Question: In Chapter 13 we read how Christianity rose from persecution to predominance. Other
than the crucial factors of sincere belief in God and Christ, there are four reasons given for
Christianity's final victory over competing faiths, and fearsome persecution. Discuss these and
consider which one of them you feel had the most impact upon Roman culture. After you have
discussed these reasons; now address how today's Christians could impact Western culture to
draw others to Christ. (275-350 words)
Besides the crucial factors of sincere belief in the Christian God and imperial encouragement of
that belief, we may note four reasons for Christianity’s final victory over competing faiths and
fearsome persecution. First, it was simple in its demand for absolute allegiance, brushing aside
the welter of alternative religions and requiring a single, irreversible commitment to one creed. It
offered permanent values at a time when political and spiritual absolutes were fast disappearing
from the Roman horizon. Second, Christianity was equalitarian, open to any and all, from the
lowest slave (even female slave) to the emperor. Every individual mattered, every soul could be
saved, regard-less of ethnic origin or social status: “There is no question here of Greek and Jew,
circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman; but Christ is all, and is
in all” (Colossians 3:11). Third, Christianity held out the hope of a better life in the world of the
heavenly city. This was a compelling enticement when the foundations of the earthly world of
the Roman Empire were shaking. Though various mystery cults similarly promised immortality,
in the case of Christianity the courage and equanimity of martyrs who endured torturous deaths
lent credence to the notion that true believers would gain eternal bliss in the presence of their
God. “I am the resurrection and I am the life. If a man has faith in me, even though he die, he
shall come to life; and no one who is alive and has faith shall ever die” (John 11:25–26). Finally,
Christianity satisfied the universal need to belong. Founded on the injunction to “Love thy
neighbor,” the Christian community shared a value system and manner of living as well as a
body of ritual. Persecution only strengthened this bond, as the church assumed the responsibility
of caring for its own in a hostile environment, ministering to the indigent and sick, supporting
orphans and widows, and supplying a source of self-respect in the lives of thousands of urban
poor. Such activities, which were foreign to pagan religious expression, made the believer’s
earthly life more tolerable and meaningful, even in the face of adversity, quite apart from the
prospect of a life after death.
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Christianity recovered remarkably well from the religion that was a persecuted minority
and became the respected and feared majority. Aside from the apparent intervention of God in its
success, as per the text, Christianity enjoyed four motivators that propelled it into dominance.
The first is that Christianity was simple in its demand for absolute allegiance.1 Joining the ranks
of Christianity did not require a Venn Diagram to sort out all prior religious loyalties.
Christianity was simple, denounce all other deities and commit to the One True God and follow
Jesus. Second, Christianity was equalitarian.2 In the Roman world, people were divided by class,
wealth, and status. Within the Christian realm, there was no minimum class requirement or
exorbitant entrance fee. Everyone was welcome and could participate in the Kingdom. Third, one
sees that "Christianity held out the hope of a better life in the world of the heavenly city."3 As the
Roman power was dwindling and society sinking farther into decline, the hope of Jesus shone
brightly. The boldness of the martyrs bolstered the proclamations of an afterlife with God and
lent confidence to the movement. Lastly, Christianity satisfied the universal need to belong.4 The
Christian movement launched out of the poor neighborhoods and communities longing for a
sense of belonging. Following Jesus, caring for the poor, defending oneself and the community
from the attacks of the oppressors, and caring for orphans and widows were all motivators that
thrust people into a sense of belonging to this new group.
This author believes that, from the provided reasons, that the fact that Christianity
satisfied the universal need to belong was the primary fuel that thrust Christianity from
persecution to predominance. Christianity went against everything Rome was while becoming
1
Rawls, Dennis E. A Narrative of Western Culture, First Edition, CSTU 101. [VitalSource Bookshelf].
Retrieved from https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781307304176/ [Accessed September 8, 2021] (Pp. 235)
2
Ibid
3
Ibid
4
Ibid
leveraging its past. The Roman Empire was once a thing to fear and was now shrinking into
irrelevance. Christianity was the new cause to belong to, the new Rome. And, everyone loves
and an underdog.
These four reasons were solid motivators for Christianity in the first century and can
continue to be in the twenty-first as well. As Christians evangelize the lost, one needs to
remember these simple truths; Christianity is simple, Jesus plus nothing else; Christianity is for
everyone, Christianity promises a better life once this one is over, and Christianity provides
everyone a place to belong. Christians should remember these truths while evangelizing today;
there are many similarities between Rome and America.
