History of Christianity
From a small group of disciples in Jerusalem to the world's largest faith — the story of how Christianity spread, survived persecution, fractured, reformed, and grew across every continent.
The Apostolic Era
c. 4 BC – AD 100The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the birth and rapid spread of the early church through the Mediterranean world.
Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem
Jesus is born in Bethlehem of Judea during the reign of Herod the Great. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke record the nativity accounts. Most historians date the birth between 6 and 4 BC, before Herod's death.
The Ministry of Jesus
Jesus begins his public ministry in Galilee, preaching the Kingdom of God, calling twelve disciples, performing miracles, and fulfilling Old Testament prophecy. His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) would become foundational to Christian ethics.
Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Pentecost
Jesus is crucified under Roman governor Pontius Pilate, buried, and rises from the dead on the third day. Forty days later he ascends to heaven. Ten days after that, the Holy Spirit descends on the disciples at Pentecost — and 3,000 people are baptised in a single day. The church is born.
Did Jesus actually rise from the dead?Conversion of Paul
Saul of Tarsus — a zealous Pharisee who persecuted Christians — encounters the risen Christ on the road to Damascus and is transformed into the Apostle Paul. He will go on to write thirteen epistles and carry the gospel across the Roman Empire.
Did Jesus actually rise from the dead?First Apostolic Martyr: James Son of Zebedee
King Herod Agrippa I executes James the brother of John by sword (Acts 12:2) — the first of the Twelve apostles to be martyred. The church responds with prayer, and Herod himself dies shortly after.
Paul's Three Missionary Journeys
Paul undertakes three major journeys across Asia Minor, Greece, and the eastern Mediterranean, planting churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, Ephesus, and beyond. His letters to these churches form much of the New Testament.
Council of Jerusalem
The first church council (Acts 15) settles whether Gentile converts must be circumcised and follow the Mosaic law. The decision — no — opens Christianity fully to the non-Jewish world and shapes the faith's universal character.
Nero's Persecution
Emperor Nero blames Christians for the Great Fire of Rome and launches the first imperial persecution. Peter is crucified upside down and Paul is beheaded in Rome, according to early church tradition. Christianity is declared an illegal religion.
Destruction of the Jerusalem Temple
Roman general Titus destroys Jerusalem and the Second Temple — fulfilling Jesus's prophecy in Matthew 24:2. The Jewish-Christian community scatters. Christianity's centre of gravity shifts to Antioch, Rome, Alexandria, and Ephesus.
John Writes Revelation
The Apostle John, exiled to the island of Patmos under Emperor Domitian, receives the visions recorded in the Book of Revelation — the final book of the New Testament. He is the last surviving apostle.
The Early Church
AD 100–313A period of growth under persecution. The church defines its beliefs through the writings of the Church Fathers and faces waves of Roman persecution that ultimately fail to extinguish it.
The Apostolic Fathers
Writers including Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna, and Clement of Rome — who knew the apostles directly — produce letters and theological writings that preserve early Christian teaching. Ignatius coins the term "catholic church" (universal church) around AD 110.
Justin Martyr and the Apologists
Justin Martyr writes his First and Second Apology defending Christianity to the Roman emperors on rational grounds. He is the first in a tradition of Christian intellectuals — the Apologists — who engage Greek philosophy and Roman culture on their own terms.
First Major Heresy: Marcionism
Marcion of Sinope teaches that the God of the Old Testament is different from the God of Jesus, and rejects all Jewish Scripture. The church's response — clearly affirming the full canon — accelerates the process of defining which books are Scripture.
Persecution at Lyon and Vienne
One of the most brutal local persecutions in the West. The elderly bishop Pothinus and the young slave-girl Blandina are among those martyred in Gaul (modern France). Irenaeus, who survived, becomes bishop of Lyon and writes Against Heresies — a landmark in theology.
Tertullian: First Latin Theologian
Tertullian of Carthage becomes the first major theologian to write in Latin rather than Greek, coining terms like "Trinity" (Trinitas) and "three persons, one substance" that still define Christian doctrine today.
Decian Persecution
Emperor Decius requires all citizens to sacrifice to Roman gods or face execution. Many Christians apostatise; others die as martyrs. The crisis sparks fierce debate about whether lapsed Christians can be restored — laying groundwork for the theology of penance.
