More than any other, Christianity is the world's first truly global
faith. Lying at the heart of Western civilization, Christianity has
spread everywhere, and today is still winning converts in Africa, China,
and throughout the world. How is it that a movement which began more
than 2,000 years ago in Palestine continues to be such a potent force,
commanding the hearts and inspiring the imaginations of billions of
believers? Thomas Small takes us back to where it all began, to the
epic, shocking, and sometimes deeply moving Christian story. First
preached all those centuries ago, that story was adapted and refined
through the ages, and Small explores that fascinating, twisting history,
from the apostle Paul to the mystics of the Egyptian desert, from the
challenge of Islam to the ferocity of the Crusades, and from the rise of
science to the birth of the modern world. Along the way, he reveals the
intimate link between Christian theology and worship, and makes sense of
the many divisions within Christianity: Catholic, Orthodox, and
Protestant. Finally, he asks the question, how can this story--full of
miracles and holy men, angels and demons--still be believed by modern
people? What is it that motivates them to put their faith in it? Beyond
the age-old debate between faith and religion, Small offers a new way to
make sense of Christianity in the postmodern world.
