Jesus movements and the renewal of Israel / Richard A. Horsley -- Why peasants responded to Jesus / William R. Herzog II -- Women's history from birth-prophecy stories / Antoinette Clark Wire -- Turning the tables on Jesus : the Mandaean view / Jorunn Jacobsen Buckley -- Conflict in Corinth / Ray Pickett -- Matthew's people / Warren Carter -- The Gospel of John as people's history / Allen Dwight Callahan -- Disciplining the hope of the poor in ancient Rome / Neil Elliott -- Family matters / Carolyn Osiek -- The eyes have it : slaves in the communities of Christ-believers / Clarice J. Martin -- Injustice or God's will : explanations of poverty in four proto-Christian texts / Steven J. Friesen -- Prophets, prophetic movements, and the voices of women / Barbara R. Rossing.

v. 1. Christian origins / Richard A. Horsley. -- v. 2. Late ancient Christianity / Virginia Burrus. -- v. 3. Byzantine Christianity / Derek Krueger. -- v. 4. Medieval Christianity / Daniel E. Bornstein. -- v. 5. Reformation Christianity / Peter Matheson. -- v. 6. Modern Christianity to 1900 / Amanda Porterfield. -- v. 7. Twentieth-century global Christianity / Mary Farrell Bednarowski.

Each stage of Christian church history is reinterpreted according to the laity, the common faithful, and everyday practices of faith at each stage. Normal histories focus on church doctrine or famous clergy of the period, while these works analyze each historical period in light of the common member's various interpretations of faith.

Description based on print version record.