What do you think?
Rate this book
The Air We Breathe: How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality
Discover the Christian roots of the values we prize in western society.
Is Christianity history? Or is Christian history the deepest explanation of the modern world?
Today in the west, many consider the church to be dead or dying. Christianity is seen as outdated, bigoted and responsible for many of society’s problems. This leaves many believers embarrassed about their faith and many outsiders wary of religion. But what if the Christian message is not the enemy of our modern Western values, but the very thing that makes sense of them?
In this fascinating book, Glen Scrivener takes readers on a journey to discover how the teachings of Jesus not only turned the ancient world upside down, but continue to underpin the way we think of life, worth, and meaning. Far from being a relic from the past, the distinctive ideas of Christianity, such as freedom, kindness, progress and equality, are a crucial part of the air that we breathe. As author Glen Scrivener says in his “The extraordinary impact of Christianity is seen in the fact that we don’t notice it”.
This is a book for both believers and sceptics—giving Christians confidence to be open about their faith and showing non-Christians the ways in which the message of Jesus makes sense of their most cherished beliefs. Whoever you are, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation for the values you hold dear as you discover the power and profundity of Jesus and his revolution.
Is Christianity history? Or is Christian history the deepest explanation of the modern world?
Today in the west, many consider the church to be dead or dying. Christianity is seen as outdated, bigoted and responsible for many of society’s problems. This leaves many believers embarrassed about their faith and many outsiders wary of religion. But what if the Christian message is not the enemy of our modern Western values, but the very thing that makes sense of them?
In this fascinating book, Glen Scrivener takes readers on a journey to discover how the teachings of Jesus not only turned the ancient world upside down, but continue to underpin the way we think of life, worth, and meaning. Far from being a relic from the past, the distinctive ideas of Christianity, such as freedom, kindness, progress and equality, are a crucial part of the air that we breathe. As author Glen Scrivener says in his “The extraordinary impact of Christianity is seen in the fact that we don’t notice it”.
This is a book for both believers and sceptics—giving Christians confidence to be open about their faith and showing non-Christians the ways in which the message of Jesus makes sense of their most cherished beliefs. Whoever you are, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation for the values you hold dear as you discover the power and profundity of Jesus and his revolution.
223 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2022
379 people are currently reading
4016 people want to read
About the author
Glen Scrivener
23 books65 followersGlen directs the evangelistic charity Speak Life. He is an ordained Anglican who writes, speaks, and makes media to equip the church and reach beyond it. He is married to Emma and is the author of 7 books, including 321, Long Story Short and The Gift.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 400 reviews
April 8, 2022
My endorsement:
“Secular Westerners reject Christian belief while feasting on its fruit. Whether the subject is enlightenment or equality, compassion or consent, science or freedom or progress, our neighbors have Christianity to thank for the values they cherish. This argument is provocative, and demonstrably true. Building on groundbreaking historical scholarship, Glen Scrivener has made a case that cannot be ignored. This is one of the most important books I’ve read in a long time.”
“Secular Westerners reject Christian belief while feasting on its fruit. Whether the subject is enlightenment or equality, compassion or consent, science or freedom or progress, our neighbors have Christianity to thank for the values they cherish. This argument is provocative, and demonstrably true. Building on groundbreaking historical scholarship, Glen Scrivener has made a case that cannot be ignored. This is one of the most important books I’ve read in a long time.”
November 15, 2022
A very accessible, understandable and enjoyable read for any Westerner. Glen Scrivener explains how Christianity has shaped important aspects of Western culture in ways that we tend not to notice. What I love about Scrivener in general is his masterful use of real-life, up-to-date illustrations. It’s a similar vibe to Tom Holland’s “Dominion” although I would say that “The Air We Breathe” probably takes a slightly less-historical and more cultural/philosophical approach to the discussion. I could confidently recommend this book to anyone because it is nothing less than an excellent book, and I expect it will become a book of real influence in the coming few years.
June 4, 2022
A truly excellent book. Short, punchy, challenging.
So many of the things our society takes for granted have truly profound Christian roots. No, more than that. They ARE Christian! We live in a world that denies God and yet borrows every aspect of its morality from Him.
I particularly enjoyed the dispelling of that silly myth about the medieval age being a "dark" age. There were so many discoveries, improvements, inventions during that time that calling it a "dark" is little more than intellectual snobbery.
I also loved the chapter on science. Again, Glen does a good job in dispelling the idea that science and faith are opposed to one another. Some of the great minds of the past like Kepler or Newton would certainly reject that idea!
My only "criticism" of the book is that it's too short! Which actually serves as a compliment as well. It's short enough to give to people who are on the fence about Christianity. But it's a shame that it's so short because I wanted Glen to keep going!
Anyway, what a wonderful read. Definitely recommend this to Christians and non-Christians alike.
So many of the things our society takes for granted have truly profound Christian roots. No, more than that. They ARE Christian! We live in a world that denies God and yet borrows every aspect of its morality from Him.
I particularly enjoyed the dispelling of that silly myth about the medieval age being a "dark" age. There were so many discoveries, improvements, inventions during that time that calling it a "dark" is little more than intellectual snobbery.
I also loved the chapter on science. Again, Glen does a good job in dispelling the idea that science and faith are opposed to one another. Some of the great minds of the past like Kepler or Newton would certainly reject that idea!
My only "criticism" of the book is that it's too short! Which actually serves as a compliment as well. It's short enough to give to people who are on the fence about Christianity. But it's a shame that it's so short because I wanted Glen to keep going!
Anyway, what a wonderful read. Definitely recommend this to Christians and non-Christians alike.
December 10, 2025
Lately it seems to have become fashionable to defend the Christian faith by showing how powerfully influential the faith has been over the course of western civilization. Tom Holland's book "Dominion" (though Holland is not a believer) may be the most well-known book on this mission, but Glen Scrivener's "The Air We Breathe" accomplishes the same general purpose, and in much viewer pages.
Scrivener shows that many of the values we take for granted in our modern progressive world actually are products of a Christian worldview. Compassion for the weak and vulnerable; equality among all people; the evils of slavery and sexual abuse; and the expectation of moral progress are all ideals not assumed in the ancient world, but taken for granted today. The problem is most people don't know why. They take these assumptions by faith without knowing the foundation on which they stand.
As Scrivener says, "Western civilization is a vast, centuries long exercise in Jesus smuggling. At first it was over; now it's covert . . . When we speak of humanity, history, freedom, progress, or enlightenment values, we are carrying on a Christian conversation." (p.207).
My only slight criticism would be that Scrivener sets the context for each chapter with reference to some contemporary event, often stemming from social justice controversies since 2020. This makes the arguments relevant, for sure, but as time goes on, the book could become rather dated to future readers.
