A History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years

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How did an obscure sect in first-century Palestine flower into the religion of a third of the world? In a work of astonishing scope, Diarmaid MacCulloch begins the story 1,000 years before the birth of Christ. His acclaimed, commanding history takes in apostles and martyrs, lost kingdoms and empires, crusades and liberation struggles, the architecture of soaring Gothic cathedrals and the genesis of the greatest works of sacred art and music.

This superb three-volume Folio edition features an entirely new introduction by historian Neil MacGregor, bestselling author of A History of the World in 100 Objects, and each volume includes 32 pages of stunning color images. The bindings and slipcase are adorned with exquisite designs by typographer Jamie Clarke, depicting three crosses from different ages of Christianity.

AN ALL-ENCOMPASSING STORY

From the book’s provocative subtitle – The First Three Thousand Years – Diarmaid MacCulloch sets out his ambition to follow Christianity all the way from its origins to the present day. He delves deep into its ancestry as it emerges from the Ancient Greek and Hebrew cultures, assumes divergent forms in the East and West, and co-exists with the rising faith of Islam. Some strands of the story, from Constantine and Bede to Luther and Darwin, are familiar. Others are less so: MacCulloch explores early Christianity’s debt to Plato, the forgotten medieval Christian empire in China, and why India proved so resistant to missionaries. Throughout the journey, his wit and humanity make him "a resolutely genial companion."

A LANDMARK HISTORICAL STUDY

A History of Christianity is a book for Christians and non-Christians alike: not a work of theology, but an exhilarating and accessible account of how the Christian religion has shaped human history. Diarmaid MacCulloch sets out to be a ‘candid friend’ of Christianity – never shying away from its darkest episodes, and tackling its many controversies with the measured judgement of a master historian.

The new color illustrations are the result of meticulous research, and were chosen with the approval of the author. The images encompass medieval Gospel manuscripts, artworks from the high Renaissance and modern documentary photography, all drawn from sources including the Vatican, Cairo’s Coptic Museum and private collections. Maps are included throughout the text, helping to illuminate every chapter of Christianity’s global journey.

Jamie Clarke based his binding designs on three different crosses: an 18th-century Ethiopian Cross, an early Christological monogram and a reliquary cross from c.1180. Each volume has been blocked in a different metallic foil which echoes the color of the original crosses.

Three volume set
Bound in cloth blocked with designs by Jamie Clarke
Set in Minion
Vol 1: 408 pages, Vol 2: 536 pages, Vol 3: 576 pages
32 pages of colour illustrations per volume
25 integrated black & white maps across the three volumes and decorative title pages
Blocked slipcase
10˝ x 6¾˝