Award-winning author David Chidester traces the emergence of the major streams of Christian belief and practice, along with their ancient origins, from the time of Jesus to the dawn of the third millennium. Christianity focuses on more than dogma to present how a faith has been lived for nearly two thousand years. Global in sweep, this book is local in detail. Chidester looks through the eyes of mystics and scholars, heretics and saints, witches and healers, preachers and inquisitors to reveal the rich diversity of Christian religion. The sometimes amicable and occasionally hostile relationships between Christianity and Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and other religions is also explored in depth. Chidester goes on to examine the hostilities and cooperation between Christianity and Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, and other religions around the world. This book goes beyond traditional histories in exploring the ancient origins of beliefs and practices, through the transitions of the medieval and Byzantine era, to the global transformations of Christianity in the modern world. David Chidester is a prolific and innovative award-winning author. He has twice won the “Award for Excellence in Religious Studies" (1990, 1997) from the American Academy of Religion. “A readable, objective Christian history that reflects admirable knowledge of the details without ever losing sight of the larger sweep of the narrative." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) | Christianity by David Chidester, Paperback | Indigo Chapters