Otherwise this is an excellent introduction to the topic of how a man on a cross has made our western world.
Scrivener shows that many of the values we take for granted in our modern progressive world actually are products of a Christian worldview. Compassion for the weak and vulnerable; equality among all people; the evils of slavery and sexual abuse; and the expectation of moral progress are all ideals not assumed in the ancient world, but taken for granted today. The problem is most people don't know why. They take these assumptions by faith without knowing the foundation on which they stand.
As Scrivener says, "Western civilization is a vast, centuries long exercise in Jesus smuggling. At first it was over; now it's covert . . . When we speak of humanity, history, freedom, progress, or enlightenment values, we are carrying on a Christian conversation." (p.207).
My only slight criticism would be that Scrivener sets the context for each chapter with reference to some contemporary event, often stemming from social justice controversies since 2020. This makes the arguments relevant, for sure, but as time goes on, the book could become rather dated to future readers.
Otherwise this is an excellent introduction to the topic of how a man on a cross has made our western world.
January 3, 2024
This was a really good read. It's like a shorter and more focused version of Tom Holland's Dominion. Basic premise is that to be a Western person is to be, in some sense, a Christian. Christianity is "the air we breathe." The author traces several unquestioned Western values and demonstrates how they are uniquely Christian even if they are held by other than Christian persons. Spurgeon said something like "to be half a Christian is to be a miserable person." Could it be that the source of our misery is that we have Christian values without a Savior? That we have law without gospel? That we have justice without forgiveness? This book explores that idea. One thing I would've liked more of is the "so what?" section at the end. Scrivener's case is hard to refute but the question is why does it matter that our values are Christian? Why can't we just pick and choose and make our own value set that consciously borrows from Christianity?
October 8, 2022
Glen is a great thinker, communicator and apologist. This book, in some ways, is an accessible version of Dominion by Tom Holland. But, Glen shows the glory of the gospel too. So, it is pretty great.
Good for those of faith and none.
Good for those of faith and none.
May 12, 2025
Scrivener’s popular apologetic explores the Christian presuppositions behind common Western convictions about equality, compassion, consent, science, and progress. I think it’s one of the most thoughtful and winsome evangelistic books I’ve read. I’d put it up there with McLaughlin’s ‘The Secular Creed.’
May 7, 2024
“In order to pursue the kingdom without the King, we have had to dethrone the person of Christ and install abstract values instead. The problem should be obvious: persons can forgive you; values cannot. Values can only judge you.”
February 25, 2023
Scrivener shows that the core values that we modern Westerners hold dear—the values that just seem to be self-evident—derive from the influence of Christianity on the world. These ideas would have seemed absurd to the Greeks and Romans, thus the teachings of Jesus were stunningly countercultural. Yet today most of us view them as obvious truths, failing to realize where they originated. This Christian ethic has thoroughly saturated our moral outlook, even for those who would prefer to reject its foundation.
The core values that he discusses are:
“Equality: We believe in the equal moral status of every member of the human family, no matter their rank, race, religion, gender or sexuality.
Compassion: We believe a society should be judged by the way it treats its weakest members.
Consent: We believe that the powerful have no right to force themselves on others.
Enlightenment: We believe in education for all and its power to transform a society.
Science: We believe in science: its ability to help us understand the world and improve our lives.
Freedom: We believe that persons are not property and that each of us should be in control of our own lives.
Progress: We believe in moral improvement over time and that we should continue to reform society of its former evils.”
Quotes:
The core values that he discusses are:
“Equality: We believe in the equal moral status of every member of the human family, no matter their rank, race, religion, gender or sexuality.
Compassion: We believe a society should be judged by the way it treats its weakest members.
Consent: We believe that the powerful have no right to force themselves on others.
Enlightenment: We believe in education for all and its power to transform a society.
Science: We believe in science: its ability to help us understand the world and improve our lives.
Freedom: We believe that persons are not property and that each of us should be in control of our own lives.
Progress: We believe in moral improvement over time and that we should continue to reform society of its former evils.”
Quotes:
We might feel that Christianity is unequal, cruel, coercive, ignorant, anti-science, restrictive or backwards. That is, in fact, a pretty common list of objections to the Christian faith, and, at points, the shoe fits. But I didn't pick those seven objections at random. I simply reversed the seven core values at the heart of this book. The reason why those seven accusations bite is because, deep down, we believe in the seven values. Our problems with Christianity (and we all have problems with it, especially Christians!) turn out to be Christian problems.
[p 16-17]
• Consider equality: once, steep moral hierarchies were the norm; now we want to root out inequalities wherever we find them.
• Consider compassion: once, pity for the undeserving was considered a weakness; now we consider it a virtue.
• Consider consent: once, powerful men could possess the bodies of whomever they pleased; now we name this as the abuse that it is.
• Consider enlightenment: once, education was a luxury for rich men; now we consider it a necessity for all.
• Consider science: once, knowledge of the natural world was based on the assertions of authorities; now we hold the powerful to account and we seek to test such claims against objective standards.
• Consider freedom: once, it was assumed that certain classes of people could be enslaved; now we consider that idea a kind of "blasphemy".
• Consider progress: once, history was thought of as a descent from a golden age; now we feel that the arc of history bends, or should bend, towards justice.
These are our credal convictions, and, by and large, we are a society of believers. So thoroughly do we assent to these values that we rarely notice how weird they are, or how WEIRD we are for holding them. But with these morals in place, we have found that we can discard institutional Christianity yet carry on with the moralising. In fact, the moralising, far from receding, is coming to the fore. This has been a shock to many.
[p 197]
Let me list some widespread criticisms of the church, and as I do so, let me put each of them in the first person, because Christians too wrestle with these issues. Here is the point though (and you won't be surprised to hear me repeat it once again): we wrestle with them for Christian reasons.
If I don't like the violence of Old Testament wars, or of church history in the last 2,000 years, it's probably hecause I've absorbed the teachings of one who said, "Put away your sword".
If I recoil at Israel's ancient practice of slavery, it's almost certainly because I've inherited biblical notions of redemption, freedom and equality.
If I'm devastated by church abuse scandals, I'm standing with Christ and against the misuse of sex and power endemic to human cultures.
If I abhor instances of the church mistreating minorities, I'm assigning a sacred (and distinctly Christian) value to the weak, the poor and the oppressed.
If I consider the church to be on the wrong side of history, I'm considering history and progress in thoroughly biblical ways.
If I hate the bullish colonialism that has at times accompanied the growth of the church, I'm agreeing with profoundly Christian ideals--that rulers should serve, not dominate, and that differences should be valued, not dissolved.
I could go on.
