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The Christians as the Romans Saw Them

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Robert Wilken takes a somewhat slightly different tack with this book of Roman history. He examines Christianity in the Roman Empire by looking at it through the eyes of pagan critics. Wilken states in his introduction that his goal in this book is to bring Roman history into closer conjunction with early Christianity. He argues that by studying the context of pagan critics, one can understand how the early Church shaped its theology and doctrines.

Wilken examines five pagan critics, starting with Pliny the Younger's letters to the emperor Trajan circa 112 C.E. Galen, Celsus, Porphyry and the Roman emperor Julian round out the cast of characters. As the accounts unfold, the development of Christianity can be seen clearly: from a small, almost unknown sect in Pliny's day to the powerful apparatus it became by the time Julian launched his reactionary attacks in the late 4th century. The attacks on Christians become more theological as time progresses, showing an increasing sophistication as knowledge about Christianity became better known. Pliny mentioned the Christians in passing, one event among many in his role as a provincial governor. By the time of Celsus, Porphyry and Julian, whole books are being written to refute Christian ideas.

Wilken points out that Pliny's concerns with the Christians mirror his function as a politician. With Galen, a concern for philosophical schools is reflected in his attack on Christianity, namely the creation doctrine and how it compares with the Greek conception of creation as Plato defined it in his work, Timaeus. Celsus attacks Christianity on several fronts, most importantly that Christianity is an apostasy from Judaism and that Jesus was a magician. Porphyry, a philosopher and literary scholar, demolishes the Christian view of the Book of Daniel and criticizes the Christian worship of Jesus on an equal footing with God. Julian takes criticism of Christianity much further, first by banning Christians from traditional Greek and Latin schools and an attempt to rebuild the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The idea of rebuilding the temple was an attempt to isolate Christians who believed that they were the legitimate successors to the Jewish traditions. By reconstructing the Temple, the Jews would be restored to their traditional role as defined in the Old Testament, relegating Christians to their rightful place: apostates of Judaism. The Temple project failed when Julian died on campaign in Persia and Christian emperors once again assumed power.

This is an excellent book that inspires the reader to pursue further reading on this fascinating topic. What is most relevant is that the same questions we ask about Christianity today have been around for almost two thousand years. This is recommended reading for Roman buffs and Christian scholars alike.

Imperial Rome didn't like clubs. They almost invariably got themselves involved in politics and stirred up trouble. You had to have the Emperor's permission to form a club. When the Roman governor Pliny the Younger got complaints about an outlaw political club calling themselves Christians, he wrote to the Emperor Trajan seeking guidance as to how to deal with them.

When Pliny found that they were engaged in nothing more sinister than worship and instruction in right living, he wanted to be as kind as possible. He told Trajan he had decided not to condemn anyone on the basis of rumor and not to put anyone to death who renounced Christianity. Trajan approved.

Pliny's perspective is the first of five 'outside looking in' perspectives of ancient Christianity presented in this book. The physician Galen, the philosophers Celsus and Porphyry, and the Emperor Julian the Apostate also wrote about this upstart religion, and it is instructive to see how Roman attitudes changed over the years.

Galen thought of Christianity as a second-rate philosophy which had many admirable characteristics, but was ultimately based on fallacious reasoning. Celsus, the first pagan thinker to study Christianity in depth, took Christians to task for what he saw as all sorts of lunatic ideas. Porphyry penned what is probably the most incisive critique of Christianity ever written. Julian attacked Christianity with the fervor characteristic of many former Christians. He not only sought to discredit it with literature, he sought to destroy it with legislation. Interestingly, one of the laws with which Julian sought to undermine Christianity dealt with public education. Apparently Julian didn't like prayer in schools any more than the modern Supreme Court.

Wilken gives an engaging study of the hostile world into which Christianity was born, and in which it matured. This book does little to explain the miracle of how Christianity survived and thrived in the face of such opposition, but that is not its purpose. It admirably achieves its purpose of describing that hostile world.

