Christendom: The Triumph of a Religion

Peter Heather's book "Christendom: How the Christian Religion Became the Dominant Faith of the Western World" explores how the Christian religion became a defining feature of the European landscape, and how a small sect of isolated congregations was transformed into a mass movement centrally directed from Rome. It shows how Christendom constantly battled against both so-called heresies and other forms of belief, and how it transformed into an institution that wielded effective religious authority across nearly all of the disparate peoples of medieval Europe.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 736 pages
Publication date: 26 October 2023
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

A captivating tale unfolds, revealing the intricate dynamics of a religion that finds itself in a remarkably precarious position. The Sunday Times heralds it as "superb storytelling," describing it as captivating and profound. The Literary Review praises it as a page-turner, while The Spectator acknowledges its ability to keep readers engaged from start to finish.

In the fourth century AD, a new faith emerged from the land of Palestine, swiftly conquering the paganism of Rome and even converting the Emperor Constantine in the process. Over the course of nearly a thousand years, this religion would exert a monolithic hold over the population of Europe, permeating every aspect of culture and society. However, as Peter Heather reveals in this compelling history, the rise of Christendom to Europe-wide dominance was far from inevitable.

Heather delves into the intricate journey of how the Christian religion became a defining characteristic of the European landscape. He explores how a small sect of isolated congregations transformed into a vast movement, centrally directed from Rome. Through this exploration, Heather highlights the constant battles that Christendom waged against both so-called heresies and other forms of belief. From the crisis that followed the collapse of the Roman Empire, which threatened to extinguish the religion, to the astonishing revolution that saw the Papacy emerge as the head of a vast international corporation, Heather traces Christendom's remarkable capacity for self-reinvention and its unwavering willingness to mobilize well-directed force.

Christendom's achievement extended beyond the mere definition of official Christianity. It encompassed the transformation of Christianity into an institution that wielded effective religious authority across nearly all the disparate peoples of medieval Europe. This remarkable story unfolds through the lives of scholars, lawyers, provincial officials, and missionaries who played pivotal.

Weight: 520g
Dimension: 196 x 128 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780141988535