The subject of this course is the history of Christianity from the late Middle Ages to the present. This fascinating era in the history of the Church has been both a time of unprecedented strife between Christians and a time of remarkable vitality, as new modes of living and expressing the Christian message have emerged to meet the demands of the modern day. It has witnessed serious challenges posed by secularism and rival ideologies (e.g., socialism, nationalism, fascism), as well as the successful transplanting of Christianity to nearly every corner of the globe. While concerned with all the major confessions, this course places special emphasis on the modern history of the Catholic Church. Its geographical focus is on Europe, but the history of Christianity in the Americas, Africa and Asia are also taken into account.