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Eras: Early Church

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Early Church

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

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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

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