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James J. O'Donnell

Pagans: The End of Traditional Religion and the Rise of Christianity Hardcover – March 17, 2015

by James J. O'Donnell (Author)

75 customer reviews

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A provocative and contrarian religious history that charts the rise of Christianity from the point of view of traditional” religion from the religious scholar and critically acclaimed author of Augustine.

Pagans explores the rise of Christianity from a surprising and unique viewpoint: that of the people who witnessed their ways of life destroyed by what seemed then a powerful religious cult. These “pagans” were actually pious Greeks, Romans, Syrians, and Gauls who observed the traditions of their ancestors. To these devout polytheists, Christians who worshipped only one deity were immoral atheists who believed that a splash of water on the deathbed could erase a lifetime of sin.

Religious scholar James J. O’Donnell takes us on a lively tour of the Ancient Roman world through the fourth century CE, when Romans of every nationality, social class, and religious preference found their world suddenly constrained by rulers who preferred a strange new god. Some joined this new cult, while others denied its power, erroneously believing it was little more than a passing fad.

In Pagans, O’Donnell brings to life various pagan rites and essential features of Roman religion and life, offers fresh portraits of iconic historical figures, including Constantine, Julian, and Augustine, and explores important themes—Rome versus the east, civilization versus barbarism, plurality versus unity, rich versus poor, and tradition versus innovation—in this startling account.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Trenchantly interprets how an oddball religious cult became the official faith of Rome. . . . It makes for a thoughtful tour of Rome.” (New York Times Book Review)

“Mr. O’Donnell tells the familiar story of Christianity’s heroic age of expansion, from Constantine to Theodosius, with verve and wit.” (Wall Street Journal)

“James J. O’Donnell’s fine new book . . . is short but multilayered, erudite and dense.” (Cleveland Plain-Dealer)

“[A] fascinating and insightful study of the pluralistic pagan gods. This book is a must read for everyone who is interested in either general history or the history of Christianity in particular.” (Washington Book Review)

“Although [Pagans] is serious scholarship, it does not take itself too seriously. The result is an engaging view of antiquity few of us have seen. (Booklist)

From the Back Cover

“Mr. O’Donnell tells the familiar story of Christianity’s heroic age of expansion, from Constantine to Theodosius, with verve and wit.”—Wall Street Journal

For hundreds of years, religious and spiritual pluralism thrived in the Roman Empire. In the fourth century, however, as Christianity became the state religion, Christians developed the concept of the “pagan” to stigmatize and ostracize those who refused to devote themselves to the Christian god. These pagans were Greeks, Romans, Gauls, and Syrians who chose to piously observe the traditions of their ancestors.

Pagans uncovers how the ancient and deeply rooted religious traditions of these polytheistic Romans were undermined and suppressed by the rise of Christianity in little more than a hundred years. James J. O’Donnell explores the foundational features of Roman religion and culture, paints fresh portraits of iconic historical figures—including Constantine, Julian, and Augustine—and breathes new life into the defining tensions of the era: Rome versus the East, civilization versus barbarism, plurality versus unity, rich versus poor, and tradition versus innovation.

In this nuanced account of religious repression, O’Donnell offers an iconoclastic history of religion that tells an exciting new story that is deeply relevant to the way we think about religion in our own time.

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Product details

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Ecco; 1st edition (March 17, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061845353
ISBN-13: 978-0061845352
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 75 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #969,327 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1568 in Ancient Roman History (Books)
- #2354 in General History of Religion
- #745 in Paganism

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R.H.

The Dividing Line Between Pagans and Christians

May 21, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

It is a curious book. The first two chapters held marginal interest and I almost put the book down. Somewhere in the third chapter (An Eloquent Man), it suddenly picked up and became a fascinating read.

So, what this historical piece covers is this transformation of Rome from a wide-open field of religion to one that is dominated by Christianity, and eventually dissolves the empire. It lays out the habits and rituals of old Rome, and how it slowly became a different atmosphere. For those trying to conceive how the Roman Empire came to an end.....I would suggest to start with this book.

As for the read? Well....you need to have some interest in the period (Roman era), the track of the Christian religion, and history. I might also suggest a brief read over the leadership of Rome prior to taking on this book because various names get mentioned and you need some insight. Overall, I think the book probably needed a better edit of chapter one/two, but it does hold your interest as you get deeper into the book. I also think that chapter ten (Constantine) probably deserves an entire book by itself, with O'Donnell opening up a lot of insight to the Constantine era (more than I ever knew). A great read for the Roman era.

122 people found this helpful

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J.R. Hernandez

Tedious, Wordy, and Does Not Deliver What The Title Promises

May 3, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

If this book were actually about its title, or had lively descriptions of Rome's transition from pagan to Christian, I'd rate it higher. Instead it's a slow, ponderous (and particularly annoying, non-chronological) read from an author whose primary concern is making sure the reader knows that he regards paganism and Christianity to be equally silly. There's some interesting information to be had, but it must be extracted from the stuffy, academic text rather than enjoyed as part of an educational ride.

45 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

I gave this book two stars ("I don't like it") because first I felt I was misled by ...

