A Pinch of Incense: AD 70 to 250 from the Fall of Jerusalem to the Decian Persecution, the second volume of The Christians, is comprised of ten chapters, beginning with the ministry of John and the writing of the Fourth Gospel. The increasing persecution of Christians, aided by the fervor of Roman bureaucrats like Pliny the Younger and by decrees that made the faith illegal, is the focus of much of this volume.

The title of the book comes from one of the “tests” to which people suspected of being Christian were subjected: To refuse to burn a pinch of incense as an offering to Caesar as god would cause a Christian to be sentenced to death.

The stories of early Christian leaders and martyrs include:
• Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch
• Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna
• Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyon in Gaul
• Justin, a convert who became the first great defender of the faith
• Origen, who became a renowned Christian leader after his father was martyred
• Perpetua, a loving daughter and new mother, who converted and became a confident martyr.

The growth of the Roman Empire is detailed in this volume, as is the growth of Christian conversions within the army and, secretly, among the Roman ruling elite.