In this accessible and engaging book, J.C.V. Durell explores the history of the Christian church from its earliest days to the present. He pays particular attention to the role of the church in shaping Western culture and society, and he shows how the church has interacted with various political and social movements throughout history. This book is an ideal introduction to the history of the church for students, scholars, and anyone interested in the topic. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.