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Under the Influence

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This is a great book on the whole. Scholarly yet accessible, author Dr. Alvin J. Schmidt, has taken on a huge topic and done it justice.

Broad in its scope, the book intentionally creates a panoramic view describing Western Cultures dependence on Christian pre-suppositions and practice for its development. Through real-life historically verified stories and instances, the "Good News" is convincingly shown to have been truly good.

One cannot read Tacitus's description of early Christians experiences in the Roman Empire which Dr. Schmidt cites without gasping in wonder at their fervent faith: "Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt to serve as nightly illumination". The lesson: Christians who don't live for this world should be the best at transforming it for the better (as the Church did with ancient Rome).

In the book of Colossians, the Apostle Paul writes "All things were created by him and for him. And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." To see Christ incarnated in human lives and institutions is the major achievement of "Under the Influence: How Christianity Transformed Civilization" (a clever title that "transforms" the common term of "Under the Influence" from a drunk driving inference to a highly persuasive and winsome connotation.)

In reading this book, I sensed Dr. Schmidt's strong "Sociological" perspective (he is a retired Sociology professor). Sociologists are trained to see the "whole" of issues (i.e. society). In the book's instance, such an approach provides a context in understanding many of the facets (religious,historical, scientific, political/legal, economic, psychological, familial/sexual, and artistic etc.) implications of the Christian message and how this message influenced the day-to-day lives of those who have lived during Christianity's tenure (which sadly is passing).

I have a few caveats about the book. Occassionally, Schmidt seems to ascribe Christian beliefs to influential figures in history where such conviction of these indidividual's is questionable (Issac Newton is a good example). While Schmidt acknowledges that Isaac Newton's orthodoxy has been questioned by some, I don't think he has come to grips with the contrary evidence. Schmidt suggests that figures such as Newton, Da Vinci, and others of this questionable faith ilk, still were heavily influenced by Christian though and values.

Another caveat I have about the book is that Schmidt does not really ask and answer where we go from here as Christians. It is an important step to understand Christianity's high beneficent history (credit should go to Dr. Schmidt in that he does not whitewash Christendom's practical failures to live up to the ideals of Christ). But, where do we go from here is a essential question that must be addressed, perhaps in a future book.

Finally, Schmidt's critique of rock and roll music was surprisingly weak. He acknowledges in the book that music is not his forte. His lack of musical understanding, combined with a legalistic aversion to the rock beat, came across to me as being unconvincing (and) ignores the fact that rock and roll orignated in the Christian community through both Negro Spirituals and Anglo-American folk music that draws from hymns such as Amazing Grace. The fact that Rock and Roll is a genre that has been torn so successfully from its Christian base and conformed into an demonic den for licentiousness and rebellion, would seem to me to be a good reason for it to be reformed and returned to its rightful progenitor; the Church. I would assert this should be true for all of the Arts.

In conclusion, that Christianity transformed civization for the better is historically documented beyond a doubt by this tome. That Christianity can still "transform" culture seems to be a thesis "Left Behind" by Schmidt (this coincidence is intentional. The best-selling books in the Chrisitian marketplace today, the LaHaye/Jenkins series, postulate that Christianity will no longer produce culturally significant advances).

Do not leave this book behind. There is much to consider. By truly understanding Christianity's rich historical legacy may we capture a vision for her glorious future.

In this well-documented volume of over 400 pages, Schmidt marshals the evidence for the transforming power of the Christian faith. He shows how Jesus has the power to transform men, who in turn are able to transform society. And on every level, that is exactly what has happened. Several specific examples can be mentioned.

In spite the claims of some today that Christianity oppresses women, the historical record shows just the opposite. Women were oppressed in almost every culture prior to the coming of Christianity. By elevating sexual morality, and by conferring upon women a much higher status, the Christian religion revolutionised the place and prestige of women.

The way Jesus treated women was in stark contrast to the surrounding culture. In Roman law a man's wife and children were little more than slaves, often treated like animals. Women had no property rights and faced severe social restrictions. Jesus of course changed all that. The way he treated the Samaritan woman was one remarkable example. And this was not lost on the early disciples. We know from the New Testament documents that many women exercised various leadership roles in the early church. Indeed, during this period Christian women actually outnumbered Christian men.

Admittedly there were some anomalies later in the church's history, when chauvinistic and anti-feminine views were allowed to re-enter parts of the church. But such aberrations must not detract from the truly revolutionary elevation of the status of women achieved by Christianity.

Consider also the issue of health care. Prior to Christianity, the Greeks and Romans had little or no interest in the poor, the sick and the dying. But the early Christians, following the example of their master, ministered to the needs of the whole person. Soon thereafter the institutonalisation of health care began in earnest.

For example, the first ecumenical council at Nicea in 325 directed bishops to establish hospices in every city that had a cathedral. The first hospital was built by St Basil in Caesarea in 369. By the Middle Ages hospitals covered all of Europe and even beyond. In fact, "Christian hospitals were the world's first voluntary charitable institutions".

Care for the mentally ill was also a Christian initiative. Nursing also sprang from Christian concerns for the sick, and many Christians have given their lives to such tasks. One thinks of Florence Nightingale, for example, and the formation of the Red Cross.

Education, while important in Greek and Roman culture, really took off institutionally under the influence of Christianity. The early Greeks and Romans had no public libraries or educational institutions - it was Christianity that established these. As discipleship was important for the first believers (and those to follow), early formal education arose from Christian catechetical schools. Unique to Christian education was the teaching of both sexes.

Also a Christian distinctive, individuals from all social and ethnic groups were included. There was no bias based on ethnicity or class. And the concept of public education first came from the Protestant Reformers. Moreover, the rise of the modern university is largely the result of Christian educational endeavors.

