Christian History

Issue 57

Converting the Empire: Early Church Evangelism

Originally published in 1998

Christian History magazine was published by Christianity Today from 1982 to 2008.

Articles in this Issue

The Emperor’s New Religion

Bruce L. Shelley

The story of early Christianity’s most famous—and most controversial—convert.

Evangelism in the Early Church: Did You Know?

Editors

Little known or remarkable facts about church growth in the ancient pagan world.

The Empire Within the Empire

Setting the context.

Defending the Cannibals

J. David Cassel

How Christians responded to the sometimes strange accusations of their critics.

Ordinary Saints at First Church

E. Glenn Hinson

It wasn’t revivals or eloquent preachers that most influenced pagan society but everyday Christians doing everyday evangelism.

The Exile and the Slave Girl

Gregory P. Elder

Two of the least known but most effective early evangelists.

Evangelism in the Early Church: A Gallery of Key Converts

Gregory P. Elder

Rejecting paganism, these five Christians helped evangelize an empire.

Live Longer, Healthier, & Better

Rodney Stark

The untold benefits of becoming a Christian in the ancient world.

Evangelists to the Death

William H. C. Frend

It took centuries for Christian martyrs to impact pagan society.

The Competition

Everett Ferguson

When Christianity came to town, the religious marketplace was already crowded.

From Black Magic to Mystical Awe

Glimpses of many-sided Roman paganism—from engravings, parchments, and tablets of the ancient world.

The Emperor Strikes Back

John O. Gooch

How the once illegal religion became the law of the empire.

Evangelism in the Early Church: Christian History Interview – Roman Redux

Robert L. Wilken

Today’s evangelistic challenge is not all that different than it was for the early church.

Evangelism in the Early Church: Recommended Resources

Editors

Evangelism in the Early Church

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