A mosaic of the Resurrection in the Basilica of St. Paul in Harissa, Lebanon.
FredSeiller/Wikimedia Commons
Ideas about resurrection had been developing for centuries before Jesus’ life, but his followers took them in new directions.
Olympias the Deaconess.
Print by Boëtius Adamsz. Bolswert in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam/Wikimedia Commons
A formidable woman born in the second half of the fourth century and widowed at around 17, Olympias was not afraid to advocate for herself – or her friends.
“Italian Coast Scene with Ruined Tower,” by 19th century American painter Thomas Cole.
National Gallery of Art
The ‘Shepherd of Hermas’ has been accused of being pedantic, even boring. In the first few centuries of Christianity, though, it was a hit.
An 11th-century mosaic shows Epiphanius of Salamis, Clement of Rome, Gregory the Theologian, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and Archdeacon Stephen.
St. Sophia of Kyiv/Wikimedia Commons
Catholics, Protestants and Eastern Orthodox Christians recognize the authority of the ‘fathers’ to guide teaching on doctrinal issues.
Magic fascinated and troubled early Christians as much as it does some people today.
Marvel Studios
Although many modern people tend to see ‘magic’ and ‘religion’ as separate, magic was actually integral to the development of Christianity.
The Cadaver Synod (897): Seven months after his death, the corpse of Pope Formosus was found guilty of perjury.
Jean-Paul Laurens (1870) via Britannica
The story of the ‘Cadaver Synod’ tells us that in some cases, even the departed can be held to account.
The Shrine of the Holy Nativity, Bethlehem, 1849.
David Roberts
Recent archaeological studies suggest that early Christians were identifying important sites as little as a century after the last of the gospels.
US president, Donald Trump, brandishing a Bible outside St John’s Episcopal Church in Washington DC on June 1, 2020.
EPA-EFE/Shawn Thew
The history of early Christianity shows the power of the Bible used as a sign of resistance against repression at the hands of the Romans.
Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald.
Jaap Buitendijk, photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
The latest film from the wizarding world JK Rowling echoes ancient themes of covens and devil worship.
A 2002 protest against clergy sex abuse.
Jim Bourg/Reuters
An expert explains how a complex set of canon laws and trials are the major obstacle to holding priests accountable. The power to take action is often vested in the Vatican.
Illustration of Dante’s Paradiso.
Giovanni di Paolo
Different cultural groups respond with numerous, often conflicting, answers to questions about life after death. An expert explains the Christian idea of heaven.
Should we be more patient with those we view as distracted?
Serhii Bobyk/Shutterstock.com
We disapprove of distraction and consider attention as being valuable. What if they were, in fact, morally charged words, referring to the same behavior? Here’s what early Christian monks thought.