What did Roman cities look and feel like?

Readers respond to Christian History

Christian city movements, ancient and modern

Christians advocated for “the Way” in the middle of urban distractions much like our own

An excerpt from Tertullian's Apology

The Epistle to Diognetus describes the extraordinary character of early Christians

During and after persecution, new complexities challenged church leaders

We spoke to Katelyn Beaty, editor at large for Christianity Today, on how Christians today interact with their non-Christian neighbors.

How Christians helped the sick and poor in the Roman Empire’s cities

We spoke to Doug Banister, the pastor of All Souls Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, about how his church does urban ministry.

The Christian History timeline for the early church in Roman cities

How Christians behaved as citizens, soldiers, and public servants

We spoke to Karen Swallow Prior, author of Booked (2012) and Fierce Convictions (2014) and professor of English at Liberty University, about how Christians ought to live as citizens in the culture.

How Christianity changed the Roman Empire’s urban spaces

We spoke to Jill Sornson Kurtz, a professional architect with a particular interest in designing sustainable buildings for everyday life, on her work as a Christian in the building industry today.

A tour of the greatest cities of late antiquity

Greg Forster is director of the Oikonomia Network at the Center for Transformational Churches, Trinity International University. These reflections on Christians and culture are adapted from a blog series at The Green Room.

Here are some recommendations from CH editorial staff and this issue’s authors to help you understand the early church as an urban movement.