As another example of the Christian influence, consider the issue of work and economic life. The Greeks and Romans had a very low view of manual labor, and so it was mainly the slaves and lower classes that were forced to toil with their hands. The non-slave population lived chiefly for personal pleasure. In these early cultures slaves usually greatly outnumbered freemen.

Thus there was no such thing as the dignity of labor in these cultures, and economic freedom was only for a select few. The early church changed all this. Jesus of course was a carpenter's son. Paul was a tentmaker. And the early admonition, "If a man will not work, he shall not eat" was taken seriously by the early believers. Thus work was seen as an honorable and God-given calling. Laziness and idleness were seen as sinful.

The idea of labor as a calling, and the idea spoken by Jesus that the laborer is worthy of his wages, revolutionised the workplace. The dignity of labor, the value of hard work, and the sense of vocation, soon changed the surrounding society; the development of a middle class being one of the outcomes. The development of unions is another result. Indeed, the works of Weber and Tawney, among others, records the profound effect the Protestant Reformation has had on work and modern capitalism..

Other impacts can be noted. The commandment against stealing of course redefined the concept of private property and property rights. And the protection of workers and workers' rights also flows directly from the biblical worldview. The early unionists were Christians, and concerns for social justice in the workplace and beyond derive from the Judeo-Christian tradition.

Other great achievements might be mentioned. The Western political experience, including genuine democracy at all levels of society, equality, human rights and various freedoms, all stem from the Christian religion, along with its Hebrew forebear. The rise of modern science has been directly linked with the biblical understanding of the world. The many great achievements in art, literature and music also deserve mention. For example, how much poorer would the world be without the Christian artistry of da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Bach, Handel, Brahms, Dante, Milton, Bunyan, and countless others?

The bottom line, as Schmidt notes, is that if Jesus Christ had never been born, to speak of Western civilisation would be incomprehensible. Indeed, there may never have been such a civilisation. The freedoms and benefits we enjoy in many modern cultures are directly due to the influence of this one man. Schmidt deserves an enormous amount of gratitude for this sterling collection of information and inspiration. Christians have made many mistakes. But they have also achieved many great things, all because of the one whom they follow.

Schmidt adequately looks at the various cultural segemets that Christianity has shaped over the centures.

Broad in his sweep, he looks at people transformed, sanctity of human life, sexual morality, view of women, charity/compassion, hospitals and health care, education, labor and economic freedom, science, liberty and justice, slavery, art and architecture, music, literature, and holidays and words.

This is an excellent commentary on the deconstruction of history to write Christian influence out. Especially revealing to most in our times would likely be in area of science. Kepler, Copernicus, etc. were all adamant Christians. Contemporary writers like to portray the church as hostile to their scientific discoveries. However, as Schmidt points out, not all of the church held this view. That's the side of the story they don't tell, but Schmidt does.

Fascinating reading. Well documented and written. Reader will glean much insight from this worthy book.

Under the Influence is an overview of Western Civilization from the first century onwards with an emphasis on bringing in the aspects of history and culture as influenced by Christianity. As such, it is indispensible for home schoolers as well as for students who want a complete picture of the development of our civilization. This is because most modern textbooks do not mention the spiritual aspects of history. Mention of God, Christianity, and prayer are erased from the textbooks. If you were to read the original writings of people such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Isaac Newton, George Washington Carver and many others, you'll find that they have a deep abiding faith in God. Lord Kelvin: "If you think strongly enough, you will be forced by science to the belief in God." Sir Isaac Newton: "God governs the world invisibly, and he has commanded us to worship him, and no other God... he has revived Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who has gone into the heavens to receive and prepare a place for us, and ... will at length return and reign over us...till he has raised up and judged all the dead." Musicians such as Bach, Handel, Beethoven, Mendelssohn composed to the Glory of God. Beethoven: "I have no friend. I must live by myself. I know, however, that God is nearer to me than others; I go without fear to Him."

Areas covered: Morality, Women's Rights, Charity, Hospitals, Health Care, Education, Labor and Economics, Science, Politics, Art, Music, Literature. Very comprehensive and leads to further study.

Dr. Schmidt has given us something with substance to read in order to be proud of being a Christian. His background makes him a expert in observing society and understanding its trends and dirctions.

In a world of cultural confusion and everything goes, he makes you sit back and realize that if the modern pagans succeed in erasing Christian influence from society, all that will follow will be the muck and mire our ancestors fought so hard to escape from.

Society today in its "Post Christian" age is already showing signs of marked decline. how sad they have not realized that the good old days were not prechristian.

One cannot have a complete understanding of world history of the history of Christianity without having read this book. Schmidt pulls together the much-neglected cohesion of Christian contributions to world history. At a time when Christianity-bashing is a favorite sport within the pluralistic/relativist/ political correct crowd, one must not let the ignorance of this important aspect of history die of neglect. Schmidt also goes on to correct many myths that have been perpectuated regarding Christian history. By placing them into their proper historical context, the final outcome isn't as strange as we've been led to believe. This is one book that I couldn't put down.

The used book arrived just fine and has been a wonderful addition to my library. I've nearly finished it and found it very illuminating. It can be used to help formulate an apologetics argument for Christianity, or simply to educate oneself.

This is a great book documenting the change force of Christianity throughout the centuries. It shows well a side of history that most people have never heard of. Modern morals are simply Christian morals without Christ. We have Christians to blame for it.
The thesis that the world is under the influence of Christianity holds water. I really like the analogy so much that I bought this book, though it was republished under the title, "How Christianity Changed the World." They're both the same book, and if anyone's bothered by the title, get the less offensive one--though I would call it less dynamic!
Topically organized, so it makes a great reference book as well.

This book contains a wealth of rarely discussed historical facts that show the immense beneficial influence of Christianity on western civilization.