How Christianity Saved Civilization: And Must Do So Again

by Mike Aquilina, James L. Papandrea

Ancient Rome’s brutal culture exploited the weak and considered human life expendable. Women were used as property; unwanted children were left on the streets to die.,/p>

Four centuries later, even ordinary men and women prospered in what had become a vigorous new Christian society – a society that served the vulnerable, exalted women, treasured virtue, and loved peace.

Faith had triumphed. Truth was proclaimed. And on this rock-solid foundation, Christian society flourished in the West for the next 1500 years.

These eye-opening pages document the many ways in which Christians penetrated and civilized that debased Roman empire, introducing then-radical notions such as the equal dignity of women, respect for life, protection of the weak and vulnerable, and the obligation of rulers to serve those they rule and maximize their freedom.

Here you’ll learn about the seven specific areas where any paganism, ancient or modern, is particularly vulnerable. They provide a roadmap for modern Christians to reclaim for the Faith our own neo-pagan modern culture.

Facing an overwhelmingly dark and hostile culture, Rome’s early Christians took the steps necessary to transform it. Their struggles and the hard lessons they learned – documented here – afford us hope that, by imitating their example, we may do the same for our culture today.

Genres: Religion, History, Catholic, Christianity, Nonfiction, Spirituality

270 pages, Paperback

Published January 17, 2019

About the author

Mike Aquilina is author or editor of more than thirty books, including The Fathers of the Church, The Mass of the Early Christians, and A Year with the Church Fathers. He has co-hosted eight series that air on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). He has co-authored books with Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., and theologian Scott Hahn. He is past editor of New Covenant magazine and The Pittsburgh Catholic newspaper. He appears weekly on Sirius Radio's "Sonrise Morning Show." Mike and his wife, Terri, have six children, who are the subject of his book Love in the Little Things.

In 2011 Mike was a featured presenter of the U.S. Bishops' Diocesan Educational/Catechetical Leadership Institute. He also wrote the USCCB's theological reflection for Catechetical Sunday in 2011.

His reviews, essays and journalism have appeared in many journals, including First Things, Touchstone, Crisis, Our Sunday Visitor, National Catholic Register, and Catholic Heritage. He contributed work on early Christianity to the Encyclopedia of Catholic Social Thought.

Mike is a also poet whose works have appeared in U.S. literary journals and have been translated into Polish and Spanish. He shared songwriting credits with Grammy Award-winner Dion DiMucci on the forthcoming album "Tank Full of Blues."

Reviews

[Neil R. Coulter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Mike Aquilina and James Papandrea offer it as a kind of response to the increasingly dominant opinion in our society that religion is necessarily harmful and misguided. Is there any reason to question Friedrich Nietzsche’s assertion that “Christianity remains to this day the greatest misfortune of humanity”? How Christianity Saved Civilization is a tremendous counter to such inaccurate generalizations. The authors look primarily at the original context of Christianity—the Roman Empire—and show the ways that the first Christians radically reformed society’s worldviews. They discuss what they call the “seven revolutions” initiated by the early church:

1. A revolution of the individual person (all people are created equal; no one is expendable)
2. A revolution of the home (the home is a place of safety and love; women and children must not be exploited)
3. A revolution of the workplace (people are not property; people must be free to choose their work, and also be given time for the worship they choose and for relaxation and enjoyment)
4. A revolution of religion (the concept that God is love)
5. A revolution of community (we should love our neighbors, and even our enemies; the answer to persecution is not to reverse the persecution or seek vengeance)
6. A revolution of the concepts of life and death (affirming a culture of life and hope, standing up for human rights)
7. A revolution of government (the ideal that rulers must serve the people, not the other way around; all people should enjoy the freedom to worship as they choose; government and society thrive on diversity, and religious freedom is superior to religion and patriotism becoming intertwined)

Each of these revolutions takes one chapter of the book, illustrated by examples from primary sources from ancient Rome. The evidence is compelling, and the conclusion is that the very reason people are now able to criticize and protest religious expression is that a religion (Christianity) cultivated a world in which such a posture is possible. That wasn’t the case in the Roman context in which Christianity was born. The strident form of atheism that is flourishing now would not have been tolerated by the Romans, who demanded formal adherence to a state religion.

People opposed to Christianity often list the many grievous actions the church has been responsible for in the past two thousand years. And they’re not wrong to lament those moments—the Crusades; the Christians who owned slaves; the angry, shaming vitriol that some Christians have poured out on those who oppose them. There is no way to ignore this, nor should we. As the authors point out, the fact that we recognize these acts as terrible shows that in general the social and philosophical changes brought about by the church are at work throughout history. And the fact that these moments are seen as exceptions to the church’s ideals also demonstrates that the church has been a positive force in human history. The religion that created orphanages and hospitals, that recognized the dignity and inherent value of society’s most unwanted people, that worked to abolish the slave trade, that suffered persecution without nurturing a lust for revenge, that gave women and children power they had never experienced before—this is hardly “the greatest misfortune of humanity,” despite the occasional (and acknowledged) missteps that show the susceptibility to error that we all struggle against.