The Great Persecution
Emperor Diocletian launches the most systematic persecution in Roman history: churches are demolished, Scriptures burned, and thousands are killed. It fails. By 311 Emperor Galerius issues an edict of toleration from his deathbed, acknowledging the futility of suppression.
Imperial Christianity
AD 313–600Christianity goes from persecuted sect to the official religion of the Roman Empire. The great ecumenical councils define Christian doctrine. The church deals with its newfound power — and the challenges that come with it.
Edict of Milan
Emperor Constantine and co-emperor Licinius issue the Edict of Milan, granting full religious tolerance throughout the Roman Empire. For the first time, Christians can worship freely, build churches openly, and hold public office. Constantine reportedly converted after seeing a vision before the Battle of Milvian Bridge (312).
Council of Nicaea
The first ecumenical (universal) council of the church, convened by Constantine. It addresses the Arian controversy — Arius taught that Jesus was a created being, not fully divine. The council affirms that Jesus is "of one substance with the Father" (homoousios). The Nicene Creed is formulated — still recited in churches worldwide today.
Athanasius Lists the New Testament Canon
In his Easter letter, Bishop Athanasius of Alexandria lists the 27 books of the New Testament that are still recognised today — the first time this exact list appears in writing. The Council of Carthage (397) formally confirms it.
Who wrote the Bible?Christianity Becomes the Roman State Religion
Emperor Theodosius I issues the Edict of Thessalonica, declaring Nicene Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. All other religions are suppressed. Christianity's relationship with political power — and the tensions that creates — begins in earnest.
Council of Constantinople
The second ecumenical council expands the Nicene Creed to its current form, affirming the full divinity of the Holy Spirit. The doctrine of the Trinity — one God in three co-equal, co-eternal persons — is definitively established.
Who is the Holy Spirit?Augustine's Conversion
Augustine of Hippo — a North African philosopher and rhetoric teacher living a dissolute life in Milan — converts to Christianity after years of intellectual struggle. He goes on to write Confessions and City of God, and becomes the most influential theologian in Western Christianity.
Council of Ephesus
The third ecumenical council condemns Nestorianism, which divided Christ into two separate persons. It affirms that Mary is Theotokos ("God-bearer") — a statement about Christ's nature, not a statement that elevates Mary above the Scriptures.
Council of Chalcedon
The fourth ecumenical council defines that Jesus Christ is one person with two natures — fully divine and fully human — "without confusion, without change, without division, without separation." This Chalcedonian definition remains the standard for Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christianity today.
The Medieval Church
AD 600–1500The church in the West reaches the height of its temporal power — and begins to fracture. Monasticism preserves learning, missionaries carry the faith to new peoples, and the Great Schism splits East from West.
Gregory the Great Becomes Pope
Gregory I — a former Roman prefect turned monk — becomes Pope and reshapes the papacy. He sends missionaries to England (Augustine of Canterbury, 597), establishes pastoral theology, develops Gregorian chant, and lays the foundation for medieval papal authority.
Christianity Reaches Tang Dynasty China
Nestorian Christian missionaries led by Alopen arrive in the Chinese capital Chang'an and are received by Emperor Taizong. The Nestorian Stele, erected in 781, records their arrival and early Chinese Christianity — evidence that the gospel spread far beyond Europe.
Battle of Tours
Charles Martel defeats the Umayyad Caliphate's forces at Tours in Gaul (modern France), halting the northward advance of Islamic expansion into Europe. Many historians regard it as one of the pivotal battles in shaping the distinctively Christian character of Western Europe.
Charlemagne Crowned Holy Roman Emperor
Pope Leo III crowns Charlemagne Holy Roman Emperor on Christmas Day in Rome, forging the alliance between the papacy and European political power that would shape the Middle Ages. Charlemagne promotes literacy and Christianity throughout his empire.
The Great Schism
After centuries of theological and political tensions, the Western (Roman Catholic) and Eastern (Orthodox) churches formally split. Cardinal Humbert and Patriarch Cerularius excommunicate each other. The two traditions diverge on papal authority, the filioque clause, and liturgical practice — divisions that persist to this day.
Pope Urban II Launches the First Crusade
At the Council of Clermont, Pope Urban II calls for a military expedition to reclaim Jerusalem from Muslim control. The Crusades (1095–1291) are a deeply contested chapter of church history — marked by genuine religious devotion, horrific violence against Jews and Muslims, and lasting damage to Christian witness in the East.