The litany of Christian crimes is long. But notice what is happening even as I air these genuine grievances. I am holding institutional power to a higher account—an incredibly biblical impulse. What's more I'm confessing, on behalf of institutional Christianity, to some terrible behaviours. Again, such confession is deeply Christian.
[p 224-225]
May 21, 2025
This came highly recommended to me by many, and I still found it to be better than I expected. It is highly readable and I really enjoyed the way Scrivener is able to explain, quite simply, the aspects of culture today by telling the story of Christianity's inevitable spread. One of the final chapters was most impactful - after considering the way Christianity brought each value into the world, he considers what that world looks like without the person, Jesus, who made it. Pick it up, it'll make you think and is welcoming to those who don't share Scrivener's beliefs.
January 20, 2023
I took this to be a kind of Tom Holland Dominion-lite. It's really good, and while I disagree with some of the points made and examples used, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to others.
July 10, 2022
Glen Scrivener looks at the impact of Christianity on the values of people in Western society. He talks about Equality, Compassion, Consent, Enlightenment, Science, Freedom and Progress. Why look at western society? Two reasons, the west has undoubtedly had an immense global impact and secondly the book is written to a largely English speaking audience. Western values are WIERD, Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich and Democratic. The WIERD west unmistakably has its roots in the Jesus revolution. He begins by looking at what were the values of society before the Christian Era quoting Cicero, Plato, Socrates and Aristotle. Looking at today’s society, which claims to have outgrown Christianity and God, he shows that many values still have roots in Christianity. He concludes by quoting Jordan Peterson, a psychology professor, author and YouTuber who is agnostic in his outlook. “ I‘ve got a choice of believing two impossible things. I can either believe that the world is constituted so that God took on flesh and was crucified and rose three days later or I can believe that human beings invented this unbelievably preposterous story that has stretched into every atom of culture. And it isn’t obvious to me that the second hypothesis is any easier to believe than the first.” I found the book very easy to read and highly recommend it whatever your outlook on life.
January 18, 2024
Scrivener shows how the values most important to our modern age have their root in Christianity. Our culture rejects Christianity even though their values are only possible because of Christianity. The subject matter is fascinating and is also written very well. Great book!
December 27, 2022
Thanks to Colton for gifting me this book! I found it putting language to some areas where my faith interests with culture. Biased and at times repetitive, the thesis is worth exploring to get the picture the author is painting. This book is hopeful and for that I'm glad. While I myself am naturally skeptical, I would be interested to hear a more skeptical perspective on it than my own which already aligns so much with the author. Either way, I would recommend this to readers of any background as a Christian look on history and contemporary culture.
February 25, 2024
Really enjoyed this!! ... Until he ended the audiobook saying "NIGHT NIGHT". Outrage over, back to the review...
The Western world is not as post Christian as we think. The problem is that we want the fruit without the root.
An eye opening and equipping demonstration of how Western culture is fundamentally Christian as a result of how the Jesus movement radically altered human society. Scrivener has a great way with words - his metaphors and images are easy to understand and easy to share. We don't need to be cautious about the values that we naturally cling to, Scrivener acknowledges and affirms the assumed values of our current cultural moment, accrediting them to the Jesus movement. His argument is primarily based on a philosophical approach and cultural analysis (with lots of reference to Tom Holland's primarly historical approach in Dominion)
I'm encouraged by this explanation of values that feel obvious, and I'm excited for conversations that point people back to the root!
The Western world is not as post Christian as we think. The problem is that we want the fruit without the root.
An eye opening and equipping demonstration of how Western culture is fundamentally Christian as a result of how the Jesus movement radically altered human society. Scrivener has a great way with words - his metaphors and images are easy to understand and easy to share. We don't need to be cautious about the values that we naturally cling to, Scrivener acknowledges and affirms the assumed values of our current cultural moment, accrediting them to the Jesus movement. His argument is primarily based on a philosophical approach and cultural analysis (with lots of reference to Tom Holland's primarly historical approach in Dominion)
I'm encouraged by this explanation of values that feel obvious, and I'm excited for conversations that point people back to the root!
July 14, 2023
When thinking about a book, you want to ask: who is this book for?
It's hard to say in this case, and whatever answer you give is going to run into trouble.
Want to give it to your educated non-Christian friend? I'm afraid the book will prove far too simplistic. He runs through arguments so quickly and with such simplicity, that it will only be an incomplete introduction to the conversation. Better, I think, to read the authors he's inspired by (Holland and Stark), or similar and better versions of the same argument (by CS Lewis, Nancy Pearcy, Chesterton, or Keller's Reason for God).
Maybe it's a better book for a young college student, whether a believer or not.
But here you run into my main issue with the book. He seems so interested in maintaining the contrast between life with Christianity and life without it, that he hazards saying misleading things.
The biggest one is his use of the word "natural," like in this sentence: "Marriage, the way we do it [he mean monogamous], is not natural (ch. 4)."
But that's not right. As Jesus said in Matthew 19, marriage from the beginning was one man and one woman. Marriage, the way we do it, is the most natural, and it's sin that has messed it all up.
Here's another one: "If we are simply a part of nature - and if there is nothing above nature - then what can we do but live according to nature? And we know what nature does: it selects the strong and discards the weak (ch. 3)."
Is that the Christian view of nature? Was it so from the beginning? Do you agree with this Hobbesian view? Should we assume it?
I don't think so, or at least I think the assumption should be noticed and highlighted, and I'd worry about handing this book to a young teenager or college student without at least wanting to have that discussion.
His assumption of a nature which is at root chaotic and disorderly and violent comes up over and over again. I truly think it might be his way of highlighting the contradiction in his secular interlocutors. A way of saying, "If this is what you think is true, how do you get to the values you want?" But then he doesn't really correct the assumption but argues repeatedly from it, granting the premise so that he can land the argument that the Western solution for bad nature was entirely supernatural. Supernatural in the sense of a cosmic interruption in the natural, not a supernatural correction of a creation broken by sin.
So that when he comes to the history of human rights, you can sense his frustration with their perceived absurdity. He keeps wondering where these ideas could possible come from if not from on high. While I agree they have their origin in God, I disagree that they have NO basis in what God has made. I'm not sure the author would disagree, but I maintain that the weakness is present in the book and for that reason I'd hesitate to recommend it to anyone.
So that's where I am. When reading a chapter either I was frustrated because I thought his summaries were too simplistic, or I was frustrated because I thought he was granting too much and working from a faulty assumption.
Still, there were some good parts. His chapter on science was decent, though again, his view there is too simplistic and he resolves too nicely the Christian shift from idealism to empiricism. The God we are left with in that chapter leads directly to Hume's radical skepticism. Again, if nature is not orderly in some sense, then we are not dealing with a Christian nature or a Christian God. Or at least we should have that discussion.
