This fascinating introduction to early Christianity sets it in the broader context of the political, social, & economic developments in the wider world. Direct quotations from primary sources accompany the narrative.

This introduction to early Christianity sets it in the broader context of the political, social, and economic developments in the wider world. Direct quotations from primary sources accompany the narrative, along with charts, maps, and photos.

The third edition of Christianity Through the Centuries brings the reader up-to-date by discussing events and developments in the church into the 1990s. This edition has been redesigned with new typography and greatly improved graphics to increase clarity, accessibility, and usefulness. - New chapters examine recent trends and developments (expanding the last section from 2 chapters to 5) - New photos. Over 100 photos in all -- more than twice the number in the previous edition - Single-column format for greater readability and a contemporary look - Improved maps (21) and charts (39) Building on the features that have made Christianity Through the Centuries an indispensable text, the author not only explains the development of doctrines, movements, and institutions, but also gives attention to "the impact of Christianity on its times and to the mark of the times on Christianity."

Rudiments of Christian History: An Outline of Persons, Events, and Teachings is written in the format of an informal outline which presents a summary of some of the major topics of the two-thousand-year span of Christian history. The author provides various interpretations of causal relationships of key events, along with insight regarding historical persons who significantly impacted the course of Christian history, and a concise explanation of basic Christian teachings and various Christian theologies. A wide scope of citations from primary sources and modern and contemporary scholars, both Christian and secular, provides factual informativeness and in-depth insight regarding the events, teachings, and persons involved in the unfolding of Christian history. This volume contains an extensive bibliography and clear and readily accessible reference information to the outside works that are cited.

Spanning from the birth of Christianity through the Crusades and the Protestant Reformation to John XXIII and the Second Vatican Council, Key Moments in Church History is a brief and accessible guide to the origins and evolution of the Catholic Church. In this insightful and informative look at eleven of the most significant periods in church history, Finley not only helps readers understand the context and characters of the past, but sheds light on the current and future Church. The result is a hopeful and inspirational reading experience that is ideal for personal reflection or group use.

This fascinating and lively book provides the first comprehensive discussion of the production, circulation, and use of books in early Christianity. It explores the extent of literacy in early Christian communities; the relation in the early church between oral tradition and written materials; the physical form of early Christian books; how books were produced, transcribed, published, duplicated, and disseminated; how Christian libraries were formed; who read the books, in what circumstances, and to what purposes. Harry Y. Gamble interweaves practical and technological dimensions of the production and use of early Christian books with the social and institutional history of the period. Drawing on evidence from papyrology, codicology, textual criticism, and early church history, as well as on knowledge about the bibliographical practices that characterized Jewish and Greco-Roman culture, he offers a new perspective on the role of books in the first five centuries of the early church.