CONTENTS PAGE
1. Introduction xv
"PART 1: THE EARLY CHURCH
Chronology" 2
2 . The Fullness of Time 7
Judaism in Palestine 7
Diaspora Judaism 12
The Greco-Roman World 13
3. The Church in Jerusalem 18
Unity and Diversity 18
Religious Life 20
The Waning of the Jewish Church 21
4. Mission to the Gentiles 23
The Scope of the Mission 23
Paul’s Work 25
The Apostles: Facts and Legends 27
5. First Conflicts with the State 31
A New Jewish Sect 31
Persecution Under Nero 33
Persecution Under Domitian 36
6. Persecution in the Second Century 39
The Correspondence Between Pliny and Trajan 40
Ignatius of Antioch, the Bearer of God 41
The Martyrdom of Polycarp 43
Persecution Under Marcus Aurelius 45
Toward the End of the Second Century 48
7. The Defense of the Faith 49
Base Rumors and Lofty Criticism 49
The Main Apologists 52
Christian Faith and Pagan Culture 53
The Arguments of the Apologists 56
8. The Deposit of the Faith 58
Gnosticism 58
Marcion 61
The Response: Canon, Creed, and Apostolic Succession 62
The Ancient Catholic Church 66
9. The Teachers of the Church 67
Irenaeus of Lyons 68
Clement of Alexandria 71
Tertullian of Carthage 73
Origen of Alexandria 78
10. Persecution in the Third Century 82
Persecution under Septimius Severus 82
Under Decius 85
The Question of the Lapsed: Cyprian and Novatian 88
11. Christian Life 91
The Social Origins of Early Christians 91
Christian Worship 92
The Organization of the Church 97
Missionary Methods 98
The Beginnings of Christian Art 99
12. The Great Persecution and the Final Victory 102
Suggested Readings 109
"PART II: THE IMPERIAL CHURCH
Chronology " 112
13. Constantine From Rome to Constantinople 113
From the Unconquered Sun to Jesus Christ 113
From Persecution to Dominance 120
The Impact of the New Order Reactions to the New Order 124
14. Official Theology: Eusebius of Caesarea 129
15. The Monastic Reaction 136
The Origins of Monasticism 137
The First Monks of the Desert 138
Pachomius and Communal Monasticism 143
The Spread of the Monastic Ideal 146
16. The Schismatic Reaction: Donatism 151
17. The Arian Controversy and the Council of Nicea 158
The Outbreak of the Controversy 159
The Council of Nicea 162
18. The Pagan Reaction: Julian the Apostate Julian’s Religious Policy 168
19. Athanasius of Alexandria 173
The Early Years 173
Through Many Trials 175
A Theological Agreement 179
Further Trials 180
20. The Great Cappadocians 181
Macrina 181
Basil the Great 183
Gregory of Nyssa 185
Gregory of Nazianzus 186
21. Ambrose of Milan 198
An Unexpected Election 189
The Bishop and the Throne 191
22. John Chrysostom 194
A Voice from the Wilderness 194
Return to the Wilderness 197
23. Jerome 201
24. Augustine of Hippo 207
A Tortuous Path to Faith 208
Minister and Theologian of the Western Church 212
"25. The End of an Era
Suggested readings" 217
"PART III: MEDIEVAL CHRISTIANITY
Chronology " 222
26. The New Order 231
The Germanic Kingdoms 231
Benedictine Monasticism 238
The Papacy 242
The Arab Conquests 248
27. Eastern Christianity 251
The Christological Debates to the Council of Chalcedon 252
Further Theological Debates 257
The Dissident Churches of the East 261
Eastern Orthodoxy After the Arab Conquests 262
28. Imperial Restoration and Continuing Decay 266
Charlemagne’s Reign 266
Theological Activity 269
New Invasions 272
Decay in the Papacy 274
29. Movements of Renewal 277
Monastic Reform 277
Papal Reform 282
The Papacy and the Empire in Direct Confrontation 286
30. The Offensive Against Islam 292
The First Crusade 293
Later History of the Crusades 296
The Spanish Reconquista 298
Consequences of the Offensive against Islam 298
31. The Golden Age of Medieval Christianity 301
The Mendicant Orders 301
One Flock Under One Shepherd 307
Theological Activity: Scholasticism 311
Missionary Endeavors Stones That Bear Witness: Architecture 319
32. The Collapse 324
New Conditions 324
The Papacy Under the Shadow of France 329
The Great Western Schism 337
33. In Quest of Reformation 342
The Conciliar Movement 342
John Wycliffe 346
John Huss 348
Girolamo Savonarola 353
The Mystical Alternative 356
Popular Movements 359
34. Renaissance and Humanism 362
The Later Course of Scholasticism 362
The Revival of Classical Learning 365
A New Vision of Reality 368
The Popes of the Renaissance 370
Suggested Readings 375
"PART IV: THE BEGINNINGS OF COLONIAL CHRISTIANITY
Chronology " 378
35. Spain and the New World 379
The Nature of the Spanish Enterprise 379
The Protest 382
The Caribbean 383
Mexico 384
Golden Castile 388
Florida 390
Colombia and Venezuela 391
The Four Corners of the Earth: The Incan Empire 394
La Plata 397
36. The Portuguese Enterprise 400
Africa 400
Toward the Rising Sun 403
Brazil 409
Maps
Palestine: Birthplace of Christianity 8
The Roman Empire 14
The Roman Empire under Diocletian 103
Constantine’s path to absolute power 114
The birthplace of Donatism 154
Europe after the Invasions 323
The First Crusade 295
The Portuguese in Africa and the Orient 401