I see I'm hardly in the minority rating this book five stars; as much as I like to be different, there IS no other rating this one can deserve. Wilken makes his subject, which is rather esoteric, accessible and interesting -- I would call it absolutely fascinating -- to the lay reader. I read this book with virtually no prior knowledge of the very early history of the Christian Church, and it quickly became the catalyst for a million new paths of thought and things to research.

Wilken divides the book into sections, each headed with the name of a well-known and influential pagan critic of Christianity. There are four sections -- Pliny, Celsus, Porphyry, Julian (the Apostate)-- plus 2 chapters not focused on a particular critic. They are chronological, and each builds upon the revelations of those before it. This format makes the book wonderfully easy to follow.

My only criticism of Wilken is that he tends to repeat himself (it gets worse toward the end, when he is tying together the various critics interpretations), but I think he does it on purpose, to make sure the reader will understand the point. All in all, the reiteration does not detract from the pleasure of reading the book, and it DOES impress important points in your mind as you read.

THE CHRISTIANS AS THE ROMANS SAW THEM presents a fresh view of Christianity (one that began as very different from the Church of today) in a relatively short, clearly and even humorously written, well-researched volume that is surprisingly difficult to put down. Based solely on this book, I intend to read Wilken's other work soon.

One of the more neglected aspects of early Church history is the view of the Church from the Roman pagan point of view. Accounts of the rise of Christianity within pagan Roman culture often wrongly portray traditional Roman religion as in an advance state of decay and incapable of countering the religious vigor of its new opponent. Such accounts, based on the Roman pagan culture's lack of what constitutes evidence of religious commitment within a culture steeped in two millennia of Christian belief, fails to recognize the Greco-Roman perspective on religion had an entirely different outlook on the purpose of religion than the Christian culture that would follow and the lack of the normative indicators of religious fervor that would hold in the latter does not indicate a lack of commitment on the part of adherents to the former.

One book that definitely avoids this fallacy (and others) is Robert Louis Wilken's The Chrisitians as the Romans Saw Them. Wilken's purpose is to outline the Roman critiques of Christianity from the perspective of the greatest apologists for traditional Roman religion and culture and thus to get a clear picture of the views that the Christian apologists were countering. The book is designed to be one of a two book study with the latter book to give the Chrisitan response within the context of the Roman critiques (Note: Wilken would publish the latter volume as The Spirit of Early Christian Thought).

Beginning with the early rise of the Christian faith within the empire, Wilken demostrates how the reaction from prominent Roman citizens evolved from rumors of "cannibalism" and "deicide" to an intellectually challenging critique of an alternate worldview from the established Roman norm. Rather than a decaying belief system, the pagan challenge to the Christian faith was vigorous and powerful. Based not on an outmoded mythological system but profound philosophical inquiry that looked to the pantheon of gods as a civil norm while acknowledging the existence of a supreme deity above all the lesser local and tribal gods, the critiques of men like Galen, Celsus, Porphyroy, and the emperor Julian the Apostate gave the Christian apologists all they could handle. The commonly held opinion that the Romans' faith in their native beliefs were in precipitous decline not only greatly undervalues the strength of the Roman way of life but also serves to downplay the strength of the Christian hope in the face of a powerful established belief system.

The opinion within much of the Church that the Romans were crass polytheists without any redeeming beliefs until the rise of Christianity is completely undermined by Wilken's analysis. It is precisely because they had redeeming values that the Church was able to utilize much of the best of classical thought in defense of the truth of the Christian faith. The greater virutes of a just society seen in Rome demostrated the existence of the "natural law" written in men's hearts and these virtues could recieve their proper end when placed in the service of Christ.

Roman criticism were based on many factors: the "absurdity" of the New Testament accounts, the exclusivity of Christian claims (with one critic castigating Christains by stating "We too are a religious people"), the equating of Christ with a supreme deity, and the break of Christianity with its Jewish roots. The latter served in the eyes of Romans with conservative Roman inclinations to undermine the Chrisitans as interlopers usurping the position of their more established forebearers. With still strong Jewish communities still established within most Roman cities, there were pointed questions about the abandonment of Jewish traditions. The presence of Judaism as a factor in pagan/Christian debates is an often overlooked element within the historical equation.

