A landmark historical study
A History of Christianity is a book for Christians and non-Christians alike: not a work of theology, but an exhilarating and accessible account of how the Christian religion has shaped human history. Diarmaid MacCulloch sets out to be a ‘candid friend’ of Christianity – never shying away from its darkest episodes, and tackling its many controversies with the measured judgement of a master historian.
The new colour illustrations are the result of meticulous research, and were chosen with the approval of the author. The images encompass medieval Gospel manuscripts, artworks from the high Renaissance and modern documentary photography, all drawn from sources including the Vatican, Cairo’s Coptic Museum and private collections. Maps are included throughout the text, helping to illuminate every chapter of Christianity’s global journey.
Jamie Clarke based his binding designs on three different crosses: an 18th-century Ethiopian Cross, an early Christological monogram and a reliquary cross from c.1180. Each volume has been blocked in a different metallic foil which echoes the colour of the original crosses.