Eusebius's account is the only surviving historical record of the Church during its crucial first 300 years. Bishop Eusebius, a learned scholar who lived most of his life in Caesarea in Palestine, broke new ground in writing the History and provided a model for all later ecclesiastical historians. In tracing the history of the Church from the time of Christ to the Great Persecution at the beginning of the fourth century, and ending with the conversion of the Emperor Constantine, his aim was to show the purity and continuity of the doctrinal tradition of Christianity and its struggle against persecutors and heretics.

Often called the "Father of Church History," Eusebius was the first to trace the rise of Christianity during its crucial first three centuries from Christ to Constantine. Our principal resource for earliest Christianity, The Church History presents a panorama of apostles, church fathers, emperors, bishops, heroes, heretics, confessors, and martyrs. This paperback edition includes Paul L. Maier's clear and precise translation, historical commentary on each book in The Church History, and numerous maps, illustrations, and photographs. Coupled with helpful indexes and the Loeb numbering system, these features promise to liberate Eusebius from previous outdated and stilted works, creating a new standard primary resource for readers interested in the early history of Christianity. Reviews of the hardcover edition: "The publication of a new translation of Eusebius's The Church History is an important event. This translation, along with the helpful introductions and commentary by Paul L. Maier, makes early history come alive." --Mark A. Noll, Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History, University of Notre Dame "There is no book more important to understanding the early church than Eusebius's The Church History. And there is no edition more readable and engaging than this one." --Mark Galli, Managing Editor, Christianity Today Paul L. Maier is the Russell H. Seibert Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University. He received his Ph.D. summa cum laude from the University of Basel, the first American ever to do so. Frequently interviewed for national radio, television, and newspapers, Maier is the author of numerous articles and books, both fiction and nonfiction, with several million books in print in sixteen languages. His publications include the award-winning translation, Josephus: The Essential Works.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1839 edition. Excerpt: ... The ecclesiastical history of Eusebius Pamphilus Eusebius (of Caesarea, Bishop of Caesarea) NOTICE. The edition of Eusebius here offered to the public, is the first that has been issued in this country. It had its origin in the want of health, to sustain the ordinary labours of the ministry, and a wish to promote the knowledge, and advance the cause of religion. The nature of the work, and the estimation in which it has usually been held by the learned and pious, sanction the measure the publisher was induced to adopt, as being well calculated to answer the design. Circumstances attending the rise and early progress of Christianity, in a great measure peculiar to the character, condition, and wants of an infant Institution, established by divine authority, and protected to its completion by evident tokens of the divine presence and approbation, highly interesting in their nature, and extremely important to be known, invest the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius, (especially as it succeeds immediately to the Acts of the Apostles, and is for a considerable period the only work of the kind, ) with a degree of value, to subsequent ages, that no other uninspired document is entitled to claim. The undersigned is firmly persuaded that its extensive circulation will, as it furnishes the means in a good degree of comparing modern with primitive times, and of viewing them in contrast with each other, tend to increase useful knowledge, promote soundness and unity in the faith, advance the cause of the church, and maintain peace and quietness among all Christian people. In the confident opinion, that a general acquaintance with primitive Christianity would effect much for its cause, he has frequently wished to see the mo