The Christians as the Romans Saw Them.

[That'sWhatItSays]

Robert Louis Wilken wrote this as some kind of doctoral study back in the 1980's, I believe. I happened across it on Amazon while looking at Eusebius, and it struck me as being more interesting than Eusebius (it is). I know most people aren't interested in dense, academic-type historical studies, but this one is kind of a neat approach to Christian history, and it includes quite a few scandalous tidbits here and there (Christians were accused of turning the lights out and engaging in orgies all the time in the early days when not much was known about them).

I'm halfway through, but the passages of Pliny from the early 100's are enlightening. It just strikes me how small and insignificant the origins of Christianity were. The lowest strata of mankind, they were considered little more than an occasional nuisance. Pliny was a magistrate in Bithynia, and even as late as 130, very little was known about Christianity in the common Roman culture. I don't think Christianity became more pervasive in the public consciousness until the era of the "Apologists", which I would say is around 150-200.

[Historian]

Actually, I think Nero is really the one who really brought them into pervasive consciousness in 164, by blaming the fire of Rome on them. But things had been slowly building. For a long time the Christians were considered just a sect of Judiasim. THe Romans viewed the issue as a religious dispute, and they were always reluctant to get involved with such things in the provinces.

But then came the three great Jewish revolts (though some only consider there to be 2, not really counting the smallest one). Anyway, the last and greatest was the Bar Kokhba revolt from 132-136AD. Christians gradually become more and more distinct from Judiasm–partly as the Church ratio of Jews to Gentiles flipped, and partly because they wished to distance themselves from these revolts. The Jews had made themselves totally repugnant to the Romans. Many Romans died in the revolt, and the army had to be called back from Britain to deal with it. The consequences to the Jews were pretty severe. In fact, so many Christians were anxious to be distinct from the Jews by that point that it was an impetus to the heresy of Marcionism. Marcion moved to Rome in 144, and was harshly anti-Jewish. So you're right. Christianity did start out very insignificant. The Romans only paid attention when Jew/Christian disputes got their attention, really. But the Christians gradually become distinct and then Nero made them famous.

[That'sWhatItSays]

Yes, politically Nero put the Christians "on the map." I think the schools of the philosophers and the apologists had their discourses in this time, as well, so they were becoming more well known from the ideological angle as well. Whatever one thinks of Plato and the knowledge of the Greeks as it relates to Christianity, the apologists had a large hand in bringing the Romans to an understanding that the wisdom which they cherished was fully contained and expanded upon within the revelation of Christianity. At least, that was the aim of many of the writing Christians during this time. And, you are quite correct about the Jew/Gentile ratio having an influence. Marcion, the Ebionites, and various Judaizers were still having an influence "within the church" until this era.

That is the flow of thought from the perspective of this book...the first secular writings mentioning Christians were those of Pliny, and he views them from a political perspective, i.e. "conflict resolution". The next writings are arguments about the faith from a philosophical view.

[Historian]

Yes, which I think is because the Christians followed the culture of day in tending to choose a "champion" to defend them, just as the different philosophies had their champions.

Does the book discuss the two views of Christianity vs. philosophy? I.E., those who did try to reconcile with Christianity whatever wisdom possible in the philosophers were real truth, and those who rejected all attempts to do so? The Monastics? Just curious, as those are some of the earliest examples of "church splits." Though I realize the monastics really flourished after 315.

[Mominator]

I love history.

We just watched a documentary on Pliny and his recording of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.

[That'sWhatItSays]

No, it isn't like that, Historian. It's an encapsulation of purely Roman writings about the Christians. The merits of the various schools of thought within Christianity are not addressed in this work. The book is meant to give a vision of what constituted Christianity in those days by the words of its critics. Thus, you have sections on Pliny (not a critic but a mild persecutor), the various societies that existed in the Empire that were based on work associations (apparently historians have found a few passing references to Christianity in some writings related to these societies), the philosopher Galen, Celsus (who we know through Origen), Porphyry (who we know somewhat through Augustine), and Julian "the Apostate".

Galen is the one who most closely discusses the reconciling of thoughts between Christianity and philosophy. He is a critic of Christianity but admires it by the lives of the believers who express it. Some Christians apparently appreciated the work of Galen and this caused controversies related to reconciling scripture with philosophical aphorisms. Galen himself was not concerned with reconciling anything as much as he was concerned with criticizing the doctrine of the Christians.

[Historian]

Ah, I see. Does the writer give commentary, or is it just an edited compliation of Roman writings? (I'm just curious about getting it, since I already have the translated writings of most of those mentioned).

[That'sWhatItSays]

It is largely commentary, yes. I suppose since your name is historian and you actually have the writings already it won't cover too much new ground for you! It's somewhere between a "lay" book and a scholarly tome.

[Historian]

Well, I have a bad habit of collecting and reading any book that I can get my hands on–so I plan to look into it anyway. :-)