Introduction to Early Church History: The First 500 Years

As an introduction to early church history, this book is not intended to cover any subject exhaustively. Its goal is to provide an overview of the most significant leaders of the church while adding stories of ordinary Christians who remained faithful to the Lord in the face of persecution. It will introduce readers to how the church, in its first five centuries, sought to answer the primary theological questions of the day. This book is meant to whet the appetite of those who have never read early church history and refresh the minds of those who have. For some, the reading of this book will be the beginning of a journey that will lead to a deep and abiding love for the history of God's sovereign working in the church and in the world.

Perry Edwards is pastor of Living Way Baptist Fellowship in Chipman, New Brunswick, Canada. He has served as a lecturer with Carey Outreach Ministries for the past seventeen years. He has taught courses on early church and Reformation history in several different countries around the world. He holds degrees from Heritage Baptist College, Toronto Baptist Seminary, and Whitefield Theological Seminary and continues to study classics at the University of New Brunswick.