---
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title: "Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years"
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# Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years

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Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years [MacCulloch, Diarmaid] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years

Review: A long but rewarding read; a must for fans of good history seeking to understand Christianity in proper context - Let me say at the outset that I try to be a rationalist and am an atheist. I came to this book looking to understand Christianity, which like any other religion inspires in me a quiet unease, given its reliance on faith in the supernatural rather than seeking a rational understanding of our world. I have found that although called a religion 'of the Book', Christianity cannot be understood by reading the Bible alone (as I have), because that tells you nothing about its evolution or how it is actually practiced in the world today... or about the concerns and issues that face its adherents. To say I'm happy I read it is an understatement. It is a slog, being of a size normally reserved for the door-blocks belted out by authors of high fantasy. It took me (a reasonably fast reader) over three months to read properly. I took plenty of breaks for long trawls on Wikipedia, when persons or subjects explored in the book caught my fancy though. The style of the book is lucid yet academical. While it reads more like a story than a textbook of history, there are copious footnotes that make up nearly half the volume of the Kindle edition I read. There is also a well curated selection of photographs/ plates that add to the reading experience. I mean it as a compliment when I say that while reading it I wasn't sure if the author was himself a believer or not because he's found the right mix of passionate story-telling, dispassionate description, and at a times, tongue in cheek jibing. As the sub-title suggests, this covers about 3000 years of history from the pre-Christian era to the final chapter that looks at the period from the 1960s to the George W Bush presidency in the US. That is a vast span, which the book nimbly covers. It starts in the pre-Christian era, and describes the Greek (and Roman) influences alongside the Jewish heritage that went into the melting pot of ideas that was the early Christian Church. Without dwelling too much on the historicity of the life of Jesus, it covers what few facts of his life are known, and moves on swiftly to matters of doctrine and creed and dogma. It lays before you an array of beliefs - sects, prophets, heresies, ideas come and go and Christianity swiftly evolves into several branches - the 'Catholic', the Orthodox, and eventually the smorgasbord of Protestant faiths. To my delight as a etymology fan, along the way it shows the origin of such words as "Presbyterian" (from the Greek presbytoros or elder) "Episcopal" (from the Greek episkopos or overseer). It also delighted me as a trivia fan by revealing quirky things like the "Jesus Messiah Sutra", authored in the local sutra style by some of the first missionaries in China. There were a lot of surprises for me as I read through the book, the sutra being just an oddity. The presentation of Rome, Istanbul, and Moscow as the three centers of Christianity one after the other was a surprise, as was the overall history of the Orthodox Churches of the East, and of such other lesser known (to me) churches such as the Bulgarian. Each variant (from the earliest schisms at the Council of Chalcedon to the modern phenomenon that is Mormonism) finds mention and some explication in this book; no mean feat in itself. My only complaint was that this book did not spend more time discussing the 20th and 21st century. Although it mentions or name-drops every 'hot topic' I had expected to find mentioned - be it the abuse of children by priests, or the Evangelical interest in the Israel/ Palestine issue - I found myself wanting more discussion and elaboration on some of the points. That said, I do understand that in a work that covers 3000 years of history, such a focus might be puzzling, even off-putting to some. I think this is a must read for anyone interested in history or religion. It is one of those books that informs and changes your world-view. I have more respect for some aspects of Christianity after reading it, but reading the long and blood-soaked history, when so much of the blood was shed on what seem to me inane questions, was depressing. My exhilaration at learning so much was therefore tempered. So what if the author closes on a hopeful note?
Review: History of Christianity skilfully unraveled in readable masterpiece - I bought McCullogh's extensive work after watching the BBC series ' History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years ', presented by McCullogh. The book was written while the program was recorded. Just like the series, the book covers the history of Christianity worldwide and from its very beginnings, including an educated guess about the future of this faith (as the subtitle suggests). The book has several sections with beautiful illustrations and even a cover that continues to look great in my living room. The book is both comprehensive and comprehendible, although it helps to have a little background in Christian history. With a lot of subtle humour and a great deal of knowledge and insight, McCullogh unravels many, many interesting aspects of this world faith. Parts of the book tend to be enumerations of complicated theological debates, but generally, McCullogh puts these dry bits in their historical context to put things in perspective. The author's excellent writing skills will also help readers to grasp most of the book in one reading. The book contains many details, so it is a very useful reference work with an extensive index. On the other hand, because of its readability, it is also very inviting to be read entirely. The book also contains useful suggestions for further reading. The author is a historian and calls himself 'a candid friend of Christianity'. This background influences the way in which he renders Church and Biblical history. After a careful introduction of his views, McCullogh critically evaluates the historical credibility of the Bible as we know it by using scientific standards. He respectfully acknowledges that it is not possible to make any scientific claims about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which therefore remains a matter of faith.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #23,618 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #14 in History of Religions #25 in History of Christianity (Books) #35 in Christian Church History (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,722 Reviews |

