The epic historical narrative of Christianity’s rise and how it shaped our world
How did Christianity become the dominant religion in the West?
In the early first century, a small group of peasants from the backwaters of the Roman Empire proclaimed that an executed enemy of the state was God’s messiah. Less than four hundred years later it had become the official religion of Rome with some thirty million followers.
It could so easily have been a forgotten sect of Judaism.
Through meticulous research, Bart Ehrman, an expert on Christian history, texts and traditions, explores the way we think about one of the most important cultural transformations the world has ever seen, one that has shaped the art, music, literature, philosophy, ethics and economics of modern Western civilisation.
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‘This is the work of a great scholar…a book full of learning and nuance.’
" - Tom Holland,
Spectator"
‘Reading about how an entire culture’s precepts and traditions can be overthrown without anyone being able to stop it may not be heartening at this particular historical moment. All the more reason to spend time in the company of such a humane, thoughtful and intelligent historian.’
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New York Times Book Review"
‘Ehrman handles splendid raw materials very deftly to produce an engrossing read.’
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Catholic Herald"
‘A lucid and convincing account of the growth of Christianity in the Roman world…[Ehrman’s] careful synthesis of existing scholarship creates an approachable study of the early church… Well worth reading.’
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Publishers Weekly"
‘The value of Ehrman’s book, as is so often the case with his writings, is in his ability to synthesize complex material and distill it into highly readable prose.’
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Booklist"
‘An accessible and intriguing…history of the growth of Christianity.’
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Kirkus