Wilken has written a marvelous exposition outlining the strenghts of Roman society that in some aspects set a high bar for the Church to equal. In The Christians as the Romans Saw Them, he has cleared much of the misinformation surrounding the rise of Christianity and the subsequent diaplacement of classical culture. In so doing, the air is cleared of the many misconceptions regarding the tranistion from a pagan to a Christian society and a basis given for the use of the appropriate intellectual achievements of classical culture within the emerging Chrisitan tradition. For those interested in the development of the patristic synthesis, Wilken's work is irreplacable.

Over the years I have read many books that examine the early Christian church, as it existed within the milieu of the pagan Roman Empire. This book turns that on its head, and focuses on how the Roman pagans viewed the early Christians in their midst. Covering the writings of Pliny the Younger, Galen, Celsus, Porphyry and Julian the Apostate, the author uses the actual writings to show how the perception of the Christian church changed among the pagan Romans in the years prior to the advent of Constantine.

Though it is written in a dry tone, I still found this book to be absolutely fascinating. Not only did it cover Roman perceptions, but also the book gave me a real feeling for certain aspects of Roman religion and associations. If you are interested in the Roman Empire, or in the early Christian church, then I highly recommend that you get this book.

Something that often seems to be forgotten in studies of the history and development of Christianity is that, in its early years, its adherents were a significant minority. Wilken explores this subject from a point of view that we do not often see: the Roman contemporaries of the early Christians.

It's an impressive group of observers that Wilken has assembled, too, from Pliny to Julian the Apostate. From their perspective, we can witness the evolution of Christianity in the eyes of outsiders, from a minor cult whose practitioners were accused of bizarre practices to a social movement that came to be taken seriously by some of the period's greatest pagan intellectuals. Definitely a fascinating read

Robert Wilken has assemble an impressive body of information about attitudes of the pagans who witnessed the rise of Christianity. In many cases, they were justified in the alarm they expressed at the irrational aspects of the new religion. Also interesting, was the fact that many pagans expressed an interest in Christ, while still being appalled by Christianity (the oracle at Delphi praised Christ, but said that the Christians lived in error). A fascinating book!

Early Christian folklore is permeated with the idea that the
"saints" merely had to tell the story of Jesus and all who heard it believed. The story made perfect sense and all that was required was someone to tell the story and all of a sudden all the clouded thinking of the listener was cleared away. The rapid growth of Christianity during the first four centuries of the Common Era confirm this.

For readers who have such an idea of early Christianity, this book may be an eye-opener, perhaps one of the most significant books one ever reads. Robert Wilken does an excellent job of describing the attitudes of the Romans toward Christianity as it grew. Pliny the Younger, Tacitus, and Seutonius saw Christianity as a "superstition," a foreign cult whose practices stood outside the accepted standards of religion in the Greco-Roman world. Galen saw Christianity as a philosophical way of life but found its members dogmatic and uncritical in their thinking. Celsus saw Jesus as a magician and accused Christians of magic. (See _Ancient Christian Magic_ by Marvin Meyer) Celsus was also concerned about Christians becoming a counterculture that
"drained their energies away from the larger society." Porphyry was considered by Augustine the "most learned of scholars" yet when Porphyry heard Origen attempt to reconcile Christianity with the Greek intellectual tradition, he thought it an
"absurdity." The last Roman persecution of Christians took place under the reign of Maximin Daia, an emperor who took piety seriously. A later emperor, Julian, earned the name "apostate" for being raised as a Christian and then rejecting Christianity.

Since it first began, Christianity has not only been championed by intelligent people but questioned seriously by some as well. Adolf von Harnack once wrote that Porphyry's objections had not yet been answered in his own day. Christianity did spread rapidly, but that the message of Christianity was readily accepted at face value is not the reason for this growth. For that one must look elsewhere.