And the last few chapters as he moves from values to our hope in Christ is great. Probably the best quote was: "Persons can forgive you; values cannot. Values can only judge you." That's so great.
Not sure how to end this except I want to be more careful and generous in my reviews, but we have to have these conversations and books are important. We hand them to people or people pick them up based on recommendations and reviews, and they get carried away down a path. That's all fine. People are intelligent and the solution to bad books and okay books and decent books and great books is to read more books. So we don't need to be afraid. But while being generous I want to be honest. I hope I've been so here.
It's hard to say in this case, and whatever answer you give is going to run into trouble.
Want to give it to your educated non-Christian friend? I'm afraid the book will prove far too simplistic. He runs through arguments so quickly and with such simplicity, that it will only be an incomplete introduction to the conversation. Better, I think, to read the authors he's inspired by (Holland and Stark), or similar and better versions of the same argument (by CS Lewis, Nancy Pearcy, Chesterton, or Keller's Reason for God).
Maybe it's a better book for a young college student, whether a believer or not.
But here you run into my main issue with the book. He seems so interested in maintaining the contrast between life with Christianity and life without it, that he hazards saying misleading things.
The biggest one is his use of the word "natural," like in this sentence: "Marriage, the way we do it [he mean monogamous], is not natural (ch. 4)."
But that's not right. As Jesus said in Matthew 19, marriage from the beginning was one man and one woman. Marriage, the way we do it, is the most natural, and it's sin that has messed it all up.
Here's another one: "If we are simply a part of nature - and if there is nothing above nature - then what can we do but live according to nature? And we know what nature does: it selects the strong and discards the weak (ch. 3)."
Is that the Christian view of nature? Was it so from the beginning? Do you agree with this Hobbesian view? Should we assume it?
I don't think so, or at least I think the assumption should be noticed and highlighted, and I'd worry about handing this book to a young teenager or college student without at least wanting to have that discussion.
His assumption of a nature which is at root chaotic and disorderly and violent comes up over and over again. I truly think it might be his way of highlighting the contradiction in his secular interlocutors. A way of saying, "If this is what you think is true, how do you get to the values you want?" But then he doesn't really correct the assumption but argues repeatedly from it, granting the premise so that he can land the argument that the Western solution for bad nature was entirely supernatural. Supernatural in the sense of a cosmic interruption in the natural, not a supernatural correction of a creation broken by sin.
So that when he comes to the history of human rights, you can sense his frustration with their perceived absurdity. He keeps wondering where these ideas could possible come from if not from on high. While I agree they have their origin in God, I disagree that they have NO basis in what God has made. I'm not sure the author would disagree, but I maintain that the weakness is present in the book and for that reason I'd hesitate to recommend it to anyone.
So that's where I am. When reading a chapter either I was frustrated because I thought his summaries were too simplistic, or I was frustrated because I thought he was granting too much and working from a faulty assumption.
Still, there were some good parts. His chapter on science was decent, though again, his view there is too simplistic and he resolves too nicely the Christian shift from idealism to empiricism. The God we are left with in that chapter leads directly to Hume's radical skepticism. Again, if nature is not orderly in some sense, then we are not dealing with a Christian nature or a Christian God. Or at least we should have that discussion.
And the last few chapters as he moves from values to our hope in Christ is great. Probably the best quote was: "Persons can forgive you; values cannot. Values can only judge you." That's so great.
Not sure how to end this except I want to be more careful and generous in my reviews, but we have to have these conversations and books are important. We hand them to people or people pick them up based on recommendations and reviews, and they get carried away down a path. That's all fine. People are intelligent and the solution to bad books and okay books and decent books and great books is to read more books. So we don't need to be afraid. But while being generous I want to be honest. I hope I've been so here.
December 18, 2022
I found this book very hard to put down. Glen Scrivener argues incredibly well and communicates his ideas so clearly.
He stares Christian mess in the face and points people to Jesus.
Incredibly Christ focused, open the book and found out for yourself!
He stares Christian mess in the face and points people to Jesus.
Incredibly Christ focused, open the book and found out for yourself!
February 2, 2023
Aimed at three groups of people he calls the "nones," the "dones," and the "wons," and drawing upon the works of many, Scrivener demonstrates persuasively that the foundational values that dominate much of today's western culture owe their existence to Christianity. If you are living in the West and equality, compassion, consent, enlightenment, science, freedom and progress matter to you today, you have Christianity to thank. The cultures of ancient Greece and Rome did not bequeath these to us, but rather they advocated quite the opposite in their societies. It wasn't the Enlightenment that brought us from Greco-Roman beliefs to the ones above. It was the impact of Jesus and His followers upon culture. Scrivener explores how Christianity changed the world's thinking on each of these fundamental values which are taken for granted today.
Here are a several quotes that highlight the difference Christianity has made:
Justice:
The Weak and the Strong:
Compassion:
Human Worth:
Sexual Ethics:
Mutual Consent:
Child Sexual Abuse:
The Crusades:
Violence:
Science and Faith:
Human Rights:
Evil:
Lasting Impact of Jesus:
The Resurrection:
Lastly, why is human dignity and showing kindness to all a value praised by most today (even if they merely give lip service to it but do not consistently practice it)? Scrivener writes,
Even when folks rightly critique those Christian leaders who misuse or abuse their power to harm others, they do so (probably unwittingly) with Christian virtues. Scrivener puts it this way: "Like air, Christianity is so pervasive that we cannot help depending on it, even as we protest against it." (14)
Still not sure you buy the major premises of this book? Anticipating objections, Scrivener argues:
Pick up a copy of this book, give it a read, and consider the multiple lines of evidence he brings forth to demonstrate his claims. The best thing that has ever happened for the world is the coming of Jesus and the explosion of Jesus' Church starting in the first century all the way down to the present.
This book is comparable in many ways to Tom Holland's Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World , although it is not merely a repeat or simply an evangelical repackaging of that book. In addition to what is seen above, Scrivener provides especially in the last couple of chapters insightful commentary on contemporary issues of the last five years.
