Part of Lion's Compact Guide series, this handy reference book provides essential information on the growth and impact of Christianity from the apostles to the present day. The encyclopaedia is organized century by century, going through the major events, changes and personalities that have shaped Christian history around the world. It focuses not only on the Western world, but takes a broad survey of global Christianity. (The chapter on 16th century, for example, covers not just the Lutheran reformation but also the shift of power in the Orthodox Church from Constantinople to Rome.) The result is a highly informative, broad-ranging book.