From its very beginning, the Christian message was grafted onto human history.
But how did a persecuted sect from a forgotten corner of the Roman Empire become one of the most powerful forces in the world? In this masterful first volume of The Story of Christianity, acclaimed historian Justo L. González tells the epic story of the faith's first fifteen hundred years. This engaging work of Christian history makes the past come alive with insight and clarity.
Dr. González skillfully navigates the pivotal events, charismatic figures, and theological debates that shaped the early and medieval church. From the days of the apostles and the church fathers to the rise of the papacy, readers will journey through the fires of Roman persecution, witness the monumental conversion of Constantine, and understand the crucial doctrinal battles of the Council of Nicea and the Arian controversy. This narrative history brings figures like the great theologian Augustine of Hippo, the defiant bishop Ambrose of Milan, and the desert monks to life, not as distant saints, but as complex people whose struggles and triumphs defined an era.
How did a small Jewish sect grow to become the defining faith of Western civilization? This volume uncovers the people, controversies, and historical forces that shaped the first fifteen hundred years of the church.
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From its very beginning, the Christian message was grafted onto human history.
But how did a persecuted sect from a forgotten corner of the Roman Empire become one of the most powerful forces in the world? In this masterful first volume of The Story of Christianity, acclaimed historian Justo L. González tells the epic story of the faith's first fifteen hundred years. This engaging work of Christian history makes the past come alive with insight and clarity.
Dr. González skillfully navigates the pivotal events, charismatic figures, and theological debates that shaped the early and medieval church. From the days of the apostles and the church fathers to the rise of the papacy, readers will journey through the fires of Roman persecution, witness the monumental conversion of Constantine, and understand the crucial doctrinal battles of the Council of Nicea and the Arian controversy. This narrative history brings figures like the great theologian Augustine of Hippo, the defiant bishop Ambrose of Milan, and the desert monks to life, not as distant saints, but as complex people whose struggles and triumphs defined an era.
How did a small Jewish sect grow to become the defining faith of Western civilization? This volume uncovers the people, controversies, and historical forces that shaped the first fifteen hundred years of the church.
Another reading recommendation if you're interested in this topic is Church History in Plain Language by Shelley (you can pick up an older edition for very cheap), as the name implies you don't have to be a theologian to follow the history of the Christian church.
Got to love the one or two people going through and downvoting every single one of these comments. We're all praying for you. Don't worry.
I see no need to downvote this. It is not christianity that conquered Rome but the other way around. If anything, you can learn how little the modern church, or the medieval one, have in common with the early communities, Christ himself, his teachings, or the silly arguments that ensued, which Constantine will personally attest to. If you don't want to read the long volume, here is a shorthand (giveaway really), just look at the lingo. It is all curias, deacons, pontifex maximus, etc. The old roman bureaucracy in sheep's clothing. Though one could also argue that since the age of enlightenment and the ascent of national languages, it has morphed into a spiritual fast food franchise.
Last edited by abramowicz September 30, 2026 at 08:12 AM.
Another reading recommendation if you're interested in this topic is Church History in Plain Language by Shelley (you can pick up an older edition for very cheap), as the name implies you don't have to be a theologian to follow the history of the Christian church.
Yes, Shelley is an excellent entry point!
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