This groundbreaking introductory textbook serves as a comprehensive guide to the study of the New Testament and the first Christians, aimed at the next generation of students. It maps the historical rise of Christianity from a network of early Christian movements, systematically exploring the struggles to define the faith amid persistent diversity. The text delves into the first five generations of Christians, from Paul to Origen, and begins by addressing the challenges of constructing Christian histories, proposing a new model of Christian families to explain the emergence and competition of various Christianities. Subsequent chapters focus on key issues faced by Christian leaders over the centuries, illustrating how their questions and answers shaped Christianity's distinct identity. As movements vied for social advantage, certain groups were identified as adversaries, leading to consolidation against them. The final chapter categorizes the studied Christians into three families based on their worship and shared patterns of thought and practice, while also tracing the origins of these varieties and the intolerance that shaped Christian identity. The text explores essential questions about early Christians, their writings, views on sex, women, immortality, Judaism, suffering, and death, as well as their rituals and experiences in a Roman-dominated world. It serves as an excellent primary textbook for courses in Christianity
