The third volume of an ambitious survey of the history of the Church in the first 500 years of its life, and draws the history to a satisfying conclusion.

This trilogy constitutes a lucid and masterly overview of the patristic period in terms of its theology and historical context. ... These are books that can be read and re-read with profit and also enjoyment. The writer, and those who commend these volumes, are united in their view that Christians need an accurate understanding of the significance of the Church Fathers for the life of the Church today. To succumb to cultural amnesia is not a Christian virtue, for in Christianity, a living past alone can guide and nurture a living present. This is part of what it means to believe in the Communion of Saints.