Christianity ― The Faith That Inspired and Shaped the Western World

More than any other, Christianity is the world’s first truly global faith. Lying at the heart of Western civilization, Christianity has spread everywhere, and today is still winning converts in Africa, China, and throughout the world. How is it that a movement which began more than 2,000 years ago in Palestine continues to be such a potent force, commanding the hearts and inspiring the imaginations of billions of believers? Thomas Small takes us back to where it all began, to the epic, shocking, and sometimes deeply moving Christian story. First preached all those centuries ago, that story was adapted and refined through the ages, and Small explores that fascinating, twisting history, from the apostle Paul to the mystics of the Egyptian desert, from the challenge of Islam to the ferocity of the Crusades, and from the rise of science to the birth of the modern world. Along the way, he reveals the intimate link between Christian theology and worship, and makes sense of the many divisions within Christianity: Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant. Finally, he asks the question, how can this story—full of miracles and holy men, angels and demons—still be believed by modern people? What is it that motivates them to put their faith in it? Beyond the age-old debate between faith and religion, Small offers a new way to make sense of Christianity in the postmodern world. 

Born a Catholic, raised a Protestant, and baptized Orthodox as a young man, Thomas Small spent many years travelling widely in the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, including long stints inside monasteries in Greece, Palestine, and Egypt. Immersion in eastern Christian spirituality exposed Thomas to Sufism as well, and intrigued, he earned a degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies at university in London. A career in documentary film followed, focused especially on Islamic extremism, leading to his first book, a history of Al Qaeda. A frequent contributor to the Times Literary Supplement, Thomas remains fascinated by the way ancient beliefs intersect with modern life.