From Christ to Constantine by James MacKinnon

Today’s free book is James MacKinnon overview of the history of the church from the death of Jesus Christ to the end of the reign of Constantine the Great.

This public domain title was digitised from the copy held in Spurgeon’s College library.

James Mackinnon [1860-1945], From Christ to Constantine. The Rise and Growth of the Early Church. (c. A.D. 30 to 337). London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1936. Hbk. pp.584. [Click here to visit the download page for this title]

Table of Contents

• Preface

1. Introduction
   1. The Roman Empire
   2. Greek Thopught in Relation to Christianity
   3. Graeco-Roman Religion in Relation to Christianity
   4. The Mystery Religions
   5. Hellenist Judaism
2. The Founding of the Church
   1. Jesus and the Church
   2. The Resurrection Faith
   3. Growth of the Community
   4. Extension of the Mission
   5. Life of the Community
   6. Organisation of the Community
3. The Rise of the Gentile Church
   1. Paul and the Gentile Mission
   2. The Conflict over the Law
   3. The Pauline Mission in Outline
   4. Features of the Mission
   5. Paul’s Co-Workers
   6. The Later Mission of the Twelve
   7. The NEronian Persecution
   8. Organisation of the Gentile Churches
   9. The Universal Church
   10. Communal Religious Life
   11. The Christian Life
   12. Paul’s Contribution to Christian Thought
4. The Subapostolic Church
   1. The Expansion of the Church
   2. In Conflict with the Empire
   3. The Christian Ministry
   4. Primitive Epicopacy
   5. Communal Religious Life
   6. The Christian Life
   7. Christian Thought
5. The Emergence of the Catholic Church, A.D. c. 150-c. 300
   1. Continued Expansion
   2. Accusations and Calumnies Against Christians
   3. The Christian Defence
   4. Continued Conflict
   5. The Catholic Ministry
   6. The Montanist Opposition
   7. The Roman Primacy
   8. The Organisation of the Catholic Church
   9. The Christian Gnostics
   10. The Repudiation of Gnosticism
   11. Inner Conflict
   12. Communal Religious Life
   13. The Christian Life
   14. Catholic Theology
6. Catholicism and Culture
   1. Catholic Apologetic
   2. Early Catholic Plea for Christianity
   3. Clement of Alexandria
   4. Origen and Celsus
   5. The Neo-Platonists
7. The Victory of the Catholic Church
   1. The Final Conflict
   2. The Conversion of Constantine
   3. Constantine and the Church
   4. The Arian Controversy and the Council of Nicaea
   5. The Christian Emperor

• Index

Main image: Constantine the Great by Philip Jackson, York, 1998.