Magna Carta and the Fourth Lateran Council
The Fourth Lateran Council under Pope Innocent III defines transubstantiation and mandates annual confession for all Christians. The same year, Magna Carta is signed in England — partly shaped by church pressure — establishing the principle that rulers are subject to law.
Thomas Aquinas
Dominican friar Thomas Aquinas writes the Summa Theologica — a monumental synthesis of Christian theology and Aristotelian philosophy. His natural theology arguments, including the Five Ways for God's existence, remain influential. Pope John XXIII declared him a Doctor of the Church.
Does God exist?Wycliffe Translates the Bible into English
John Wycliffe, an English theologian at Oxford, oversees the first complete English translation of the Bible from the Latin Vulgate. His conviction that all Christians should have access to Scripture in their own language anticipates the Reformation by 140 years. His followers, the Lollards, are brutally persecuted.
Why are there so many Bible translations?Jan Hus Burned at the Council of Constance
Czech reformer Jan Hus — who preached against papal corruption and indulgences — is condemned as a heretic and burned at the stake despite a promise of safe conduct. His martyrdom ignites the Hussite movement and inspires Luther a century later.
Gutenberg's Printing Press
Johannes Gutenberg invents movable-type printing in Mainz, Germany. The first major book printed is the Gutenberg Bible (c. 1455). The press will make it possible to distribute the Bible and Reformation writings at a scale previously unimaginable — one of the most consequential inventions in Christian history.
Why are there so many Bible translations?Reformation & Renewal
1517–1700Martin Luther's challenge to Rome fractures Western Christianity and produces a cascade of reforming movements. The Bible is translated into vernacular languages. The church is never the same.
Luther Posts the 95 Theses
On October 31, Martin Luther — an Augustinian friar and professor at Wittenberg — posts his 95 Theses challenging the sale of indulgences and papal authority over purgatory. Printed and distributed across Germany within weeks, the document ignites the Protestant Reformation. Luther's core conviction: salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (sola gratia, sola fide, solus Christus).
Luther's German Bible
While in hiding at Wartburg Castle, Luther translates the New Testament into German in just eleven weeks. His German Bible — completed in 1534 — gives ordinary Germans access to Scripture for the first time and shapes the German language itself.
Why are there so many Bible translations?Henry VIII Breaks with Rome
After Pope Clement VII refuses to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII passes the Act of Supremacy, declaring himself head of the Church of England. The break is initially political rather than theological, but the English Reformation that follows will produce a distinctive tradition.
Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion
John Calvin, a French reformer in Geneva, publishes the Institutes — a systematic theology that becomes the foundation of Reformed Christianity. His doctrines of God's sovereignty, predestination, and covenant theology shape Presbyterianism, Reformed churches, and Puritan Christianity worldwide.
Council of Trent
The Catholic Church's response to the Reformation. Trent reaffirms Catholic doctrine on Scripture and tradition, justification by faith and works, the seven sacraments, and transubstantiation. It also launches genuine internal reform — eliminating many of the abuses that sparked Luther's protest. The Counter-Reformation is underway.
The Radical Reformation: Anabaptists
Groups including the Swiss Brethren and Mennonites reject both Catholic and mainstream Protestant authority. They insist on believers' baptism, separation of church and state, and nonviolence. They are persecuted by both Catholics and Protestants — their legacy endures in Mennonite, Amish, and Baptist traditions.
The King James Bible
Commissioned by King James I of England, 47 scholars produce a new English translation that will become the most widely read book in the English language. Its majestic prose shapes English literature, law, and culture for four centuries.
Why are there so many Bible translations?Peace of Westphalia Ends the Religious Wars
The Thirty Years War — which killed an estimated eight million people in Central Europe — ends with the Peace of Westphalia. It formally recognises Lutheranism, Calvinism, and Catholicism as legitimate faiths. The concept of state sovereignty that emerges reshapes the political relationship between religion and government.
The Modern Era
1700–1900Revivals transform personal religion. Missionaries carry the gospel to every continent. Christians lead the fight to abolish slavery. The church engages Enlightenment challenges to its foundations.
The First Great Awakening
A transatlantic revival movement centred on Jonathan Edwards in New England and George Whitefield in Britain and America. Whitefield preached to crowds of 30,000 in the open air. The awakening emphasized personal conversion, emotional response to the gospel, and a religion of the heart — reshaping American Christianity.