Here are a several quotes that highlight the difference Christianity has made:
Justice:
"We consider 'justice' to mean the equalising of persons. The classical world considered justice as the enforcement of inequality; that was what nature intended." (30)
The Weak and the Strong:
"Science observes the ruthless winnowing of the weak and the favouring of the strong. If this is the way of nature, what reason can we give for behaving any differently? 'There is nothing particular about man. He is but a part of this world,' said Heinrich Himmler, the chief architect of the Holocaust. If we are simply a part of nature—and if there is nothing above nature—then what can we do but live according to nature? And we know what nature does: it selects the strong and discards the weak. To avoid such genocidal conclusions, we need a morality that is beyond nature, above nature—something super-natural, you might say. And in history there has been a unique movement that transcends the brutal laws of nature. If natural selection means the survival of the fittest and the sacrifice of the weakest, Christianity is about the sacrifice of the Fittest (Jesus Christ) for the survival of the weakest (us)." (64-65)
Compassion:
"Compassion describes the life of Christ, and it’s meant to describe the life of the Christian. But these were incredibly strange ideas to Roman ears. We might be familiar with the idea that God loves the world (whether or not we believe in God or his love), but the historian Larry Hurtado calls the notion, 'utterly strange, even ridiculous … in the Roman era.' We take for granted the idea of a 'love ethic, but historians 'simply do not know of any other Roman-era religious group in which love played this important role in discourse or behavioral teaching.'" (71-72)
Human Worth:
"So how much is a little girl worth? We answer, 'Everything'. Others in history would laugh at us, all the way to the brothel. Why the difference? In a word: Christianity." (83)
Sexual Ethics:
"There is a reason why Latin has 25 words for a prostitute and none for a male virgin. Those two facts were very much linked." (86)
Mutual Consent:
"Paul is insisting on complete mutuality [in 1 Corinthians 7:4 - "For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does."] The married couple are to belong to one another as equals. It’s hard for us to appreciate how stunning this was. Today we take such mutual consent and commitment for granted. But we take it for granted now because it was radical then. In the ancient world, the gods were violent rapists, sexual agency was solely in the hands of powerful men, and sexual misbehaviour consisted in the violation of reputations, not of bodies or wills. Into this world came the Christian revolution, where sex is painted on the canvas of divine romance and where two equals unite in a sacred and unbreakable bond." (94)
Child Sexual Abuse:
"In the ancient world sex with boys and girls was not merely tolerated; it was celebrated [....] What the classical world called love, Christians called abuse [....] The evil of child sexual abuse represents perhaps the moral certainty of our day. But our day needs setting in historical context. We view things on this side of the Jesus movement: 'the single greatest breakthrough against child abuse'. Before and without Jesus, it is not always clear to people 'what a little girl is worth'". (96-97)
The Crusades:
"The straight line which condemns the Crusades is precisely the sign under which they fought: the cross. The name 'Crusader' derives from the Latin for cross (crux) and means 'one marked by the cross'. The common way to refer to a Crusader journeying to Jerusalem was to say they were 'taking up their cross'. This was a deliberate echo of Christ’s own command: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me' (Matthew 16:24). On Jesus’ lips, this meant to bear suffering. For the Crusaders it meant to inflict it. The contradiction was grotesque but not all were blind to it. During the fifth Crusade, for instance, Francis of Assisi (1181–1226) travelled to the battlefield (at this point in Egypt) and tried to dissuade the soldiers from violence and persuade them of persuasion instead. [...] If we are outraged by the Crusades—and we should be—that is Christian outrage we’re experiencing." (114, 115)
Violence:
"We believe that there is a fundamental difference between words and violence. We believe that force is not the way to extend your influence, but persuasion is. Where did we get these notions? It’s Jesus who taught us to 'put away your sword' (Matthew 26:52, NLT), and it’s Paul who, instead, urged Christians to use 'the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God' (Ephesians 6:17). Wickedly, the Inquisition used harsh means to bring about coercion. But if we believe instead in gentle means, it’s the unique foundations of Christianity which will give best support." (116-117)
Science and Faith:
• "If you put aside the Bible, the fact that the mysteries of the cosmos can be probed by a three-pound (1.4kg) human brain is an unexplained miracle. For an atheist, it’s a miracle without a miracle-maker. Yet with Genesis 1 in hand, the miracle makes sense, and the foundations of science are laid." (134-135)
• "The celebrated historian of science I. Bernard Cohen notes, 'The idea that a Copernican revolution in science occurred goes counter to the evidence … and is the invention of later historians.' Just as medieval Christendom gave us human rights, universities, parliaments and more, it also prepared the way for science. The 'conflict thesis' regarding faith and science does not stack up when you examine the evidence. (140)
Human Rights:
"To imagine that human rights and equality are 'self-evident' is audacious to say the least. Self-evident truths are things like 'all triangles have three sides' and 'all bachelors are unmarried'. They should be things you can’t not know. But outside of a biblical foundation, no one in history—including the world’s greatest thinkers and moralists—has known about human rights. No one has seen in humans an inherent dignity and value simply by virtue of their membership of the human race. A survey of human civilisations reveals that the only thing self-evident about human rights is that they are not self-evident. If we’re looking for a human universal, slavery is a much stronger candidate: 'All known societies above the very primitive level have been slave societies'. Slavery is a universal. Rights? Rights are weird—'nonsense on stilts' as the philosopher Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) characterised them." (151-152)
Evil:
"As with church abuse, the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, and the Galileo affair, the point is not that these things weren’t so bad, all things considered. On the contrary, when all things are considered, these events are truly evil—Evil with a capital E. But their evil is judged by the good which they pretended to value. [...] When the truth of Christ is brought to bear (rather than borrowed as a bulwark for evil), the powerful are brought down and the humble lifted up." (162, 163)
Lasting Impact of Jesus:
"Everyone knows that kingdoms rise and fall—certainly the Israelites did. They endured the cruelties of the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, and, in time, the Romans. But while the British Museum displays the scattered remains of those mighty empires, the kingdom of the Messiah continues to grow, just as predicted." (210)
The Resurrection:
"The resurrection explains what would otherwise be even more absurd. It says, 'There’s expansion because there was an explosion'—the explosion of Christ bursting the bonds of death and inviting the world into his triumph. To embrace the miracle is not to embrace nonsense. In fact, it’s a way to make sense of life. Resurrection explains why the Jesus movement did not die when he did. Resurrection explains why the Jesus movement continued its unlikely growth through many deadly trials. Resurrection explains why the Victim has come to be Victor. Resurrection explains why, far from being a tragedy, the cross has represented healing and hope. Resurrection explains why the pattern of all great stories—and the pattern of the meaningful life—is triumph through sacrifice. Most of all, resurrection explains Jesus. It explains why the one famous for his death has been encountered by billions as the one most fully alive." (218-219)
Lastly, why is human dignity and showing kindness to all a value praised by most today (even if they merely give lip service to it but do not consistently practice it)? Scrivener writes,
kindness appeared in the world because Kindness himself appeared—kindness enfleshed (Titus 3:4). Jesus is Pity with a capital P. He entered the pitiless realm of nature and suffered its brutalities. Yet in love, he chose the cross. And it was on the cross that Christ, the Fittest, was sacrificed for us, the weakest, so that we, the weakest, might survive—more than that, that we might be raised up, forgiven and filled with the life of his Spirit. (75)
Even when folks rightly critique those Christian leaders who misuse or abuse their power to harm others, they do so (probably unwittingly) with Christian virtues. Scrivener puts it this way: "Like air, Christianity is so pervasive that we cannot help depending on it, even as we protest against it." (14)
Still not sure you buy the major premises of this book? Anticipating objections, Scrivener argues:
The extraordinary impact of Christianity is seen in the fact that you don’t notice it. You already hold particularly “Christian-ish” views, and the fact that you think of these values as natural, obvious or universal shows how profoundly the Christian revolution has shaped you. (13)
Pick up a copy of this book, give it a read, and consider the multiple lines of evidence he brings forth to demonstrate his claims. The best thing that has ever happened for the world is the coming of Jesus and the explosion of Jesus' Church starting in the first century all the way down to the present.
