Preface - 5

Chapter 1: Paul's Footsteps

1.
Paul's third house… 15
- Church of San Paolo alla Regola
2.
The Gospel of Paul, who set sail for Spain… 20
- Ostia Antica
3.
The Roman council where Paul was sentenced to death… 26
- Foro Romano
4.
Where Paul's head touched the ground, a spring of water gushed out… 36
- Church of the Three Fountains L'Abbazia delle Tre Fontane
5.
To the Apostle Paul, Martyr… 43
- Basilica San Paolo fuori le mura

Chapter 2: Peter's Footsteps

6.
Lord, where are you going? … 53
- Church of Quo Vadis
7.
Jesus' Footsteps Leading Peter… 62
- Church of St. Sebastian outside the castleSan Sebastiano fuori le mura
8.
The Miracle of Baptism in Prison… 68
- Mamertine Prison
9-1.
I will build my church on this rock… 74
- St. Peter's Church ①Basilica di San Pietro
9-2.
The Bible through Bernini's works… 80
- St. Peter's Church ②Basilica di San Pietro
10.
Rome and Jerusalem, united by chains… 88
- Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli

Chapter 3: Jesus' Disciples, the Footsteps of the Twelve Apostles

11.
The Twelve Apostles Who Testified to the World the Blood of the Lamb… 103
- Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano
12.
Holy Apostles Square … 123
- Basilica dei Santi XII Apostoli
13.
A church built on a foreign temple… 130
- Church of the Apostle Bartholomew (Basilica di San Bartolomeo all'Isola Tiberina)
14.
Matthew's calling, Matthew's inspiration, Matthew's martyrdom… 137
- Church of San Luigi dei Francesi

Chapter 4: Roman Emperors Who Persecuted Christianity

15.
The Prelude to Christian Persecution… 149
- Domus Aurea, the Golden Palace, Emperor Nero
16.
The Book of Revelation begins at the Olympic Stadium… 158
- Piazza Navona, Emperor Domitian
17.
The Last Prayer of a Christian Martyr… 167
- Circo Massimo, Emperor Trajan
18.
Blessings to Rome, death to Christians… 174
- Mercati di Traiano, Emperor Trajan
19.
The blood of Christians blossoming like Pentecost petals… 181
- Pantheon, Emperor Hadrian
20.
Where the Angel's Miracle Stays... 190
- Castel Sant'Angelo, Emperor Hadrian
21.
10203, A Holy Resting Place Built on the History of the Yoke… 199
- Basilica S. of Santa Maria of the Martyrs and Angels
Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri

Chapter 5: The Early Church

22.
They risked their own necks for my life… 207
- Church of Brisca Chiesa di S.
Prisca
23.
Rome's First House Church… 214
- Basilica di Santa Pudenziana
24.
The stone pillar to which Jesus was bound… 220
- Basilica di Santa Prassede
25.
Clement, the representative of Rome, the Apostle… 224
- Basilica di San Clemente
26.
Saint Cecilia, patroness of church music… 232
- Basilica di Santa Cecilia in Trastevere

Chapter 6: Catacombs

27.
In memory of Peter and Paul… 245
- Catacombs of San Sebastiano
28.
Falling asleep dreaming of resurrection… 250
- Catacomb of San Callisto
29.
Queen of the Catacombs… 259
-Catacombe di Priscilla
30.
From the Soldier's Window to the Gospel of the Lord… 264
- Catacombs of Domitilla

Chapter 7: Jewish History in Rome

31.
The world's oldest Jewish quarter… 273
- Roman Ghetto
32.
The cries of the Jews drowned out by the roars of the Roman people… 281
- Colosseum

Chapter 8: Obelisks in the Holy Land of Rome

33.
Why are there obelisks in Roman shrines? … 293
- 13 obelisks

Chapter 9: Jesus Born During the Time of Emperor Augustus

34.
Why was Jesus born during the reign of Emperor Augustus? … 309
- Mausoleum of Emperor Augustus and the Altar of Peace Ara Pacis