## Images

![Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/914NmG0nXwL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A long but rewarding read; a must for fans of good history seeking to understand Christianity in proper context
*by H***N on February 2, 2014*

Let me say at the outset that I try to be a rationalist and am an atheist. I came to this book looking to understand Christianity, which like any other religion inspires in me a quiet unease, given its reliance on faith in the supernatural rather than seeking a rational understanding of our world. I have found that although called a religion 'of the Book', Christianity cannot be understood by reading the Bible alone (as I have), because that tells you nothing about its evolution or how it is actually practiced in the world today... or about the concerns and issues that face its adherents. To say I'm happy I read it is an understatement. It is a slog, being of a size normally reserved for the door-blocks belted out by authors of high fantasy. It took me (a reasonably fast reader) over three months to read properly. I took plenty of breaks for long trawls on Wikipedia, when persons or subjects explored in the book caught my fancy though. The style of the book is lucid yet academical. While it reads more like a story than a textbook of history, there are copious footnotes that make up nearly half the volume of the Kindle edition I read. There is also a well curated selection of photographs/ plates that add to the reading experience. I mean it as a compliment when I say that while reading it I wasn't sure if the author was himself a believer or not because he's found the right mix of passionate story-telling, dispassionate description, and at a times, tongue in cheek jibing. As the sub-title suggests, this covers about 3000 years of history from the pre-Christian era to the final chapter that looks at the period from the 1960s to the George W Bush presidency in the US. That is a vast span, which the book nimbly covers. It starts in the pre-Christian era, and describes the Greek (and Roman) influences alongside the Jewish heritage that went into the melting pot of ideas that was the early Christian Church. Without dwelling too much on the historicity of the life of Jesus, it covers what few facts of his life are known, and moves on swiftly to matters of doctrine and creed and dogma. It lays before you an array of beliefs - sects, prophets, heresies, ideas come and go and Christianity swiftly evolves into several branches - the 'Catholic', the Orthodox, and eventually the smorgasbord of Protestant faiths. To my delight as a etymology fan, along the way it shows the origin of such words as "Presbyterian" (from the Greek presbytoros or elder) "Episcopal" (from the Greek episkopos or overseer). It also delighted me as a trivia fan by revealing quirky things like the "Jesus Messiah Sutra", authored in the local sutra style by some of the first missionaries in China. There were a lot of surprises for me as I read through the book, the sutra being just an oddity. The presentation of Rome, Istanbul, and Moscow as the three centers of Christianity one after the other was a surprise, as was the overall history of the Orthodox Churches of the East, and of such other lesser known (to me) churches such as the Bulgarian. Each variant (from the earliest schisms at the Council of Chalcedon to the modern phenomenon that is Mormonism) finds mention and some explication in this book; no mean feat in itself. My only complaint was that this book did not spend more time discussing the 20th and 21st century. Although it mentions or name-drops every 'hot topic' I had expected to find mentioned - be it the abuse of children by priests, or the Evangelical interest in the Israel/ Palestine issue - I found myself wanting more discussion and elaboration on some of the points. That said, I do understand that in a work that covers 3000 years of history, such a focus might be puzzling, even off-putting to some. I think this is a must read for anyone interested in history or religion. It is one of those books that informs and changes your world-view. I have more respect for some aspects of Christianity after reading it, but reading the long and blood-soaked history, when so much of the blood was shed on what seem to me inane questions, was depressing. My exhilaration at learning so much was therefore tempered. So what if the author closes on a hopeful note?

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ History of Christianity skilfully unraveled in readable masterpiece
*by J***D on May 11, 2010*

I bought McCullogh's extensive work after watching the BBC series ' History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years ', presented by McCullogh. The book was written while the program was recorded. Just like the series, the book covers the history of Christianity worldwide and from its very beginnings, including an educated guess about the future of this faith (as the subtitle suggests). The book has several sections with beautiful illustrations and even a cover that continues to look great in my living room. The book is both comprehensive and comprehendible, although it helps to have a little background in Christian history. With a lot of subtle humour and a great deal of knowledge and insight, McCullogh unravels many, many interesting aspects of this world faith. Parts of the book tend to be enumerations of complicated theological debates, but generally, McCullogh puts these dry bits in their historical context to put things in perspective. The author's excellent writing skills will also help readers to grasp most of the book in one reading. The book contains many details, so it is a very useful reference work with an extensive index. On the other hand, because of its readability, it is also very inviting to be read entirely. The book also contains useful suggestions for further reading. The author is a historian and calls himself 'a candid friend of Christianity'. This background influences the way in which he renders Church and Biblical history. After a careful introduction of his views, McCullogh critically evaluates the historical credibility of the Bible as we know it by using scientific standards. He respectfully acknowledges that it is not possible to make any scientific claims about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which therefore remains a matter of faith.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A lot of history: mainstream and dense, this book is not for everyone
*by C***I on June 4, 2018*

