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A Book Report: 30 Key Moments in the History of Christianity: Inspiring True Stories from the Early Church Around the World by Mark W. Graham

Mark W. Graham’s 30 Key Moments in the History of Christianity offers a rich, panoramic exploration of the first millennium of Christian history. Rather than tracing a straightforward chronological narrative, Graham curates what he describes as “inspirational, challenging, encouraging, convicting, and even rebuking vignettes,” each chosen for its ability to illuminate the lived experience of early believers. His approach invites readers to see the early church not as a distant, monolithic institution but as a vibrant, global community shaped by diverse cultures, political pressures, and theological debates. The result is a book that feels both historically grounded and spiritually resonant.

The journey begins with a Roman report from 112 AD describing a mysterious “contagion” spreading through a region of the empire now located in modern-day Turkey. This early outsider’s account captures the bewilderment of Roman officials as Christianity quietly but steadily expanded. From this starting point, Graham leads readers through ten centuries of dramatic growth, conflict, and transformation, concluding with the widespread end-times anxieties that gripped parts of France and England around the year 1000. Along the way, he highlights the many contexts in which the early church took shape: the theological debates that defined orthodoxy, the courage of martyrs who died for their faith, the conversions of kings and commoners alike, and the missionary efforts that carried the gospel across continents.

Graham explains that his selection of moments was guided by two questions that remain strikingly relevant today: How have Christians across time and place navigated questions of political identity? And how have they understood and responded to expectations about the end of the world? He argues that these concerns continue to preoccupy many American Christians, and that the experiences of believers across centuries and cultures offer invaluable wisdom for navigating the complexities of faith in the modern world. By framing the narrative around these enduring questions, Graham encourages readers to reflect not only on what happened in the past but also on what these stories might teach the church today.

A distinctive strength of the book is Graham’s commitment to recovering stories that are either misunderstood or largely forgotten. He revisits the life of St. Boniface, challenging the popular image of the missionary with an axe and a pagan oak tree, and he recounts how a Persian emperor inadvertently strengthened the church in what is now Iran. These stories, drawn from regions often overlooked in Western tellings of Christian history, broaden the reader’s understanding of the early church’s global reach. Even when Graham turns to more familiar episodes, he aims to offer fresh insights that deepen appreciation for the complexity of the past.

Although Graham is an accomplished scholar with several academic works to his name, this book is intentionally written for “Christians in pews.” He observes that many believers are beginning to recognize how national, political, and cultural identities have sometimes overshadowed their primary and eternal identity in Christ. By presenting stories of Christians from vastly different eras and regions, he invites readers to rediscover the breadth of their spiritual family. “It is a book about ‘our people’—Christians through time—written for our people today,” he explains. His hope is that readers will come to see that they share a deeper kinship with, for example, seventh‑century Nubian Christians than with agnostic neighbors who happen to share their national flag. This reframing challenges modern assumptions and encourages a more expansive understanding of Christian belonging.

Graham also addresses a significant gap in popular Christian understanding. Many believers leap mentally from the New Testament to the Reformation, leaving more than a thousand years of rich, complex, and globally diverse Christian experience unexplored. Yet this millennium was anything but quiet. Christianity spread across three continents, taking root in places as varied as China, Sudan, and Britain. Across these regions, the gospel was proclaimed, communities of faith were formed, and believers expressed their devotion in ways shaped by their own cultural, social, and political contexts. By highlighting this diversity, Graham underscores the unity of the church across time and geography while also celebrating the many ways faith has been embodied.

The thirty stories he presents—encouraging, challenging, convicting, and deeply inspirational—reveal both the shared convictions and the remarkable variety of the early global church. With a blend of global perspective and intimate storytelling, Graham urges readers to broaden their understanding of Christian history and to appreciate the different ways believers have lived out their faith. The result is a wider view of the church, a deeper understanding of other expressions of Christianity around the world, and a renewed connection to the “great cloud of witnesses” who have gone before us.

Ultimately, 30 Key Moments in the History of Christianity is more than a historical survey. It is a call to humility, curiosity, and gratitude. Graham invites readers to step beyond familiar narratives, to listen to voices from across the centuries, and to recognize the profound continuity of Christian faith in all its cultural expressions. In doing so, he offers a compelling reminder that the story of the church is far larger, richer, and more diverse than many modern believers realize—and that this story continues to shape and challenge the church today.