Over thirty essays provide a comprehensive overview of the essential events, persons, places and issues involved in the emergence of the Christian religion in the Mediterranean world over the first three centuries. The collection traces the dynamic history from the time of Jesus through to the rise of Imperial Christianity in the fourth century. It provides a thoughtful and well-documented analysis of the diverse forms of Christian community, identity and practice that arose soon after Jesus's death, and which through missionary efforts were soon implanted throughout the Roman Empire.

Review

"The editors have recruited squadrons of experts, pulled their chapters into well integrated order, and themselves offered unusually useful summaries and conclusions. The treatment of traditional themes and historical Christian regions is superb, but even better is the innovative work on fresh subjects and new Christian areas of the globe."
-Mark A. Noll, The Christian Century

"An outstanding collection of essays that chronicle the theological, intellectual, political, social, cultural, regional and global ideas and events that situate the Christian movement in the context of world events and thought. This is the first of nine volumes in what will surely be a major influence on the twenty-first century understanding of the impact of Christianity on world history and culture."
-Catholic Press Association

"It is an ambitious and welcome undertaking...the value of this volume is considerable, for it pours forth a rich bounty of data and interpretive ideas to help scholars and students in the ongoing task of understanding the formative years in the history of Christianity."
-Robert Louis Wilken, The Catholic Historical Review

"As a reference work this history provides what it should provide, a compendious account of early Christianity consistent with the best recent scholarship, indicating, when appropriate, matters where the state of the question is not settled. It does this in an accessible way and directs readers to further information, mostly in English, in notes and bibliographies."
-Joseph W. Trigg, Christ Church, La Plata, Maryland, Church History

"The first volume of The Cambridge History of Christianity is highly recommended for any library but especially for theological collections. All the contributions are of the highest quality. They challenge us to rethink everything we knew about the beginnings of Christianity."
-Lucien J. Richard, OMI

"...inspires awe....enormous diversity of of excellent scholars....stands out from rivals by its sheer scale....provide an effective structure....identification and development of themes is thoroughly successful....deeply impressive..."
--Philip Jenkins

"The solid and deft historical scholarship evidenced throughout the volume is at the same time not insensitive to the properly theological issues and concerns at stake in the growth and development of Christianity. The editors of this collection have set the bar high for subsequent volumes." --Michael Heintz, University of Notre Dame: Religious Studies Review

Book Description

Origins to Constantine provides a comprehensive overview of the essential events, persons, places and issues involved in the emergence of the Christian religion in the first three centuries. It analyses the diverse forms of Christian community, identity and practice that arose in the early decades of Christianity. Over thirty essays by leading scholars communicate the results of the most recent research in an accessible manner that allows readers to trace this dynamic history from its beginnings through to the rise of Imperial Christianity in the fourth century.