A celebration of two thousand years of Christianity, this wide-ranging history starts with the birth of Jesus and maps out the broad sweep of Christian religion as it has developed through many cultures. The author sets out each period in its historical, political and philosophical context. Lucidly and compellingly written, this sensitive and accessible critique is a mine of information for the non-specialist, while the theologically educated reader will find in it a rare joy and a new clarity of vision.

But AD 2,000 is not the end of history. If, for the historian, the millennium is a platform for looking back at the panorama of the past, it is also a standpoint for looking forward. For those who celebrate the child born in the manger, what will the next two thousand years bring?