c. A.D. 2-62

Christian missionary and theologian whose accounts of his personal missionary travels and whose theology encouraged exploration during medieval and early modern eras. The first Christian theologian, his writings and journeys were especially directed to Gentiles (non-Jews) and were responsible for the spread of Christianity to Rome and further west into Europe. His emphasis on the importance of evangelical activity among non-Christians provided one of the most important rationales for subsequent exploration and conquest.