The History of Origins Christianity. Book II: Apostles

From a small circle of grieving disciples in Jerusalem arose a movement that would transform the religious history of the world.In The History of the Origins of Christianity, Book II: The Apostles, Joseph Ernest Renan continues his sweeping examination of early Christianity in the years following the death of Jesus. Beginning with the disciples' belief in the Resurrection, he investigates the emergence of the first Christian community, Pentecost and the Holy Spirit, the organization of the Church at Jerusalem, the death of Stephen, the earliest persecutions, and the missionary activity that carried the new faith beyond its original Jewish surroundings.Renan follows the rise of Peter and the apostles, the conversion of Paul, the foundation of the Church at Antioch, and the growing determination to carry the Christian message to the Gentile world. Combining historical reconstruction, biblical criticism, and an examination of the religious and social world of the Roman Empire, The Apostles presents a provocative portrait of Christianity at the decisive moment when a small community centred in Jerusalem began its transformation into a faith destined to spread across nations.