MacCulloch's very detailed Christianity starts a thousand years before Christ with the Greek and Jewish foundations that formed the world's biggest religion. MacCulloch describes himself as a "a candid friend of Christianity" (p. 10), and perhaps some will find his viewpoint more objective than that of a devoted believer. I am less enthusiastic. But I am glad I read the book. To the extent that I am qualified to comment, I find his views in line with mainstream Christian scholarship. Since I have difficulty with what I will uncharitably call the biblical revisionism that forms the foundation for much of the modern understanding of ancient Judaism, Christianity, and the Bible, at least in mainstream liberal critical circles, I found his exposition of Jewish and Christian history, through the second century, disappointing but unsurprising. I look forward to the day when scholars come to terms with the fact that, if they reject the more speculative aspects of nineteenth and early twentieth century biblical revisionism, they must also reject the more recent extrapolations of the earlier conclusions. My viewpoints are much more inline with those of Bruce, Carson, Kitchen, Longman, and Robinson.* After introducing himself, MacCulloch starts his book with a discussion of ancient Greek history and philosophy, and its influence on Christian belief and theology. I found this very helpful. MacCulloch explained how Greek culture influenced Jewish culture throughout the Roman empire. He discussed how Greek notions of the perfection of God clashed with the more personal, passionate, and earthy Jewish God of the Bible. He pointed out how that for Greeks, the God of the Old Testament was the almost the antithesis of their ideas of God. Included in the discussion was Diogenes, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Pythagoras. MacCulloch later shows how these philosophers influenced both mainstream and heretical Christian belief throughout Christian history. MacCulloch is really quite ambitious to try to teach all of Christian history, in all the world, from before Christ to now. This is not just a broad brush summary of Christian history: there is depth and detail, in my opinion, too much detail. In any given century, there seem to be about a half a dozen major heresies, at least two or three mainstream accepted theologies, a number of important Christian leaders, several major wars, one or more genocides, a new expectation of the end of the world, a few major missionary efforts, one or several large political shifts, a new understanding of what it means to be Christian, and the relentless expansion of the Christian church. There is a lot of information here, and I would like to assimilate it better, but for me, I am overwhelmed. I like MacCulloch's story telling style. It is enjoyable and informative and very readable. But I had trouble absorbing key points. As MacCulloch points out, many Christian leaders and theologies continue to impact the faith for centuries after their inception. When a student first encounters these leaders and theologies, it is not obvious which ones will become important. As I am reading about them, I don't know what to focus on. Without knowing history, I don't know how to read history! A little help from the teacher in this instance would be appreciated. As an example, MacCulloch describes Martin Luther's theology in the context of his life, including his upbringing, rivalries, influences, politics, and travel. We then learn the stories of Luther's followers. Eventually great changes are triggered by Luther's writing, several large protestant denominations develop, even the course of nations is changed, and each development has a history of its own. MacCulloch expounds seemingly on each development of theology, ritual, art, politics, and culture, decade by decade, throughout Europe, and then beyond. In the midst of all this information, I become lost. What was it that Luther was trying to say? The problem with history is there is just too much of it! In spite of my complaints, I am glad I read the book. It has made me aware of the size and diversity of Christianity. I have learned a little about tolerance, and especially intolerance. I have learned about the quest for power, influence, and control in human institutions, churches, and nations, and especially the horror that can result. And I have learned a little about belief, faith, hope, and spirit; I think I have especially learned that humility is key to love and understanding, for each other and our creator. Overall, I liked the book, not a lot, but I liked it. I may read it again, and if I do, I will take better notes. I hesitantly recommend it. -------------------- * That is I more closely embrace the viewpoints expressed in the following books: - Bruce, F. F. The New Testament documents : are they reliable. Grand Rapids, Mich. Downers Grove, Ill: Eerdmans InterVarsity Press, 2003. - Carson, D. A., and Douglas J. Moo. An introduction to the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 2009. - Kitchen, K. A. On the reliability of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich: W.B. Eerdmans, 2006. - Longman, Tremper, and Raymond B. Dillard. An introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 2006. - Robinson, John A. Redating the New Testament. London: S.C.M. Press, 1976. Note: Rated three out of five stars on Goodreads, as Goodreads defines three stars as "I like it" and two stars as "It's okay".

## Frequently Bought Together

- Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years
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- Jesus and the Disinherited

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