AFTER JESUS :: The TRIUMPH of CHRISTIANITY

• Hardback book
• Over 350 pages
• Copyright © 1992 The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.

" Did You Know ...

Many early Christians were not baptized until death was imminent?

Pagans accused Christians of atheism, incest, and cannibalism?

Christians were the first to write out their copies of the Bible
on book pages rather than scrolls?

Women occupied posts of prominence in the early church?

The cross probably did not appear as a symbol in
Christian art until the fourth century?

The first country where Christianity became the official religion
was Armenia, in A.D. 294?

These are just a few of the fascinating facts behind the incredible story
of how Christianity spread throughout the ancient world and changed it forever. "

Contents includes:

" Introduction: The Expected Messiah

Chronology: 600 Years at a Glance

In Jesus' Footsteps (A.D. 30-40)
After Jesus' death, despair gave way to exaltation when his
followers became filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.
A loving Christian community developed in Jerusalem.
Paul was converted on the road to Damascus.

A Tale of Three Cities (A.D. 40-70)
As Christianity spread, Gentiles joined the faith, Paul and
other Apostles preached throughout the Mediterranean.
Meanwhile, Rome burned and Nero punished Christians.
When Jewish rebels challenged Roman authority, their
Temple was destroyed and Jews were driven out of Jerusalem.

Heirs of Jesus Christ (A.D. 70-100)
The words and deeds of Jesus and the Apostles were recorded
in books that were to become the core of the New Testament.
Mount Vesuvius erupted, preserving under volcanic ash
details of Roman life in the first century.
Domitian persecuted Christians, yet the fledging church thrived.

Defending the Faith (A.D. 100-180)
During the peaceful second century, paganism saw a revival,
while Christians suffered sporadic persecution.
Gnosticism and Marcionism challenged the faith.

Bearing the Cross (A.D. 180-260)
Military emperors fought off invaders, at the same time
sending the empire into economic decline.
Montanism and Manichaeism won converts.
The theologians Origen, Clement of Alexandria, and
Tertullian flourished in North Africa.
Decius launched wide persecution of Christians.

Up from the Wilderness (A.D. 260-312)
Two holy hermits, Antony and Paul of Thebes, lived ascetic
lives in the desert and hundreds followed their example.
Diocletian started the last and worst persecution of Christians.
Constantine was victorious at the Milvian Bridge and a year later
granted legitimacy to the Christian church.

The Kingdom Come (A.D. 312-363)
Constantine established Constantinople as the imperial capital of the East,
Eusebius of Caesara wrote a comprehensive history of the church.
Christendom was split by controversies over Christ's nature.
An early version of the Nicene Creed was formulated at the First Council
of Nicaea in 325.

Decline of the Empire (A.D. 363-500)
Paganism was outlawed step by step, but religious struggle
continued unabated within the Christian fold.
The writings of Jerome and Augustine illuminated the church.
Barbarians sacked Rome.
In 476, the Western Empire was toppled.

Dawning of the Middle Ages (A.D. 500-600)
Justinian built a dazzling church, Hagia Sophia, in Constantinople
and tried to stop barbarians.
Orthodoxy vied with Monophysitism.
In the West, the power of the papacy grew when Pope Gregory saved Italy
from total ruin from famine, plague, and invaders.
The church was positioned now to assure the survival of Greco-Roman civilization.

Key People
Key Terms
Biblical Citations
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Credits
Index "

This is a previously owned church library book which is in very good condition with only very minor wear.
No torn or ripped pages.
There are a few church name and address stamps and a pocket on the inside of the back cover.
No other markings or writing.

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