Suffering and Glory

Patrick Whitworth tells the story of the growth of the early Christian community. Eschewing speculation, he provides a clear narrative interspersed with pithy accounts of the most significant Christian teachers in the period which culminated in the advent of the first Christian Emperor, Constantine.



It is a story that is particularly relevant at a time when Christendom is a fading memory and the Christian community is struggling to discover where the Spirit is leading in a global culture.



— Richard Chartres, Former Bishop of London

A rapid, detailed and accurate narrative, full of picturesque scenes drawn directly from contemporary witnesses to the rise of Christianity in the Roman world. Whitworth writes with admiring passion, but does not disguise the human peculiarities and frailties of the protagonists. At all times we are aware of the importance of locality, and the shifts in Christian thought and practice are seen to result from changing relations to the ambient culture, a leading cause of which was the success of the church itself.



— Mark Edwards, Professor of Early Christian Studies, University of Oxford

Patrick Whitworth povesteste despre cresterea comunitatii crestine timpurii. Fugind de speculatii, el ofera o naratiune clara, intercalata cu relatari amoroase ale celor mai semnificativi profesori crestini din perioada care a culminat cu aparitia primului imparat crestin, Constantin. Este o poveste care este deosebit de relevanta intr-un moment in care crestinatatea este o estompare memoria si comunitatea crestina se lupta sa descopere in ce directie duce spiritul intr-o cultura globala. - Richard Chartres, fost episcop al Londrei O naratiune rapida, detaliata si precisa, plina de scene pitoresti trase direct de la martori contemporani la cresterea crestinismului in Lumea romana.