Rating: 
Summary: Not sure whether to give 4 or 3, but...
Review: The book is as good as the other reviews describe. I found it unfortunately ambivalent, though, on certain crucial questions. For example, the author merely insinuates why he believes Constantine converted--for political convenience, to better influence conventions about royal dispensations to religious "chairties", true belief, what? A lot of good questions are posed, but most are answered with negatives; even what positive conclusions he does seem come to are unsatisfying because they still seem at least partly provisional. Interesting sources are used, and authors introduced, but in so small a book (150+ pages) these are more like a nice classical fog around a set of explanations that are pretty familiar. Is this objectivity or indifference? But it's still pretty good because of the number of topics he Does shed light on, and offers an interesting overview of the whole topic that does produce a useful and deep outline. It's just not better than 3 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Amazing story, solid scholarship
Review: WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: In 100 AD Christianity was a minor cult, by 400 AD it was on it's way to converting the vast empire. How? Well, convincing the Emperor (Constantine, 312 AD) and being able to kill people who disagreed helped. But earlier, between 100 and 300, Christian miracle workers won converts. Martyrs were less common and less important than you'd think.MacMullen had devoted a 40 year career to ancient Rome around this time. Every conclusion he draws is based on original ancient sources. This book is based on non-Christian sources and looks at the early conversions as the ancient non-christians would have understood them. Highly recommended. And yes, it is hard to read.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing story, solid scholarship
Review: WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: In 100 AD Christianity was a minor cult, by 400 AD it was on it's way to converting the vast empire. How? Well, convincing the Emperor (Constantine, 312 AD) and being able to kill people who disagreed helped. But earlier, between 100 and 300, Christian miracle workers won converts. Martyrs were less common and less important than you'd think. MacMullen had devoted a 40 year career to ancient Rome around this time. Every conclusion he draws is based on original ancient sources. This book is based on non-Christian sources and looks at the early conversions as the ancient non-christians would have understood them. Highly recommended. And yes, it is hard to read.
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