This monumental and classic work has been updated by a team of respected scholars. The bibliography has also been revised.

Volumes 1 and 2 over 2000 pages cover entire history of Christianity from beginning to late 20th century.

Each paragraph of this classic brick-of-a-book has shelves devoted to it; the standard initial history, it thus forms the foundation of many a Christianity library. A great baseline.

Coptic Christianity is not attested to historically until the 4th Century
"In Egypt Christianity was late in winning many adherents among the non-Greek speaking elements of the population, the country folk whose tongue was the native Egyptian. Yet by the beginning of the fourth century parts of the Scriptures had been translated into more than one of the non-Greek vernaculars and the foundation had been laid of a native Egyptian (Coptic) church" (p. 77).

Likewise, the Eastern branch of Christianity, in contrast to the Roman, Latin strain, is not present until the 4th Century
"As we have suggested, it seems fitting that in carrying out our story into the period which follows the first five hundred years we should begin with that portion of the narrative which centers about Constantinople and which leads into an account of what may be designated as the Greek or Byzantine segment of Christianity. It was through the administrative structure which had its headquarters at Constantinople that the Roman Empire persisted without a break. Through it, accordingly, the relationship between Church and state which had its inception under Constantine continued its most characteristic development" (p. 278).

Comprehensive church history ( )