"Shows how the relatively informal, rural, unaffiliated movement formed by Jesus transformed in the first seventy-five years into the Christian church as we generally know it today"--

"A new narrative history of the origins and development of ancient Mediterranean Christianity from the time of the apostle Paul up to the fifth century CE"-- Provided by publisher. "How, over the course of five centuries, one particular god and one particular Christianity came to dominate late Roman imperial politics and piety The ancient Mediterranean teemed with gods. For centuries, a practical religious pluralism prevailed. How, then, did one...

Did Jesus intend to found a church separate from Judaism? Who were the very first followers of Jesus? And how did a clash between two families--the family of Jesus on one hand and the family of high priest Annas and their aristocratic allies on the other--eventually lead to the formation of Christianity? In this study, best-selling author Craig A. Evans looks at how a tumultuous chain of events from 30-70 CE--beginning with Jesus's entry into Jerusalem...

"[The author] shows how a religion whose first believers were twenty or so illiterate day laborers in a remote part of the empire became the official religion of Rome, converting some thirty million people in just four centuries"--Amazon.com.

Christianity in the Roman Empire is a topical and biographical introduction to Christianity before Constantine. While its focus is the historical development of the proto-orthodox community, Robert Winn aims to bridge the gap between contemporary Christians and those who lived in the Roman Empire. To do this, his chapters discuss particular topics such as prayer, biblical interpretation, worship, and persecution, as well as prominent and controversial...

This classic series has already inspired nearly 2 million readers, but both loyal fans and new readers will want this 20th anniversary edition of a Christian classic, which includes a foreword from the publisher, a letter from and Q & A with Francine Rivers, color map, an illustrated glossary, and discussion questions suitable for personal and group use. The first book in the bestselling Mark of the Lion series, A Voice in the Wind brings readers...

When the earliest Christ-followers were baptized they participated in a politically subversive act. Rejecting the Empire's claim that it had a divine right to rule the world, they pledged their allegiance to a kingdom other than Rome and a king other than Caesar (Acts 17:7). Many books explore baptism from doctrinal or theological perspectives, and focus on issues such as the correct mode of baptism, the proper candidate for baptism, who has the...

"The first Christians were weird. Within Roman society, they stood out for the oddness of their beliefs and practices. A New Testament teacher traces the emerging Christian faith against its Roman context to offer today's believers encouragement and hope"-- Provided by publisher.

Originally published in Polish in 1896 by Nobel Prize-winning author Henryk Sienkiewicz, "Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero" is the story of a love that develops in Rome between a young Christian woman, Lygia, and Marcus Vinicius, a Roman patrician, during the reign of Nero in 64 AD. The title "Quo Vadis" is translated from Latin as "Where are you going?" The quote is a reference to the New Testament verse John 13:36, which states "Simon...

Informed theological guide to the Jewish foundations of the Christian faith In this very readable sequel to his popular book Our Father Abraham - which has sold more than 70,000 copies - Marvin Wilson illuminates theological, spiritual, and ethical themes of the Hebrew scriptures that directly affect Christian understanding and experience. Exploring Our Hebraic Heritage draws from both Christian and Jewish commentary in discussing such topics as...