Christianity: The Basics

Christianity: The Basics is a compelling introduction to both the central pillars of the Christian faith and the rich and varied history of this most global of global religions. This book traces the development of Christianity through an exploration of some of the key beliefs, practices and emotions which have been recurrent symbols through the centuries:

• Christ, the kingdom of heaven and sin
• Baptism, Eucharist and prayer
• Joy, divine union and self denial

Encompassing the major epochs of Christian history and examining the unity and divisions created by these symbols, Christianity: The Basics is both a concise and comprehensive introduction to the Christian tradition.

Bruce Chilton is a leading scholar of early Christianity and Judaism and is currently Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Religion at Bard where he also directs the Institute of Advanced Theology. He has taught in Europe at the Universities of Cambridge, Sheffield, and Münster, and in the United States at Yale University (as the first Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament).