Jump directly to the Content
Who We Are
Our Ministry
Stories
How to Partner
What We Do
Christianity Today
CT News & Reporting
CT Pastors
CT History
CT Books
Christian Bible Studies
Building Church Leaders
Church Law & Tax
ChurchSalary
Preaching Today
Small Groups
Women Leaders
Newsletters
Give Now
Explore
Who We Are
Our Ministry
Stories
Partner With Us
What We Do
Christianity Today
Building Church Leaders
Christian Bible Studies
Church Law & Tax
ChurchSalary
CT Pastors
Preaching Today
Small Groups
Women Leaders
Give by Check
Newsletters
Give Now
My Account
Subscribe
Store
Log Out
Log In
|
Subscribe
Sections
Home
The Magazine
Current Issue
Issue Archives
Member Benefits
Subscribe
Give a Gift
Donate
Special Sections
CT Pastors
News & Reporting
History
Podcasts
Videos
Español
|
All Languages
Blog Forum
The Better Samaritan
Jesus Creed
All Blogs
Topics & People
Theology & Spirituality
Church Life & Ministry
Politics & Current Affairs
Higher Education
Books
Science
Global Church
Unity
Politics
All Topics & People
Help & Info
Contact Us
|
FAQ
My Account
Site Map
Store
Free Newsletters
Our Latest
The Magazine
Subscribe
Member Benefits
Give a Gift
May/June 2023
Digital editions:*
Reader Friendly PDF
|
Standard PDF
*Included with your
Print + Digital Subscription
View Current Issue
Issue Archives
Browse 60+ years of magazine archives and web exclusives. Subscribers receive full access to the archives.
View Issue Archives
Subscribe
Christian History
Archives
Eras
Home
Time Periods
Early Church • 1 - 500 AD
Middle Ages • 500 - 1500 AD
Reformation • 1500 - 1650 AD
Early Modern • 1500 - 1800 AD
Modern • 1800 - Present
Full Timeline
Topics
Story Behind
Denominations & Traditions
Literature & the Arts
Missions & World Christianity
Preachers & Evangelists
The American Experience
Theologians
Women
All Topics
More
100 Events in Church History
Key Figures by Category
Today in Christian History
Archives
Subscribe to CT magazine for full access to the
Christian History
Archives
Subscribe
Give a Gift
Donate
Holidays
Home
Featured Holidays
Advent
Christmas
Easter
Lent
All Holidays
Archives
Subscribe to CT magazine for full access to the
Christian History
Archives
Subscribe
Give a Gift
Donate
People
Home
Featured People
John Wesley
Martin Luther
William Wilberforce
Athanasius
All People
Key Figures by Category
Activists
Denominational Founders
Martyrs
Pastors and Preachers
All Categories
Home
>
Christian History
>
Eras
Eras: Early Church
Click to explore the timeline of Christian History
AD
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
1100
1200
1300
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
Present
Early Church
Middle Ages
Reformation
Early Modern
Modern
The Apostle Paul and His Times: Christian History Timeline
Janet Meyer Everts
Persecution in the Early Church: Did You Know?
Beginning as a despised, illicit religious sect, Christianity endured 300 years of hostility to emerge as the dominant force in the Roman Empire.
Everett Ferguson
Ask The Editors
What is the origin of the Christian fish symbol?
A closer look at the ancient Ichthys
Elesha Coffman
Explore Past Issues
The Gnostic Hunger for Secret Knowledge
Issue 96, 2007
The Council of Nicaea: Debating Jesus’ Divinity
Issue 85, 2005
Mary in the Imagination of the Church
Issue 83, 2004
The First Bible Teachers
Issue 80, 2003
St. Augustine: Sinner, Bishop, Saint
Issue 67, 2000
Anthony & the Desert Fathers: Extreme Faith
Issue 64, 1999
Life & Times of Jesus of Nazareth
Issue 59, 1998
Converting the Empire: Early Church Evangelism
Issue 57, 1998
Heresy in the Early Church
Issue 51, 1996
The Apostle Paul & His Times
Issue 47, 1995
John Chrysostom: Legendary Early Church Preacher
Issue 44, 1994
How We Got Our Bible, Canon to King James
Issue 43, 1994
Worship in the Early Church
Issue 37, 1993
Persecution in the Early Church
Issue 27, 1990
Women in the Early Church
Issue 17, 1988
St. Augustine of Hippo
Issue 15, 1987
More From This Era
Irenaeus of Lyon
Passionate Apologist to the Gnostics
Two Slave Brothers Birthed Africa’s Oldest State Church
The history of the Axum Empire and Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
Semere T. Habtemariam
Magi, Wise Men, or Kings? It’s Complicated.
Christian tradition finds meaning in each of these mysterious monikers.
Chad Ashby
From Jesus to Mary and Back Again: The History of the Annunciation
The surprising reason it falls during Lent, and why it has been important for fighting heresy and abortion.
Ted Olsen
Antony, Icon of Interfaith Tolerance
The headscratching headlines about the restoration of the world's oldest monastery.
Ted Olsen
How the Fast of Lent Gave Us Easter Eggs
Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Simon of Cyrene all appear in legends about eggs turning red.
Anthony McRoy
Story Behind
Ashes to Ashes
An early tradition of pre-Lenten repentance developed into our modern practice of Ash Wednesday.
Jennifer Woodruff Tait
Story Behind
Soul Counsel
Modern Protestants are rediscovering the ancient practice of spiritual direction.
Jennifer Woodruff Tait
Loading More
People
Irenaeus of Lyon
Passionate Apologist to the Gnostics
Clement of Alexandria
Theologian for the intelligentsia
Justin Martyr
Defender of the "true philosophy"
Gregory Thaumaturgus
"The Wonder Worker"
Antony of Egypt
Greatest Desert Father
Ignatius of Antioch
Earliest post-New Testament martyr
Perpetua
High society believer
Polycarp
Aged bishop of Smyrna
Columbanus
Irish missionary to Europe
Benedict of Nursia
Father of western monasticism
Ambrose of Milan
Most talented bishop of the early church
John Chrysostom
Early church's greatest preacher
Constantine
First Christian emperor
Leo I
Pope and international diplomat
Theodosius I
Emperor who made Christianity "the" Roman religion
Eusebius of Caesarea
Father—and maker—of church history
Jerome
Bible translator whose version lasted a millennium.
Origen
Biblical scholar and philosopher
Athanasius
Five-time exile for fighting "orthodoxy"
Augustine of Hippo
Architect of the Middle Ages
John of Damascus
Image-conscious Arab
Current Issue
May/June 2023
Subscribe
Read This Issue
Eve’s Legacy Is Both Sin and Redemption
God Didn’t Have to Do Anything for Us
New Age Thinking Lured Me into Danger. Jesus Brought Relief.
Subscribe
to
Christianity Today
and get instant access to past issues of
Christian History
!
Follow @ctmagazine
Free Newsletters
Get the best from CT editors, delivered straight to your inbox!
More Newsletters