This book explores the theological lessons to be learnt from 2000 years of Christian Church history. * An exploration of the theological lessons to be learnt from the difficult history of the Christian churches over the past 2,000 years * Opens with an introductory essay on the whole of Church history, making the book suitable for lay readers as well as students * Combines historical, historiographical and theological analysis * Reunites the disciplines of theology and Church history * Concludes that we can only ever perceive a facet of Christianity given our historical and cultural conditioning * Written by a distinguished Church historian.