Using a combination of literary and archeological evidence, this in-depth, illustrated book documents the development of Christian practices and doctrine in Roman Africa - contemporary Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco - from the second century through the Arab conquest in the seventh century. It provides valuable new insights into the church fathers Tertullian, Cyprian, and Augustine. Most significantly, it offers a rich, unprecedented look at early Christian life in Roman Africa, including the development of key rituals and practices such as baptism and eucharist, the election and ordination of leaders, marriage, and burial. In exploring these, the text shows how the early African Christians consistently fought to preserve the holiness of the church amid change and challenge.