30 Key Moments in the History of Christianity

Inspiring True Stories from the Early Church Around the World

Mark W. Graham

• Publisher: Baker Books
• Year: 2026
• eBook ISBN:
  9781493452866
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Theology

Discover 30 Remarkably Diverse Stories from the First Thousand Years of the Church
· Encouraging, inspirational, challenging, and convicting true stories of the global church
· Sheds light on Western and non-Western church history through stories from a wide variety of cultural, social, and political contexts
· Offers invaluable insights for our times


For many Christians, our understanding of the history of the church universal jumps straight from what we read in the New Testament to a basic understanding of the Reformation. We're missing more than a millennium! And it was a busy, fascinating, tumultuous thousand-or-so years during which Christianity spread across three continents. In places as distant and different from each other as China, Sudan, and Britain, the gospel was spreading, the church was growing, and believers were expressing their faith in myriad ways.

In this inspiring book, you'll learn about 30 key moments in the history of Christianity that illuminate the incredible diversity and unity of the faith. Combining a global scope with intimate storytelling, professor Mark W. Graham challenges you to expand your knowledge of Christian history and your appreciation for cultural and political differences among believers. The result will be a wider view of the church, a deeper understanding of other expressions of the faith around the world, and a greater connection to the cloud of witnesses who have gone before us.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Foreword
• Map
• Introduction: Our People
• 1. A Christian “Contagion” and a “Good Sense” Governor (Black Sea, 112)
• 2. Justin Martyr Invents Christian Apologetics (Rome, 153)
• 3. A “City in the Sky” and a New Prophecy (Phrygia, Late Second Century)
• 4. “No Other Name”: The Trials and Death of Vibia Perpetua (Carthage, 203)
• 5. Persecution, Schism, and a Doctrine of the Church (North Africa, c. 250)
• 6. The Christian Captives of Gundeshapur (Sassanian Persian Empire, c. 260)
• 7. The Birth of the First “Christian Nation” (Armenia, 301 or 314)
• 8. “In This Sign Conquer”: Constantine Embraces Christianity (Rome, 312–313)
• 9. A North African House Divided—Again (Carthage and Arles, 314)
• 10. A Handsome Heretic at the First Ecumenical Council (Nicaea, 325)
• 11. War, Apocalypse, and the Great Slaughter of Christians (Sassanian Persian Empire, c. 340–379)
• 12. Priscillian of Ávila and the First Church Dispute to End in Execution (Spain and Rome, 380s)
• 13. A Persian “King of Kings” Calls a Church Council (Sassanian Persian Empire, 410)
• 14. Mobs and Murder in Alexandria (Egypt, 415)
• 15. Heresy Invades Post-Roman Britain (Southern Britain, 429)
• 16. Massacre and Revenge in Southern Arabia (Himyar/Yemen, 523–524)
• 17. Saints, Snakes, and Scriptures in Aksum (Ethiopia, Late Fifth to Early Sixth Centuries)
• 18. Pope Gregory the Great Launches Church-Sponsored Missions (Lombard Italy, 591)
• 19. The First Holy War and Its Unintended Consequences (Byzantine and Sassanian Persian Empires, c. 622)
• 20. “The Way” Arrives in Tang Dynasty China (Xi’an, 635)
• 21. Christian “Pupil Smiters” of Nubia Save Their Church—Twice (Sudan, 642 and 652)
• 22. A Matter of Matter: John of Damascus Defends Icons (Umayyad Islamic Empire, c. 730)
• 23. “We Render Not Evil for Evil”: The Death of Boniface (Frisia, Northern Europe, 754)
• 24. Charlemagne and the Return of the Open Book to Europe (Carolingian Frankish Kingdom, 789)
• 25. “Faith Is a Thing of Will”: Alcuin of York Rejects Compulsion in Faith (Aachen, Carolingian Frankish Kingdom, 796)
• 26. Theodulf of Orleans Exalts the Only Truly “Good and Gracious King” (Angers, Carolingian Frankish Empire, 820?)
• 27. Cyril of Thessaloniki: Global Linguist, Diplomat, Missionary (Baghdad, Khazaria, Moravia, Venice, 850s and 860s)
• 28. Olga of the Rus’ Finds Faith (Constantinople and Kyiv, 950s)
• 29. Y1K: An Abbot, a Bishop, and End-Times Anxiety (Fleury, France, and York, England, c. 1000)
• 30. Conclusion: “Unto the Ends of the Round World” at 1000
• Major Books on Early Global Christian History
• Acknowledgments
• About the Author
• Back Cover