"It began with a wondering Jewish preacher and a message of love. One thousand years later, Christianity reigned unchallenged as the dominant religion in Western Europe. But the struggles faced by the faith were far from over. A panoramic journey through ten centures of belief and conflict, Christianity: the second thousand years chronicles not just the events and personalities that left indelible marks on the landscape of faith, but also the forces behind them. From the Crusades and the Reformation to the sweeping changes of Vatican II, each fascinating episode is illuminated through the extensive use of historical documents, commentary from renowned scholars, and visits to the sites where history was made."--Container.