Presented by Diarmaid MacCulloch, leading historian and Professor of History of the Church and Fellow at St Cross College, Oxford, the series will chart the story of the beginnings of Christianity over a series of six documentaries. MacCulloch will first explore the faith’s early spread into many parts of Asia and the growth of Catholicism in the Western Church. Then delving into Eastern Europe and beyond he will look at Eastern Orthodoxy --- centering on Constantinople and later Moscow.

Next MacCulloch will look at the explosive impact of the Reformation and the resultant evangelical wing with its emphasis on missionary activity. Finally, the series will explore the growth of religious doubt in the aftermath of two world wars and the Holocaust. It will also look at how rapid social and cultural change has impacted the faith.

John Wolffe, Professor of Religious History at The Open University and academic consultant to the series, said: “For nearly two millennia Christianity has played a central role in world history and has interacted extensively with other religious traditions.”

He added: “The Open University is delighted to be involved in this series, which reflects our commitment to the objective and sympathetically critical study of religion as a major force in human societies.”

The series will be broadcast on BBC 4.

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