1. Emil Brunner: A Reappraisal (2014)
2. The World of C.S. Lewis (2013)
3. Christian History: An Introduction (2013)
4. Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought, Second Edition (2012)
5. Reformation Thought: An Introduction, Fourth Edition (2012)
6. Theology: The Basic Readings, Second Edition (edited, 2012)
7. Theology: The Basics, Third Edition (2012)
8. Luther's Theology of the Cross: Martin Luther's Theological Breakthrough, Second Edition (2011)
9. Darwinism and the Divine: Evolutionary Thought and Natural Theology (2011)
10. The Christian Theology Reader, Fourth Edition (edited, 2011)
11. Christian Theology: An Introduction, Fifth Edition (2011)
12. Science and Religion: A New Introduction, Second Edition (2009)
13. The Open Secret: A New Vision for Natural Theology (2008)
14. The Order of Things: Explorations in Scientific Theology (2006)
15. Christianity: An Introduction, Second Edition (2006)
16. Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life (2004)
17. The Intellectual Origins of the European Reformation, Second Edition (2003)
18. Christian Literature: An Anthology (edited, 2003)*
19. A Brief History of Heaven (2003)
20. The Blackwell Companion to Protestantism (edited with Darren C. Marks, 2003)
21. The Future of Christianity (2002)
22. Reformation Thought: An Introduction, Third Edition (2000)
23. Christian Spirituality: An Introduction (1999)
24. Historical Theology: An Introduction (1998)
25. The Foundations of Dialogue in Science and Religion (1998)
26. The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Modern Christian Thought (edited, 1995)
27. A Life of John Calvin (1990)

The study of Christianity is one of the most fascinating, stimulating, and intellectually and spiritually rewarding undertakings available to anyone. This book aims to lay the foundations for such a study, opening doors to discovering more about the world’s leading religion. It can only hope to whet its readers’ appetites and lead them to explore Christianity in much greater detail.

Anyone trying to sense the modern world or the process by which it came into existence needs to understand something about the Christian faith. Christianity is by far the largest religion in the world, with somewhere between 2,500 and 1,750 million followers, depending on the criteria employed. To understand the modern world, it is important to understand why Christianity continues to be such an important presence in, for example, the United States and is a growing presence in China.

This book sets out to provide an entry-level introduction to Christianity, understood both as a system of beliefs and as a social reality. It is an introduction in the proper sense of the term, in that it has been written on the basis of the assumption that its readers know little or nothing about the history of Christianity, its practices and beliefs. Every effort has been made to keep the language and style of this book as simple as possible.

At some point around AD 60, the Roman authorities woke up to the fact that there seemed to be a new secret society in the heart of their city, which was rapidly gaining recruits. They had not the slightest idea what it was all about, but it seemed to involve some mysterious and dark figure called Chrestus or Christus (Latinized form of the ancient Greek word Christos, “anointed”) as the cause of all the trouble. His origins lay in one of the more obscure and backward parts of the Roman empire. But who was he? And what was this new religion all about? Was it something they should be worried about, or could they safely ignore it?

It soon became clear that this new religion might have the potential to cause real trouble. The great fire that swept through Rome at the time of the Emperor Nero in AD 64 was conveniently blamed on this new religious group. Nobody liked them much, and they were an obvious scapegoat for the failings of the Roman authorities to deal with the fire and its aftermath. The Roman historian Tacitus (c. 56–c. 117) gave a full account of this event some fifty years after the fire. He identified this new religious group as “the Christians,” a group that took its name from someone called “Christus,” who had been executed by Pontius Pilate back in the reign of Tiberius. This “pernicious superstition” had found its way to Rome, where it had gained a huge following. It is clear that Tacitus understands the word “Christian” to be a term of abuse.

Yet, muddled and confused though the official Roman accounts of this movement may be, they were clear that the movement centered in some way on that figure called Christus. It was not regarded as being of any permanent significance, being seen as something of a minor irritation. At worst, it was a threat to the cult of the emperor (or emperor worship). Yet, three hundred years later, this new religion had become the official religion of the Roman empire.

So what was this new religion? What did it teach? Where did it come from? Why was it so attractive? How did it come to be so influential in its first few centuries? What happened after it had achieved such success at Rome? And how has it shaped the lives of individuals and the history of the human race? It is these questions that the present book will begin to answer.

So where do we start? What is the most helpful entry point to a study of Christianity? Looking at Christian beliefs? Exploring the history of the church? Surveying Christian art? In the end, the best place to begin is the historical event that got all of these under way. It is impossible to think or talk about any aspect of the Christian faith without talking about Jesus of Nazareth. He is the center from which every aspect of the Christian faith radiates outward. We therefore turn immediately to Jesus and his significance for Christianity, to begin our exploration there.