The history of early Christianity is, to a large extent, a matter of apostles, martyrs, saints, theologians, and bishops. It is also a matter of persecutors, repressive mechanisms, traditional religious institutions reacting to innovations, national philosophers, and pious Jews. In this study, however, the protagonists are Christians who followed side or secondary paths. More than the main roads, I trace dead-end routes and setbacks; more than heroic figures, I seek people who followed crooked paths. Instead of repeating what is known about the movements of prominent men, I emphasize the contribution of respectable and pious women who remained anonymous. To assess the self-sacrifice of the persecuted, I remind of the willingness with which people who had not been persecuted voluntarily approached martyrdom; similarly, I measure the value of perseverance by contrasting it with the usual resignation and renunciation of faith. I try to understand the behaviors of emperors and generals by the religiosity of ordinary soldiers, rebellious slaves, pirates, and robbers. The paths I examine resemble deviations, random courses, insignificant or purposeless wanderings. However, I argue that the general trends and convergences that eventually formed a universal church are inextricably linked with multiple deviations and opposing directions. The history of early Christianity is a very complex and rich phenomenon that should not be reduced to a predetermined final outcome.

Dimitris I. Kyrtatas