Table of Contents

CONTENTS List of Appendixes List of Illustrations List of Maps Preface Introduction 1. Palestine and the Nations, 332–40 b.c. 2. Herod the Great 3. Judaism in the Christian Era 4. Religion and Philosophy in the Roman Era 5. Jesus and History 6. Jesus: The Early Years and the Roman Environment 7. The Ministry of Jesus 8. The Passion Week and the Resurrection 9. The Jerusalem Church 10. Paul the Missionary 11. The Outreach to the Gentiles 12. Church and Empire in the Era of Claudius and Nero 13. The Church in Crisis 14. The Last Decades 15. Conclusions Appendixes Notes List of Ancient Works Bibliography of Modern Works Indexes

About the Author

Richard L. Niswonger is the former pastor of Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Prairie Grove, Arkansas. With a PhD in history from the University of Texas at Austin, he is emeritus professor of history and Bible at John Brown University, where he also served as chair of the social studies division. He is a regular panel member and cohost of the television show America Talks, aired on eight cable systems in Arkansas and on the national Skyangel satellite system.