How did the Christian Church originate, what journeys has it taken over two millennia, and how did it come to exist in its present, myriad forms? The answers to these questions form a tapestry of history that reaches from first century Palestine to the ends of the earth. This volume tells this rich story from an ecumenical perspective, drawing on both Eastern and Western historic sources in exploring the rise of Eastern Orthodoxy; the church across Asia, Africa, and the Americas; and the reformations of the Western Church; including the diversity of contemporary voices. The work benefits from many pedagogical features: - boxed text sections identifying central figures and points of debate - study questions for each chapter - chapter summaries - maps --charts --index Supplemented by over 400 illustrations, this book embraces the universality of historic and current Christianity, creating a single and comprehensive volume for students of Church history and systematic theology.

Steven D. Cone is Professor of Theology, Lincoln Christian University, USA.

Introduction
Why do we study Christian history?
How to use this book
Acknowledgements
Section I: Christianity through the Ages
1. The Early Church from Beginnings to 500 - Robert F. Rea)
2. The Church From 500 to 1500 - Steven D. Cone)
3. Christianity in the Reformation Period from 1500 to 1650 - Robert F. Rea
4. Christianity in the 17th To 19th Centuries - Robert F. Rea
5. Christianity in the 20th Century and Beyond - Robert F. Rea
Section II: Documents of Christianity through the Ages - edited by Steven D. Cone
1. Ancient
2. The Medieval, Byzantine, and Oriental Church
3. Reformation/Renaissance/Early Modern
4. Modern
End matter
Subject index
Sources for reader
Licenses for figures