This book is comparable in many ways to Tom Holland's Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World , although it is not merely a repeat or simply an evangelical repackaging of that book. In addition to what is seen above, Scrivener provides especially in the last couple of chapters insightful commentary on contemporary issues of the last five years.
July 1, 2022
One of the best books I read this year.
Scrivener makes a compelling argument: all of our notions of freedom, kindness, progress, and equality are rooted in the Christian message. From the most deep rooted progressive to the most hard pressed conservative, all have notions of right and wrong from the Christian message. In recent years there has been an uptick in those pinning the Christian message as all that is wrong with the world. This book is a hearty rebuttal to such a notion. For instance, it was the Christian community which understood the value of a human person in the Roman empire. While babies were left to die in the garbage heaps of Rome, it was the Christian message that drove many to rescue these children. During the height of the slave trade in England, it was the Christian message that drove the initial attack against the hideous and barbaric practice.
But, what about Hitler and his use of Martin Luther? Scrivener addresses this point. Hitler was further from the Christian message, to a place that we can comfortably say he was an "anti-Christ." The "Nazi Jesus" was a god of "strength and power" dominating the weak of society. Hitler pushed to portray his Jesus as someone who was for Aryan traits. But the true Jesus is much different. He was born humble, lived humble, and died humble. Only after his death did he rise up and was exalted. Scrivener turns his attention to the modern world. With secular concepts of freedom, kindness, progress, and equality running rampant, it is important to recognize the key differences between these terms and their Christian origin. The secular terms take the desire to see things made right, but it puts the mode on humanity. For instance, communism seeks to right wrongs in society by trusting these concepts in the hands of humanity. If only we right the wrongs, then things will be made right. Scrivener shows that only the Christian message offers a realistic means to righting wrongs. Jesus, the ultimate sufferer. The ultimate example of humility, freedom, kindness, progress, and equality. Only in believing in his life, death, and resurrection, can mankind achieve the values it so dearly desires.
I highly recommend this book. It was easy to read, and chalk full of original content, while drawing on key historians such as Tom Holland. I hope this brief overview is helpful.
Scrivener makes a compelling argument: all of our notions of freedom, kindness, progress, and equality are rooted in the Christian message. From the most deep rooted progressive to the most hard pressed conservative, all have notions of right and wrong from the Christian message. In recent years there has been an uptick in those pinning the Christian message as all that is wrong with the world. This book is a hearty rebuttal to such a notion. For instance, it was the Christian community which understood the value of a human person in the Roman empire. While babies were left to die in the garbage heaps of Rome, it was the Christian message that drove many to rescue these children. During the height of the slave trade in England, it was the Christian message that drove the initial attack against the hideous and barbaric practice.
But, what about Hitler and his use of Martin Luther? Scrivener addresses this point. Hitler was further from the Christian message, to a place that we can comfortably say he was an "anti-Christ." The "Nazi Jesus" was a god of "strength and power" dominating the weak of society. Hitler pushed to portray his Jesus as someone who was for Aryan traits. But the true Jesus is much different. He was born humble, lived humble, and died humble. Only after his death did he rise up and was exalted. Scrivener turns his attention to the modern world. With secular concepts of freedom, kindness, progress, and equality running rampant, it is important to recognize the key differences between these terms and their Christian origin. The secular terms take the desire to see things made right, but it puts the mode on humanity. For instance, communism seeks to right wrongs in society by trusting these concepts in the hands of humanity. If only we right the wrongs, then things will be made right. Scrivener shows that only the Christian message offers a realistic means to righting wrongs. Jesus, the ultimate sufferer. The ultimate example of humility, freedom, kindness, progress, and equality. Only in believing in his life, death, and resurrection, can mankind achieve the values it so dearly desires.
I highly recommend this book. It was easy to read, and chalk full of original content, while drawing on key historians such as Tom Holland. I hope this brief overview is helpful.
April 10, 2023
'When we fear that the value of equal human worth is under threat, we can't help but move our language to a religious register. To deny it is sacrilegious. It is a transgression. It's blasphemy.' (p. 42)
Thoughts:
- This is a relatively short but thought-provoking dip into the pervasive influence of Christianity on modern Western values. I really like how the author acknowledges his scope with clarity and writes in an accessible and engaging manner.
- Writing to three audiences (the "nones", the "dones" and the "wons") isn't an easy task. As a firm "won", I'd be very interested to hear what those from the other groups think of this book.
- A key takeaway for me was how Scrivener addressed some of the misconceptions surrounding topics like the enlightenment and conflict thesis. It's not enough just to 'bust the myths' - a well-rounded response also needs to 'own what's crooked and insist on the straight line', i.e. to acknowledge historic wrongs committed by representatives of Christianity and point people back to the original, the standard by which such actions are measured. Very reminiscent of John Dickson's Bullies and Saints (excellent book by the way!), which also makes an appearance in this book.
- This book doesn't do a deep-dive into the topics discussed (equality, compassion, consent, enlightenment, science, freedom, progress), but Scrivener does a good job outlining how Christianity remains stubbornly present in our "post-Christian" cultural context. This book would be a decent starting point for someone beginning to think through how Christian faith intersects with present culture.
Thoughts:
- This is a relatively short but thought-provoking dip into the pervasive influence of Christianity on modern Western values. I really like how the author acknowledges his scope with clarity and writes in an accessible and engaging manner.
- Writing to three audiences (the "nones", the "dones" and the "wons") isn't an easy task. As a firm "won", I'd be very interested to hear what those from the other groups think of this book.
- A key takeaway for me was how Scrivener addressed some of the misconceptions surrounding topics like the enlightenment and conflict thesis. It's not enough just to 'bust the myths' - a well-rounded response also needs to 'own what's crooked and insist on the straight line', i.e. to acknowledge historic wrongs committed by representatives of Christianity and point people back to the original, the standard by which such actions are measured. Very reminiscent of John Dickson's Bullies and Saints (excellent book by the way!), which also makes an appearance in this book.
