The Early Religious History of France: An Introduction for Church Planters and Missionaries

Church planters and missionaries in France may not have any idea how important the early religious history of the country is to modern day residents. This survey of France’s religious history up to the year 1000 A.D. demonstrates that many of the beliefs that developed during this time are still quite relevant to twenty-first century France. By understanding these various currants, pastors and missionaries can build upon felt-needs experienced by the French in order to more effectively proclaim the gospel in a persuasive manner. Writing from an evangelical perspective, David R. Dunaetz shares from his research and his ministry experiences from 17 years of church planting in France. He and his wife Karen started two churches in the eastern suburbs of Paris and helped several others move from missionary dependence to being fully self-supporting churches. David R. Dunaetz is currently Assistant Professor of Psychology at Azusa-Pacific University and an adjunct professor of French at Claremont Graduate University. He has degrees from Harvey Mudd College, the University of Southern California, Denver Seminary, the University of Paris/La Sorbonne, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Claremont Graduate University. His present research program focuses on conflict resolution in churches and mission organizations.