The name of Jesus and His teachings captured people’s hearts and minds throughout much of the world long before Christianity was legal. Long before armies and governments protected or supported it, and then long after Emperor Constantine’s reign as many leaders misused it for their own gains or religious views. Christianity also survived brutal persecutions during many centuries, including the present. Its growth seems inexplicable. The Pew Research Center’s recent work supports the claim that “Christianity is the only religion in the world with a major presence on every continent.” Inexplicable traces this remarkable spread of Jesus’s followers.

The spread of Christianity, and its ongoing vitality, might be inexplicable, but it certainly is undeniable. This remarkable book, robust in its historical accuracy, gives the reader an engaging account of how Christianity spread to all the continents. Dr. Jerry Pattengale conveys the tumultuous growth of our faith without covering up the massive failures on the part of some who simultaneously called themselves Christians. Yes, this “history” is all-important for us as informed citizens of planet earth, but it is critical for those of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus. — David Wright, President, Indiana Wesleyan University