- This book doesn't do a deep-dive into the topics discussed (equality, compassion, consent, enlightenment, science, freedom, progress), but Scrivener does a good job outlining how Christianity remains stubbornly present in our "post-Christian" cultural context. This book would be a decent starting point for someone beginning to think through how Christian faith intersects with present culture.
April 24, 2024
OUTSTANDING! Read this as soon as you can and then give it to a friend. If you'd like me to grab one for you, message me, and I'll make that happen.
A friend gave me a copy of this that she had as a spare (because someone had given her a couple copies with the instructions above) and said, "It's really well written. I bet you could read it in a weekend." I read it in about five hours, probably, the last of which was reading quite a bit out loud to my captive family. The Air We Breathe is a straightforward work of apologetics that spells out the rest of its title. Scrivener devotes a chapter to each of the values, plus a few more. His thesis is not new-- our entire culture and worldview in the west is WEIRD: Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic and it is that way because of Christianity, or as Scrivener often puts it, The Jesus Revolution/Movement, which is slightly more accurate if you're familiar with the background of that terminology. Anyone who objects to this, citing Christianity's failure to live up to its stated claims, can only do so because Christianity imbued everything about the last two thousand years with those values, down to the atomic/subconscious level.
Scrivener's writing is straightforward and relatable. It is occasionally even charming. He does require a bit of background knowledge-- you have to understand that the ancient world: Egypt, Greece, Rome, was not just like the current Western world with less technology. Its values were entirely different and "barbaric" seems a very tame word to describe societies that thought nothing of rape, murder, and slavery-- because that was the way the world was meant to be. Who could or would dare to question it?
Scrivener draws from several rich sources, which he duly and consistently notes. If you're interested in exploring any of the ideas in greater depth, those references are where to start.
Wonderful read. Off to go buy more copies for others!
A friend gave me a copy of this that she had as a spare (because someone had given her a couple copies with the instructions above) and said, "It's really well written. I bet you could read it in a weekend." I read it in about five hours, probably, the last of which was reading quite a bit out loud to my captive family. The Air We Breathe is a straightforward work of apologetics that spells out the rest of its title. Scrivener devotes a chapter to each of the values, plus a few more. His thesis is not new-- our entire culture and worldview in the west is WEIRD: Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic and it is that way because of Christianity, or as Scrivener often puts it, The Jesus Revolution/Movement, which is slightly more accurate if you're familiar with the background of that terminology. Anyone who objects to this, citing Christianity's failure to live up to its stated claims, can only do so because Christianity imbued everything about the last two thousand years with those values, down to the atomic/subconscious level.
Scrivener's writing is straightforward and relatable. It is occasionally even charming. He does require a bit of background knowledge-- you have to understand that the ancient world: Egypt, Greece, Rome, was not just like the current Western world with less technology. Its values were entirely different and "barbaric" seems a very tame word to describe societies that thought nothing of rape, murder, and slavery-- because that was the way the world was meant to be. Who could or would dare to question it?
Scrivener draws from several rich sources, which he duly and consistently notes. If you're interested in exploring any of the ideas in greater depth, those references are where to start.
Wonderful read. Off to go buy more copies for others!
June 9, 2023
Scrivener shows that whether we believe in it or not, and whether we like it or not for that matter, Christian beliefs and values have shaped those ideas we most value and fight for especially in the West. I slowed down in the middle of the book a bit but then flew threw the last few chapters.
Overall, this is a really helpful work especially when thinking about having spiritual conversations with those who see Christianity as an outdated and backwards religion. As the book shows, those who believe such things are unwittingly standing on Christian ideals to make their arguments. While there are more exhaustive and robust treatments of this topic, Scrivener’s work is a great entry level book to step into this conversation.
Overall, this is a really helpful work especially when thinking about having spiritual conversations with those who see Christianity as an outdated and backwards religion. As the book shows, those who believe such things are unwittingly standing on Christian ideals to make their arguments. While there are more exhaustive and robust treatments of this topic, Scrivener’s work is a great entry level book to step into this conversation.
December 10, 2024
A good apologetic of how the western world has benefitted from Christianity without being aware of it. Nothing groundbreaking compared to other apologetic books, but he does particularly well at explicitly sharing the gospel and not just talking about the effect it’s had on the world.
May 7, 2023
A clear-sighted and concise appraisal of our cultural values and their formation.
The final few chapters were particularly incisive! Compelling and illuminating.
Would recommend.
The final few chapters were particularly incisive! Compelling and illuminating.
Would recommend.
September 12, 2024
I heard Glen Scrivener interviewed on Moody Radio and I was intrigued. So often as Christians, we are accused of being intolerant, unfair, judgmental, etc. The reality is that many of the virtues we believe in as a society--equality, compassion, consent, enlightenment, science, freedom, progress--are due to the influence of the Christian faith. But we are so accustomed to them, like the air we breathe, we have no idea what the world would have been like apart from Christ. Scrivener does an excellent job of researching societal norms before Christ, and then tracing these virtues back to their Christian roots.
January 8, 2023
I finished The Air We Breathe on New Years Eve and just have not had the time to write a review for this, my favorite read of 2022. So I am making it my first read of 2023. I can recommend this book to everybody: Christian, skeptic, agnostic and atheist alike. It is certainly an eye-opener.
This book was a paradigm shifter for me! I had not thought about the idea of some of the most foundational parts of life as having roots in Christianity. For example, Equality, prior to Jesus there was no concept of equality-you were born in to your station and that was that-there was no changing it. It was the accepted way of life. Our way of life, our world, has been shaped by Christianity, no matter what we believe.
The author goes through each of the following values and how they developed through Christianity:
1. Equality
2. Compassion
3. Consent
4. Enlightenment
5. Science
6. Freedom
7. Progress
This is so, so good and I cannot recommend it enough. Excellent knowledge to have in your databank for apologetics arguments, especially when people bring up all the bad parts of Christian history because they are there. There have always been wolves in sheep’s clothing, but the massive amount of good certainly outweighs the wrongs people have committed in the name of God. Unfortunately, many of us only learn what is right after doing the wrong thing. I thank God for his word to guide me on the daily. Where would we be without it? What would our world look like without it? I cannot even begin to image how bad it could be.
I definitely want to read Dominion by Tom Holland, The Book that Made Your World by Vishal Mangalwadi and John Dickson’s Bullies and Saints, which are all along the same vein.