I appreciate that the authors take an even, neutral tone through these chapters. There is no arrogance or anger in what they write—they simply present the evidence. Aside from being an interesting book about Christianity and its social influence, it’s just a fascinating overview of what life in the Roman Empire was like, and how far the world has come since then.

But though ancient Rome is now far behind us, the authors also want to challenge the belief that humanity is always necessarily improving. They caution the reader that the problems that beset Rome are always ready to reappear in new forms, and our current post-Christian secular society has a lot in common with pre-Christian pagan society. So the final two chapters are a discussion of how the Christian church might work again to shape society for the best. Their recommendations are not specific political actions, and certainly not particular political parties. Rather, they encourage the reader to reject anything that risks turning people into things to be used. Reaffirm an ideal of community in which people are valued, cared for, and supported. Allow the freedom for diversity of all kinds, and don’t become isolationist, focusing only inwardly on yourself and other people who seem to be like you. I found these last chapters very encouraging, and especially refreshing after the recent months in which I’ve seen a lot of unhelpful, and even deliberately hurtful, communication on social media on a variety of important topics. How I wish we could all start with the basic assumptions that the authors propose in this book!

I highly recommend this book to all readers. I found it to have just the right tone to start good conversations, not the pointless debates and posing that have become so common. In considering what the best kind of society looks like, we need to cast our gaze further back than just the past hundred or two hundred years. History may be surprising, and helpful.

[Jeff Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I liked most about this book was how the information was framed in history and just how transformative the Early Church was to the Pagan world. While I had read and thought about the subject before, this book brings this into sharp focus regarding hurdles that had been overcome before. While postmodernism is in many ways returning to a form of paganism, even the arguments used in defense have been borrowed from Western Civilization and the impact of the Church.

I was reminded of Julian the Apostate's attempt to bring some form of Christian charity into his vision of Paganism. He obviously liked this aspect while despising Christianity. The same thing is happening now with people wanting to imitate such charity without having the moral foundation it is based upon.

The first major section of the book does cover territory that can be found in similar histories. What is different here is that it is also a call to action about what we can do regarding the current culture. Not a rant about current times, but actionable steps and the reminder that we have overcome greater odds before. The writing is engaging and informative.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a difficult review to write, because I only gave it three stars, when I truly think everyone should read it. It has some really great information. The problem is this: I, as a reader, happen to come from an Early Church History background, and therefore read all related books with a very critical eye. Had I been any of my siblings, I would have given this five stars. So, here is my opinion, which, along with $1.07, will get you a coffee at McDonalds.
The main problem with the book is the sweeping generalizations it makes when speaking of pagans and Romans. It sometimes gives them their due, but it makes overly broad comments with sometimes little to no source backing. Was abortion and disposing of infant girls prevalent? Absolutely. The author, however, makes it seem like every pre-Christian Greek and Roman was off disposing of fetuses seven times a day, and the only people that this bothered were Christians. Same with slavery, class structure, and poverty. It basically says that before Christianity no one cared for the poor. Which is clearly untrue. The fact that Christianity turned caring from the poor from a fringe nobility exercise into a worldwide accepted and expected phenomenon is noteworthy enough without having to pretend that before Christians came along, literally everyone was an infanticidal barbarian.
It is true, and the author gives great examples, of how the Christian faith has made civilization better, but while I think everyone should read this book because they need to understand how far we have come because of the Christian ethos, and how much is at stake if we turn away from it, for me, personally, turning pre-Christians into something general and horrible denies the spark of God in every human being, and the Holy Spirit working as conscience in every human of every age.
Pre-Christian society was pretty horrific for the average bloke, and even worse for most women and lower classes. Christianity made a change in individual human lives, and through that the structure of society and the basic core of what we today understand as "civilized behavior". The author makes this exceptionally clear, and he does it well. He also focuses on love and not judgment, which I appreciate. I would have anyone not familiar with the history of Christianity read this book. For people who are more conversant in the subject, perhaps skipping this would be ok, as it's more of a primer.

[Marcas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book on the church, which shows how revolutionary it has been and can be again. Like Tom Holland's Dominion, but more orthodox, from a Catholic perspective and, for better or worse, easier to read.

Sadly, our 'post-Christian' culture looks a lot like the pagan culture of antiquity- filled with false gods, a lack of willingness to sacrifice for love and an attack on the family.
There is hope, however and the gates of hell will not stand against the church.

In Christ, we have already revolutionised marriage, work, the understanding of the state, etc and there's more work to do in our day. Mike's book offers orientation in history and encouragement for the journey.

