"Any introduction to Christian history tends to separate the transient from the permanent, fads from basics."
--Bruce Shelley, Church History in Plain Language
The following articles provide an overview of some of the most important events and periods in Christian history. More articles will be added over time.
 | Brief Overview of Christian History Learn the highlights of 2,000 years of Christian history in a one-page summary. |
 | Conversion of Constantine In 312 AD, the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, a monumental event for the church. |
 | Context of Christianity Christianity arose in the 1st century in the region of Palestine. It grew out of Judaism, but also came in contact with pagan mystery religions, Greek philosophy, and the cult of the Roman state. |
 | The Council of Nicea In 325, Constantine called the Council of Nicea in the hopes that Christian leaders could work out their differences over Arianism, a controversial belief about Christ's relation to God. |
 | Jesus of Nazareth Christianity was founded by Jesus Christ. Christians believe, and most scholars agree, that Jesus was an actual historical figure and a quite intriguing person. |
 | The Apostles Within 20 years of Jesus' death, his followers had spread the Christian faith as far as Rome. Most of the original 12 disciples of Jesus met violent deaths. |
 | Persecution of the Church In its first three centuries, the Christian church endured persistent and often severe persecution at the hands of the Roman authorities. This would have significant historical and theological consequences for the developing faith. |
 | The Church Fathers The time between Christ and Constantine was an especially fertile period of doctrinal development. Some of the most learned minds in Christianity set out to explain the faith to outsiders, develop it for believers, and distinguish "orthodoxy" from "heresy." |
 | Rise of Christian Monasticism When being a Christian became easier under Constantine, personal sacrifice and commitment were found in caves and monasteries. |
 | Rise of the Papacy The preeminence of the bishop of Rome over the entire Catholic church, an institution known as "the papacy," took centuries to develop, but has its roots in early Christianity. |
 | The Crusades The Crusades were expeditions of Christian Europe in the 12th and 13th centuries for the recovery of the Holy Land from the Muslim Turks. |
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