I bought this book because of a deep and abiding interest in all things Roman(esp. men in centurion costumes) and I could not put it down. Mr. Wilken is, first of all, an engaging writer who makes each page a delight. The amount of information he includes in this book is tremendous - Galen, Julian, Porphyry, Celsus = they're all here in living color! Most of us are used to the Christian side of the story concerning the church's origins and the pagans never come out unscathed. This book shows that the Roman pagans were not superstitious twits but philosophers who delved into their religion with as much depth and passion as any church father ever did. Mr. Wilken lays out in detail the weaknesses in Christian theology that the pagans used against them. The chapter on Roman burial societies, which served as social clubs, gave a new perspective on the church as a fellowship group that was often seen as no different from other societies. It is also fun to see that Christians back then often acted as arrogantly and obnoxiously as they sometimes do now toward those who disagree with them. Every student of western religion and every Christian who thinks they know the history of their church should read this book. It really sheds light on the polytheist side and gives one a more compassionate, understanding view of them and their views.

This fine volume explores the delayed, and often bewildered, response from the powerful Roman pagans of the first few centuries of the Common Era to the strange group of stand-offish cultists known to them as "Christians."

In the first decades of the 2nd century, Roman government official Pliny struggled to understand and deal with the Christian problem in Asia Minor. His correspondence with the emporer Trajan is a fascinating account from an outsider with regard to what the Romans of the day considered a "political club." Eventually, Pliny and Trajan decided upon a "don't ask, don't tell" policy with regard to the "foreign cultists."

Dr. Wilken goes on to observe that to many Romans, the 2nd century Christians were a sort of "burial club," with unique rituals surrounding the handling of their dead. These same pagans were themselves religious people (a fact often overlooked by Christians from all ages), and from time to time had to remind the Christians of that fact.

Another aspect of the difficult Christians had with established, pagan Roman society stems from the inextricable nature of politics and religion in pagan Rome. A civic function was likely to involve sacrifices to the local pagan gods. A person who failed to participate in such state actions, therefore, might be called an "atheist" (as Christians were so called).

The pagan philosopher Galen (last part of 2nd century CE) informed himself about Christianity and saw it as a competing philosophy. (About this time, St. Justin Martyr similarly described his Christian beliefs.) Galen was the first informed critic to attack specific perceived weaknesses in Christianity: How could God create everything from nothing? He rejected Christianity as unprovable and requiring too much faith.

Next, Celsus (about 170 CE) was even better informed about Christian claims. He was also clever and sarcastic. In fact, Christians spent generations refuting the issues he brought up. Celsus called Jesus a "magician" (similar to Jewish claims probably from the same time period preserved in the Talmudic writings), and wondered how shameful Christian claims that God could come to earth could possibly be taken seriously. Why did God wait until just recently to send his son? Did he not love people before? If the Christians have one God, why do they also worship his son? Celsus concluded that Christians were merely a sect in apostasy from the more ancient Judaism. These and other criticism kept Christians from later generations (such as Origen) busy.

The great (neo)Platonic philosopher, Porphory (3rd century) went to battle Christianity for the minds and hearts of his civilization. By his time Christianity had grown into a major religious and philosophical force, and Porphory went to work. Christians were responding to him into the 5th century! Porphory had been aquainted with Origen and probably knew Christian sacred writings fairly well as evidenced by his criticims of the Book of Daniel with regard to history vs. prophecy, and the authorship of books attributed to Moses. In fact, Porphory subjected Christian sacred writings to an early form of historical criticism and required Christians to re-examine those books. But Porphory also found the Christian unwillingness to participate in the traditional politico-religious life of his beloved civilization offensive and dangerous to society.

The book ends with Julian "the apostate" (late 4th century) and the last view of Christianity - now a powerful force - through devout pagan eyes. Raised a Christian, Julian became a devout, religious pagan. A convert to the ancient gods of classical culture, he attempted a short-lived program to restore them, but died after less than two years as emperor. But his attacks from Christian scripture against Christianity were intended to prove that Jesus was merely a man, and his criticisms of sacrifices disstinct from those of his pagan heritage were designed to show that they were false.

For all students of early Christian history, this is a great look at the early Churches and the early Church from the outside, through fresh eyes.