March 29, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I gave this book two stars ("I don't like it") because first I felt I was misled by the advertisement (introduction) for the book. The author, James J. O'Donnell goes on about how he is going to enlighten you the reader as to the why and how Christianity overtook Paganism. Instead the author takes you on a tour explaining (in painful detail) the Pagan rituals with an condescending overtone.I believe the author is trying to be creative acting like a tour guide but falls way short of making the story flow. If you know absolutely nothing about the Greek and Roman Pagan rituals then this book at best will be entertaining but not necessarily useful as a guide to Roman mythology. I never did find out how Christianity over took Paganism according the to author.

57 people found this helpful

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Peter M.

Not primarily about paganism

June 1, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Most of this book promotes a revisionist view of Christianity. A great deal of effort is put into blurring the distinctions between Christianity and paganism. Apparently this isn't entirely revisionist insofar as other scholars, whom he cites, have written similar books. The Wall Street Journal review elaborates on this book's shortcomings. That said, I found this book well written and engaging. In the epilogue, after defending the claims of pagans against the Christians, he laments that a great work taking a neutral middle ground has not yet been written. Well, this was the time and place to write that book.

25 people found this helpful

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Robert J. Crawford

paganism as a Christian construct

October 20, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

In my fascination with the fundamental transformation of the Roman Empire into Christianity, I have recognized a number of explanations. They include: the "epic battle" (Pagan v. Christian); follow the Emperor's choice; open a new path of introspection via Christianity; newly offered certainty to the crisis of Empire; and of course, the strictly theological version. This book essentially takes the Emperor's choice argument, adding that it was the defunding of pagan institutions by Theodoric that led to the gradual dissipation of paganism, a whimper rather than a bang. Indeed, he asserts that even the notion of some kind of fundamental transition is an exaggeration designed to provide legitimacy to Christianity.

O'Donnell starts with a very fun examination of pagan practices. First, they were bound to localities that were largely autonomous in their beliefs. There were festivals, shrines, rituals, and priests and priestesses, all heavy with the aim of placating capricious Gods as well as simple celebrations. As such, they were controlled by local notables. Second, there were nonetheless underlying similarities to the practices in other places, however loosely they were interpreted locally. Here, there are many wonderful details, such as haruspicy, that O'Donnell puts in context. Third, these practices did not come from texts or "the word of God", but were more like part of the traditional landscape, i.e. something you just did. Fourth, with few exceptions, there was a tolerance of difference, even an indifference to the contradictions between local beliefs.

What was missing was any sense of what pagans were experiencing through their practices, what their inner lives were like when, say, they listened to Apollo's oracle or sacrificed to him in the hopes of a cure for their sicknesses. I wanted more on what it meant to them. I suppose this is impossible to know, but given the centrality of this to the Christian experience, this is a glaring omission that is so conspicuous that I cannot rate this otherwise fine book at 5 stars.

When he shifts to the Christian period, O'Donnell gets very subtle. Paganism, he argues, is as much a construct of Christianity as the church itself. Even the term, pagan, refers to peasants or local peoples, a reflection of their eclectic provinciality. What O'Donnell argues is that the early Christians had much more in common with the pagans than is generally recognized, that those pagans who were supposed to oppose Christianity (e.g. Julian the apostate) had in fact already grown up in the Christian tradition. He also argues that many pagan practices, such as animal sacrifice, had been on their way out for a long time and that it was not Christianity that forbade them suddenly. Thus, pagan practices kind of dribbled away, with the end of their funding merely serving as a coup de grâce. Any confrontations between pagans and Christians, he argues, were exaggerated by Christian writers.

The biggest difference, he says, is that Christianity - along with the other Abrahamic religions - are based on the word of God in acknowledged sacred books. While this sparked debates that have lasted to the present, the texts also grounded Christianity, enabling it to absorb philosophy, government, and psychology, at least in the sense of being saved or redeemed. Interestingly, he concludes that the Abrahamic religions may finally be facing their demise, now that the written word as in The Book has given way to other forms of communication. That got me to think, but, like the rest of the book, O'Donnell more evokes the question than attempts to answer it.

In the end, this book is kind of a light introduction to these issues. I wish it had gone deeper, but it would be a very nice appetizer for those a little curious about these issues. I know the historical period fairly well, from the standpoint of an interested amateur, so I wanted more depth.

Recommended. It is a good read and there are many interesting ideas.

70 people found this helpful

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Octavian

Meh

May 31, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This book doesn't deliver on its promises. I learned a little about Roman paganism, much less about other forms of Paganism that existed in the Roman Empire, and a little bit of biography of some of the early Christian emperors and their courtiers. The first chapter is an in-depth description of one specific pagan ritual, but after that the author's main point, which he reiterates over and over, is that the traditional Roman religion was on the decline well before Christianity rose. If he had explored that phenomenon or attempted to find out why, this might have been an interesting book.

5 people found this helpful

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cristinathepainter

Was not worth reading

January 16, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

The author skims over concepts that beg for deeper examination. The writing is bad. I wanted to like it, but ended up very disappointed, all in all.

6 people found this helpful

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