Patrick Whitworth tells the story of the growth of the early Christian community. Eschewing speculation, he provides a clear narrative interspersed with pithy accounts of the most significant Christian teachers in the period which culminated in the advent of the first Christian Emperor, Constantine.

It is a story that is particularly relevant at a time when Christendom is a fading memory and the Christian community is struggling to discover where the Spirit is leading in a global culture.

• Richard Chartres, Former Bishop of London

A rapid, detailed and accurate narrative, full of picturesque scenes drawn directly from contemporary witnesses to the rise of Christianity in the Roman world. Whitworth writes with admiring passion, but does not disguise the human peculiarities and frailties of the protagonists. At all times we are aware of the importance of locality, and the shifts in Christian thought and practice are seen to result from changing relations to the ambient culture, a leading cause of which was the success of the church itself.

• Mark Edwards, Professor of Early Christian Studies, University of Oxford