John Wesley's Conversion
John Wesley, an Anglican priest, has a transformative experience at a meeting in Aldersgate Street, London, feeling his heart "strangely warmed." He and his brother Charles, along with Whitefield, launch the Methodist movement — an emphasis on holiness, discipleship, and social reform that spreads worldwide.
William Wilberforce and the Abolition of Slavery
Evangelical Christian William Wilberforce leads the political campaign to abolish the British slave trade, driven explicitly by his Christian convictions. After a 20-year struggle, the Slave Trade Act passes in 1807. His Clapham Sect demonstrates how Christian faith can drive social transformation.
The Second Great Awakening
A massive revival movement in America characterised by camp meetings, frontier preaching, and dramatic conversions. Charles Finney's "new measures" revivalism is controversial but influential. The awakening fuels reform movements: abolition, temperance, prison reform, and the founding of dozens of colleges and missionary societies.
The Great Century of Missions
Historian Kenneth Latourette called the 19th century "the great century" of Christian missions. William Carey goes to India (1793), Robert Morrison to China (1807), David Livingstone to Africa (1840s), Hudson Taylor founds the China Inland Mission (1865). By 1900, Protestant missionaries are active on every continent.
Darwin's Origin of Species
Charles Darwin publishes On the Origin of Species, triggering a long-running engagement between evolutionary theory and Christian theology. Responses range from wholesale rejection to sophisticated integration. The debate continues — but many Christians, including Francis Collins (head of the Human Genome Project), affirm both evolutionary biology and Christian faith.
Does God exist?The Fundamentals and the Modernist Controversy
Growing theological liberalism — which reinterpreted miracles, the virgin birth, and resurrection — triggers a conservative response. The Fundamentals (published 1910–1915), 90 essays defending orthodox Christianity, give rise to the term "fundamentalism." The modernist-fundamentalist controversy divides many Protestant denominations.
The Contemporary Church
1900–PresentChristianity becomes a truly global faith — with its centre of gravity shifting from Europe to Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Pentecostalism explodes. The church faces totalitarianism, secularism, and unprecedented growth simultaneously.
Azusa Street Revival
Under the leadership of William Seymour, a Black preacher in Los Angeles, the Azusa Street revival launches the modern Pentecostal movement — emphasising the gifts of the Spirit, speaking in tongues, and divine healing. Pentecostalism becomes the fastest-growing Christian movement in history: over 600 million adherents today.
Edinburgh Missionary Conference
The World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh is widely regarded as the birth of the modern ecumenical movement — Christians across denominations cooperating on mission. It leads eventually to the World Council of Churches (1948).
The Church Under Nazism
The Nazi regime in Germany attempts to co-opt the church through the German Christians movement. The Confessing Church — led by Karl Barth, Martin Niemöller, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer — resists. Bonhoeffer, who joins the resistance to Hitler, is hanged at Flossenbürg concentration camp on April 9, 1945 — just two weeks before liberation.
Billy Graham and Global Evangelism
Billy Graham holds crusades in over 180 countries, preaching in person to more than 215 million people — a number unmatched in Christian history. His 1949 Los Angeles crusade launches his ministry; his partnership with Cliff Barrows and George Beverly Shea defines mid-century evangelicalism.
The Second Vatican Council
Pope John XXIII convenes Vatican II — a landmark reform council that updates Catholic worship (Mass in vernacular languages), affirms religious liberty, and opens unprecedented dialogue with Protestants and Jews. It is the most significant event in Catholic history since Trent.
The Underground Church in China
Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution closes all churches and attempts to eliminate religion. The Chinese church goes underground. What happens next is one of the most remarkable stories in Christian history: by 2020, estimates suggest 70–100 million Christians in China — more than in 1949 when missionaries were expelled.
Fall of the Iron Curtain
The collapse of the Soviet Union liberates the church in Eastern Europe after 70 years of state atheism. Churches that had survived underground emerge. Romania, Poland, and East Germany — where the church played a key role in peaceful revolution — see dramatic Christian renewal.
Christianity: A Global and Growing Faith
As Europe becomes increasingly secular, Christianity explodes in the Global South. Africa had 10 million Christians in 1900 — it has over 700 million today. Latin America, China, South Korea, and India are all experiencing significant growth. More than 2.4 billion people worldwide identify as Christian, making it the world's largest religion — now rooted more in Nairobi, São Paulo, and Seoul than in Rome or London.
Does God exist?“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”— Matthew 28:20 (NIV)
The history of Christianity is the story of that promise being tested and proven true — in every century, on every continent.