Eusebius of Caesarea for Beginners

The Man Who Saved Christianity's Memory - But Can We Trust What He Wrote?

Without Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 260-339 AD), we would know almost nothing about Christianity's first three centuries. He preserved letters, documents, and testimonies that would otherwise be lost forever. He witnessed the Great Persecution, attended the Council of Nicaea, and advised Constantine, the first Christian emperor.

Yet he remains deeply controversial.

Did he compromise his faith to survive while his teacher died in prison? Was he a semi-Arian who signed the Nicene Creed under pressure? Did his celebration of Constantine become propaganda? These questions have troubled scholars for seventeen centuries.

This book tells the complete story: His education at Caesarea's great Christian library, his survival during persecution, his conflicted role at Nicaea, his relationship with Constantine, and his groundbreaking Ecclesiastical History that became the foundation of all church history.

Written accessibly, this book explains why we cannot understand early Christianity without Eusebius-and why we must read him carefully. You'll learn which parts of his testimony can be trusted and which require skepticism.

Perfect for understanding:

• How Christianity survived persecution and became Rome's religion
• The Arian controversy and Nicaea
• Constantine's conversion and its meaning for the Church
• How we know what we know about the apostolic age
• The complex relationship between church and state

Essential reading for anyone serious about understanding how Christianity became the religion of the Roman Empire.