by an
author, a widely read Christian, intent on setting the record
straight at a time when "the evil that men do" (in this case,
particularly the evil that the Church has done, or in which it has
been complicit) is well remembered, while the good they do (in this
instance, the contribution the Church has made to the betterment of
humankind) is oft interred with their bones.
*Church Times*
This is a book I would recommend to anyone interested in the role
and impact of the Christian Church throughout its history. Although
the author is a committed Christian this is not a blinkered defence
of the Church. Rather, it acknowledges the wrongs committed in the
name of the Church but argues that it would be an error to lose
sight of the positive contribution made by the Church to
individuals, as well as society and civilisation as a whole, simply
because of the emphasis often placed on the more regrettable
episodes and periods in the history of the Church.
*The Old Queenian*
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