Chapter 10: Luther's Footsteps

35.
The Birth of Protestantism, Luther's Reformation… 321
- Church of Santa Maria del Popolo in Piazza del Popolo

Author Kim Mi-hwa, who took our hearts to Italy and Israel through “A Trip to Tuscany with a Child” and “Son, Let’s Go to Jerusalem,” has packed her bags once again.
The stage he set foot on this time is Rome, the capital of Italy where he lives and a city of faith where the history of Christianity lives and breathes.
He believes that “our lives, even if they seem to be our own choices, ultimately move within God’s plan,” and it has already been 20 years since he came to live in Latina, Italy, near Rome.
During the long passage of time, long enough for the mountains and rivers to change twice, he sometimes thought, “Why did I end up living in Italy, and especially in a place called Latina near Rome?”
"Walking through Rome as a Christian," written over a period of over a year while personally visiting the Holy Land of Rome, is the answer he has finally found and his response to his faith.
The reason all his roads led to Rome was because the roots of Christianity were still alive and growing there, because the hearts of the twelve apostles and Christians who followed the incarnate Jesus and kept their faith despite severe persecution were melted, and because it was there that he could finally meet Jesus.

Rome, a land of faith that blossomed over a history of persecution
Following in Christ's Footsteps in the Holy City

This year, 2025, is the Catholic Jubilee Year, which comes once every 25 years.
Moreover, with the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV in May, more pilgrims are flocking to Rome than ever before.
As such, present-day Rome is truly the holy land of 'Christianity', but as the name 'Greek-Roman mythology' suggests, it was once a pagan land with a polytheistic society, and it was also a land of 'apostasy' that persecuted Christians with cruel torture.
In particular, the period of Christian persecution under the emperors lasted for about 250 years, and it is said that as many as 6 million Christians were martyred while maintaining their faith until the end.
That is why, throughout the 'Holy Land' of Rome, resolute faith and brutal oppression still intersect, testifying to their history.
Author Kim Mi-hwa, who embarked on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land as a Christian, not just a simple tourist, focused on capturing the current state of the Holy Land and the background that led to its becoming a holy place, so as not to fade the symbolism of Rome.
Thus, each step he takes as a Christian toward the Holy Land of Rome becomes in itself a meditation and a prayer.

Kim Mi-hwa, the author of “Walking in Rome as a Christian,” is a Protestant believer among Christians.
As he states in the introduction, “Rome is currently the center of the Catholic Church,” and so there is some “confusion in viewing and understanding the Holy Land of Rome” based on “the Protestant perspective that began in the 16th century.”
For example, in Catholicism, 'holy objects' are considered important as evidence of Christian history, but "for Protestants, it is not the holy objects themselves that are important, but meditating on the meaning of the holy objects." So, wherever the author walks, he remembers the voice of the Lord who answered Peter's question, "Lord, where are you going?" by saying, "I am going to Rome to carry the cross again," and the footprints he left behind as he disappeared.
Maybe that's why.
The 'Colosseum' in his eyes was not just a magnificent building symbolizing the Roman Empire, but a holy place soaked with the blood and sweat of countless Jewish prisoners of war who were forced to work, and the tears of martyrs who were locked up underground and waited for death. The catacombs he walked down to were not just dark, damp, and fearful spaces, but a holy resting place where the ancient Christians who fought to protect their faith, overcoming even that fear and harsh environment, sleep 'dreaming of resurrection.'
Thus, the author took steps to meditate on Jesus Christ, who sacrificed himself to atone for the sins of mankind on the land of the holy city of Rome, and on the Christians who confessed that Jesus was truly the Son of God and the Messiah and did not abandon their faith even in the face of death, and wrote down each word one by one.

『Rome, Walking as a Christian』 consists of 10 chapters and 35 verses.
To present the current appearance of the Holy Land and the stories surrounding it in an unbiased manner, various visual materials were used and references were made to the Korean-English Bible and Christian literature.
Also, it covers a journey following in the footsteps of key figures in Christian history, such as Paul, who was reborn as an 'apostle' after washing away his past as a persecutor by receiving the actual calling of Jesus, and Peter, who is also considered the 'first pope' after receiving the 'keys to heaven' from the Lord, as well as a travelogue that explores the history of Christianity by focusing on the characteristics and background of the Holy Land itself, such as the catacombs, ghettos, and the early churches of Rome. Just turning the pages will allow you to learn, read, and experience a beneficial time of pilgrimage and study.
Just as Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born in human form, died under persecution, was resurrected, and ascended to the throne, Rome, which has been firmly reborn as a holy place today, embracing a history of persecution represented by the shedding of martyrs' blood.
Let's journey together to that splendid and sublime city through "Rome, Walking as a Christian."