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

[Paulina Ona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Puiki knyga!
Nuostabiai atskleidžia, kad šiuolaikinio pasaulio "progresas" iš tiesų yra regresas. Tik modernesne forma...

[James Robison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me and given to me by a much admired friend and one-time mentor. So, I eagerly began reading it and was immediately impressed by how interesting the authors presented the history of Christianity in the Imperial Roman world. But this wasn't history for history sake but for argument sake. I knew a little about early Christianity, but their retelling the story was helpful but not too basic.

The title of the book sounds self-serving and a little parochial. Therefore while reading, especially the last two chapters, I found myself looking for a pigeonhole to place the authors in. Are they lefties, right-wingers, overly pious? I know this is something I do so I can easily dismiss them without bothering to look deeply at their arguments and the strength of their support, but they are not easily dismissed because they back up their claims with the historical events they had just explained.
These authors seem to be experienced teachers because they know their audience well. I had in mind some questions and objections that were answered promptly, almost as if they saw my raised hand and called on me.

A couple of points they made were repeated in other chapters of the book which bugged me at first. Then I realized the authors may have been allowing for readers who don't read from front to back like I always do. This book can very easily be read in whatever order the reader favors except Chapter 9 should be read after all the previous chapters because first you have to be convinced that the Church changed the world back in the early years before you can be convinced the Church can do it again nowadays and it will be good for us all.

You know how with some books, you can just barely finish them. It is quite an accomplishment. With this book I found myself feeling so fresh with the topic that I wanted to read more by the same authors, so I looked for the list of other books they have written. In fact I am now an ardent listener of one of the authors' podcast "Way of the Fathers".

[E.R. Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

With such a lack of historical knowledge in our culture today this was a book that needed to be written. So many are quick to condemn the Catholic Church, not for the failings of the Church herself, but for the failings of so many of its members and clergy. They have forgotten the role that the church has played in the development and continuation of Western Society. If you are one of these people, I suggest you read this book and begin to educate yourself on these matters. Indeed, the church is the only institution that could save our way of life in this modern world of ours, but I fear it is too late and
like all the other great cultures that came before us, we are on our way to decay and disappearance. The Church will continue, but the center of it already has and will continue to move to other parts of the world. The authors are too optimistic in their assessment of how this society can be saved, in my opinion, that ship has sailed.

[EL Core · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot from this book.

Much of what we in the 21st Century consider to be common sense or common human decency did not really exist as a system before Judeo-Christian morality was spread by Christianity. "Husbands, love your wives," commanded St. Paul the Apostle — and that was a new idea in a pagan world where husbands weren't expected to do that. Helping the less fortunate, even strangers? Again, Christians were the ones who started that. Government that must respect individual rights and conscience? Again, a Christian idea new in the world. So much of what we consider to be common human decency is, really, the working of Christian faith and morals into world history.

These ideas are supported by numerous quotations from primary sources, and the book is a pleasure to read.

I was provided with a copy for review by one of the authors.

[BoB Lever · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had the option I'd give this 3.5 - 3.75 stars. While I found the book very informative, there was a lot of redundancy. The authors laid out seven cultural revolutions, that Christianity started, during the Roman Empire. Several of theses crossed over to each other, yet they were discussed at length....again. Aside from that it was very interesting and one could see very early on the similarities of the "pre-Christian" era and the current "post-Christian" era. I felt the authors suggestions on how Christians ought to bring about a change once again were practical, simple and likely effective.

[Joaquin Pericas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would the World look like today had it not been for Christianity? Here is a good guess: dictatorships throughout the World, slavery, racism, infanticide, euthanasia, gender inequality, no service to the poor and needy, no charities, offerings to many different Gods including human sacrifices, massive poverty, no democracy, no Social Security and a large etc. We can only be thankful for the vast and massive contributions of Christianity to a better World!

[Tim Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for all Jesus followers. They authors do a tremendous amount of research telling us what at the church was like during the first 3 centuries and how Christianity changed home life, humanity, government, social systems, etc. A wonder treatise on how Jesus changed the world. We are now living in a post-Christian world, which looks similar to the old Roman world. So, we are challenge to live bravely like that New Testament church and show how Jesus can change us all again.

[Kendell Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly convicting, inspiring, and beautiful. Talks about the exploitation of ancient Rome’s brutal culture and that though they faced intense amounts of persecution and hostility, they have proved that Christianity permeates the hearts of man and cultures, and therefore the World.
Loved this book.

[fhsjkdhvkf · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. It was interesting, and the parallels are convincing, but this book mostly made me want to learn more about early Christianity.

[em · Rating 4 out of 5]

would recommend

[Pius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great in its survey of the pre- and post-Christian world--if not a bit repetitive; overall poor in its prescription.