A Short History of Christianity / Second Edition, Revised, With Additions

An analytical survey follows the religion from uncertain origins through early sects and the formation of sacred texts, examines its social and intellectual environment in the Roman world, and traces institutional consolidation, doctrinal disputes, and relations with state power up to the rise of Islam. It then treats medieval expansion, papal authority, rites, heresies, feudal and crusading influences, Byzantine developments, and tensions between superstition and classical survivals. The final sections cover the Reformation, the social and political consequences of change, and the challenge posed by modern science and philosophy to Christian thought.