Includes bibliographical references

The ancient church -- The Christian empire -- The early middle ages -- The high point of the middle ages -- The late middle ages -- Conquest and reformation -- The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries -- The nineteenth century -- The twentieth century and the end of modernity

One of the chief difficulties in studying the history of Christianity is the lack of prior exposure to the subject that students often bring with them. Struggling to keep up with the large numbers of names, dates, and places presented to them, it is easy for students to lose sight of the "big picture," the broad sweep of movement and change that instructors most wish to communicate. Justo Gonzalez has written this book to help students gain just such a quick and basic grasp of the main periods and issues in the history of Christianity. Drawing upon his own extensive experience and that of others, he contends that having been introduced to the essentials of church history in a brief and accessible form, students are then far better able to understand and appreciate what they encounter in more detailed lectures and reading