Robert Louis Wilken is William R. Kenan Professor of the History of Christianity Emeritus, University of Virginia. He lives in Washington, D.C.


Through a selected narration of particularly noteworthy persons and events, Wilken demonstrates how the coming of Christianity set in motion one of the most profound revolutions the world has known. This is not a story limited to the West; rather, Christian communities in Ethiopia, Nubia, Armenia, Georgia, Persia, Central Asia, India, and China shaped the course of Christian history. The rise and spread of Islam had a lasting impact on the future of Christianity, and several chapters are devoted to the early experiences of Christians under Muslim rule. Wilken reminds us that the career of Christianity is characterized b

Publishes the basic points of discussion which the author had with a group of Christians. The introduction to the book records a few details about those taking part in the discussions and characteristic features of their personalities. The discussion leads to a shared realization that many people today, although they believe in God and want to follow the genuine way of life offered by the Church, nevertheless remain uncured in their souls because they do not know how to be cured. When replying to the questions of those conversing with him, the author always relies on the teaching of the holy Fathers of the Church, who set out in their writings the Orthodox method of healing the soul.