/u/unheeding has made an excellent suggestion. I really like how Macullough weaves in the Israelite history as essential to understanding the Christian history. If I might widen the variety here, however, if by only a little bit:

Justo Gonzalez is fantastic. He has a two volume, recently re-edited series on the history of Christianity called The Story of Christianity. Here's Vol. 1 and Vol. 2

Gonzalez also has a short book that focuses on the history of Christianity through the development of doctrines called A Concise History of Christian Doctrine which, as far as I can gather is a much condensed version of the another three volume set that I've never read. Gonzalez is fun, approachable, and honestly a really good read.

I am also in the middle of Christianity: A Social and Cultural History and it is quite good so far, though I've not gotten into it quite so much as Gonzalez.

I am also in the middle of an Old Testament history book for my Hebrew Bible course called Understanding the Old Testament which has a really exciting philosophy of doing history and I'm really into it. This book has me at least as excited as Gonzalez, but Anderson's approach is a very responsible one which still evokes power and mystery revolving around the development of the Hebrew canon as well as those things that we simply cannot know, even if we can try to take a really good shot at it.

I hope this helps.

u/sgejji · 3 points r/Christianity

Believe it or not, a lot of people filling the pews in churches are like you. It's normal to doubt, it's normal to question the things that you question, etc.

It might be worthwhile for you to read some basic textbooks on biblical history. I recommend: Bart Ehrman: The New Testament, a Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings and Bernhard Anderson: Understanding the Old Testament Both of them are undergraduate level textbooks that are written in an approachable, yet academically sound, style. They go over the way in which the Bible was written and assembled.

u/BillyKangas · 2 points r/Christianity

For the New Testament read this http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Testament-Anchor-Reference-Library/dp/0300140169

For the Old testament Read this
http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Old-Testament-5th-Edition/dp/013092380X/ref=pd_sim_b_78

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