have been, in the language of derogatory sectarian name-calling,
‘a Fenian’.) Nevertheless, I think this has influenced the frame-
work in which I interpret religious history, Christian or non-
Christian. It is all too easy to dismiss as ignorance the religious
fervour that underpins sectarian hatred. To me, however, this
background of bitter religious antagonism has served as a constant
reminder that the historical religious beliefs and opinions that I
study surely meant a great deal to those who professed them. The
study of early Christianity entails not just an appreciation of
culture, ideas, and social institutions, but a realization that one is
dealing with the passions that have motivated people’s souls. To
treat these topics seriously seems to me not simply the academic
duty of a historian, but the moral obligation of a human being.HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
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