Meet some of Christianity's luminary figures - the followers of Jesus who have practiced and preached their beliefs for centuries. Whether well known or obscure or even nameless, their actions and achievements, their abilities and energies have changed the course of history and the nature of belief.

These 24 inspirational lectures will inspire you by the many ways these figures found to live lives of faith. You'll stand spellbound in the crowd, listening to Bernardino and Augustine preach and teach. You'll visit the solitary cells and see the visions of Bernard, Clare, and Catherine. You'll witness the negotiations as Gregory VII and Leo IX reform the church. And you'll hear the verdicts of heresy against John Hus and against Martin Luther.

More than doctrine or theology or even prayer, Christianity, for many, is the daily effort to live one's faith in every time and place. Professor Cook introduces you to those who have done so over the centuries and shows the many paths they found.

If you seek your own path, their lives will inspire you. You will understand how Christians' faith has changed Christianity, and how these believers can help light your own way. And if you are wondering what Christians value and how they practice those values, you will see real lives that exemplify Christian faith in action.

Christianity didn't just change believers; it defined all of Europe, eastern as well as western, and set many of the world's nations on a course still apparent today.