This book was a paradigm shifter for me! I had not thought about the idea of some of the most foundational parts of life as having roots in Christianity. For example, Equality, prior to Jesus there was no concept of equality-you were born in to your station and that was that-there was no changing it. It was the accepted way of life. Our way of life, our world, has been shaped by Christianity, no matter what we believe.
The author goes through each of the following values and how they developed through Christianity:
1. Equality
2. Compassion
3. Consent
4. Enlightenment
5. Science
6. Freedom
7. Progress
This is so, so good and I cannot recommend it enough. Excellent knowledge to have in your databank for apologetics arguments, especially when people bring up all the bad parts of Christian history because they are there. There have always been wolves in sheep’s clothing, but the massive amount of good certainly outweighs the wrongs people have committed in the name of God. Unfortunately, many of us only learn what is right after doing the wrong thing. I thank God for his word to guide me on the daily. Where would we be without it? What would our world look like without it? I cannot even begin to image how bad it could be.
I definitely want to read Dominion by Tom Holland, The Book that Made Your World by Vishal Mangalwadi and John Dickson’s Bullies and Saints, which are all along the same vein.
August 14, 2022
Glen is amazing at showing how our Western culture has been shaped by Jesus as equality, compassion, consent, enlightenment, science, freedom and progress are seen as common sense values when really there is nothing natural about them, they are Christian ideas. Great encouragement that the Jesus revolution’s impact is incomprehensible.
December 15, 2022
A great book on how the West basically relies on Christian morals for almost all its virtues and values. But what happens when you rip the story out from the middle? This bloke explains how having the morals of the story without accepting the story itself has lead to the mess in the West right now.
August 21, 2023
4.8 Stars
"The Air We Breathe" by Glen Scrivener is a work of Christian apologetics, history and cultural studies that explains how Western values came to be. Scrivener's main thesis is that the core of Western values come from Christianity and thus should compel us moderns to believe and follow Jesus. Scrivener work is an enlightening piece of apologetic witness. Most presuppositional apologetics work to show that one's suppositions are unfounded or false; but Scrivener instead shows that the suppositions that most Westerners argue about and defend actually are true and find their roots in Christianity.
Scrivener's main Western values that he expounds are compassion, consent, enlightenment, science, freedom and progress. The strength of this book is that Scrivener does such a good job as peeling back the layers behind these beliefs and showing how they are truly Christian. As well, I greatly appreciated how he explained that much of the world before Christianity was entirely pagan and did not hold many of the values we do today. The Roman world was misogynistic, unequal, enslaved and brutal. We did not get our values from the pagan world, but from the Jesus revolution.
Scrivener has written an incredibly helpful piece of Christian history, apologetics and cultural study. He has given the church an accessible and approachable book that can be used as a tool to show others that our Western values find their fulfillment in Jesus. I thought this was an excellent book and should be at the top of every Christian's list!
"The Air We Breathe" by Glen Scrivener is a work of Christian apologetics, history and cultural studies that explains how Western values came to be. Scrivener's main thesis is that the core of Western values come from Christianity and thus should compel us moderns to believe and follow Jesus. Scrivener work is an enlightening piece of apologetic witness. Most presuppositional apologetics work to show that one's suppositions are unfounded or false; but Scrivener instead shows that the suppositions that most Westerners argue about and defend actually are true and find their roots in Christianity.
Scrivener's main Western values that he expounds are compassion, consent, enlightenment, science, freedom and progress. The strength of this book is that Scrivener does such a good job as peeling back the layers behind these beliefs and showing how they are truly Christian. As well, I greatly appreciated how he explained that much of the world before Christianity was entirely pagan and did not hold many of the values we do today. The Roman world was misogynistic, unequal, enslaved and brutal. We did not get our values from the pagan world, but from the Jesus revolution.
Scrivener has written an incredibly helpful piece of Christian history, apologetics and cultural study. He has given the church an accessible and approachable book that can be used as a tool to show others that our Western values find their fulfillment in Jesus. I thought this was an excellent book and should be at the top of every Christian's list!
May 24, 2024
The subtitle of Glen Scrivener's "The Air We Breathe" is "How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality." Scrivener's apologetic approach in "The Air We Breathe" is not to convince a skeptical audience of believing something they don't already believe, but to reveal where those beliefs come from.
While many view Christianity as oppositional to the modern world, Scrivener argues that most we take for granted in our world is a fruit of Christian thought. Similar to Tom Holland's "Dominion," Scrivener argues that the things we take for granted: that we are born with a right to freedom, an expectation of kindness, we are making progress, and all should expect equality--these Western values did not exist prior to Christianity. Jesus' revolutionary work is not merely theological, but has seeped into every philosophical and humanitarian breath we breathe.
For instance, “Infanticide was so widespread in the Roman world (in fact, in all the world) that the first known treatise on gynaecology included the vital section “How to Recognise the Newborn That is Worth Rearing". If they did not make the grade, the advice was “Expose it and try again”.”
The problem that Scrivener wants to introduce to the skeptic is this: can you keep the fruit of the tree if you chop down the tree? Scrivener argues that we cannot. The tree will stop producing the fruit. Furthermore, the tree itself is a person, not a system of values. And that is transformative. Scrivener says, “In order to pursue the kingdom without the King, we have had to dethrone the person of Christ and install abstract values instead. The problem should be obvious: persons can forgive you; values cannot. Values can only judge you.”
I highly commend Scrivener's "The Air We Breathe" to believers and unbelievers alike. It's a thought-provoking and accessible book.
For more reviews see thebeehive.live.
While many view Christianity as oppositional to the modern world, Scrivener argues that most we take for granted in our world is a fruit of Christian thought. Similar to Tom Holland's "Dominion," Scrivener argues that the things we take for granted: that we are born with a right to freedom, an expectation of kindness, we are making progress, and all should expect equality--these Western values did not exist prior to Christianity. Jesus' revolutionary work is not merely theological, but has seeped into every philosophical and humanitarian breath we breathe.
For instance, “Infanticide was so widespread in the Roman world (in fact, in all the world) that the first known treatise on gynaecology included the vital section “How to Recognise the Newborn That is Worth Rearing". If they did not make the grade, the advice was “Expose it and try again”.”
The problem that Scrivener wants to introduce to the skeptic is this: can you keep the fruit of the tree if you chop down the tree? Scrivener argues that we cannot. The tree will stop producing the fruit. Furthermore, the tree itself is a person, not a system of values. And that is transformative. Scrivener says, “In order to pursue the kingdom without the King, we have had to dethrone the person of Christ and install abstract values instead. The problem should be obvious: persons can forgive you; values cannot. Values can only judge you.”
I highly commend Scrivener's "The Air We Breathe" to believers and unbelievers alike. It's a thought-provoking and accessible book.
For more reviews see thebeehive.live.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 400 reviews