The History of Christianity: From the Disciples to the Dawn of the Reformation

Lecture 36: The Ever-adapting Religion

intrigue, perhaps the most authentic history of Christianity is,

after all, the history of the saints.

o Perhaps there were not so many of such folk as one would like

in all these long years, but there were surely enough, for it must

be said that without some such spark of life being transmitted

from generation to generation, there would not have been any

history at all to speak of.

Bass, A People’s History of Christianity.

Pelikan, Jesus through the Ages.

1. How does the question concerning the “essence” of Christianity force us
   to recognize the limits of historical knowledge?


2. How does the post-Constantinian era alter the rules of the game within
   which Christianity was played for most of its history?

Suggested Reading

Questions to Consider