Between 300 and 450 C.E., Christianity rose to prominence in the Roman Empire, developed new notions of sanctity and heresy, and spread beyond the Mediterranean world. This reader collects primary sources from the early Christian world—from authors such as Augustine, Athanasius, and Eusebius—in the most recent translations and also includes less familiar texts, some of which appear in English translation for the first time. Presented in their entirety or in longexcerpts, the texts are arranged thematically and cover such topics as orthodoxy, conversion, asceticism, and art and architecture. Ehrman provides introductions for each chapter, text, and image.