The Enduring Legacy of Christianity: How Ancient Faith Shaped Modern Morality

The Rise and Endurance of Christianity

Christianity emerged from a confluence of cultural streams in the ancient world, absorbing elements from Hebrew scripture, Greek philosophy, Persian dualism, and the universalist Roman Empire. As historian Tom Holland explains, the apostle Paul played a key role in synthesizing these influences into a new faith that appealed across the Mediterranean world and beyond.

However, the core of Christianity - the crucifixion of Jesus - was deeply paradoxical and shocking to ancient sensibilities. The idea that a man who suffered a humiliating, slave's death could be divine and worthy of worship was radical. As Holland notes:

"The idea that someone who not it's not just that um that Jesus was an unimportant provincial from a a a backwater um but the fact that he had suffered a peculiarly horrible death um crucifixion was the paradmatic fate that was visited on slaves because it was not only agonizing ing but it was also publicly humiliating."

This inversion of values - exalting weakness over strength - would prove to have profound and lasting impacts on Western civilization.

The Strangeness of the Jesus Story

The story of Jesus was deeply strange and counterintuitive in the ancient world. While the idea of a man becoming divine was not unusual, the specifics of Jesus' life and death were shocking. As Holland explains:

"It's incredibly strange um and as you say the stranges is not the idea that uh a man can in some way also be divine because um most people in the Roman world take that for granted and in fact the fastest growing cult in the first century AD is not Christianity but the cult of another man who um was thought to be the son of a god who proclaimed good news um who claimed to rule over an age of peace and who when he died uh was believed to have ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of his father and this is Caesar Augustus."

The contrast between Augustus - a powerful ruler celebrated for his achievements - and Jesus - an obscure preacher executed as a criminal - could not have been starker. Early Christians struggled to make sense of this paradox, as evidenced in Paul's letters which Holland describes as wrestling with "a sense of overwhelming astonishment."

This sense of shock and embarrassment persisted for centuries. Christians were slow to depict the crucifixion in art, and when they did, they often portrayed Christ as triumphant rather than suffering. It was not until nearly 1000 years after Jesus' death that artists began to emphasize his physical agony on the cross.

Christianity's Radical Ethics

The Christian valorization of suffering and weakness represented a dramatic break from Greco-Roman values. As Holland notes, even fierce critics of Christianity like Friedrich Nietzsche recognized how profoundly it had reshaped Western morality:

"It it's a kind of paradox a very nichian paradox that probably the most devastate you know to Christian faith the most devastating atheist who's ever written in the Christian tradition Friedrich Ner should have felt the power of the cross so profoundly and he feels it as something disgusting um he feels it perhaps in the sense that a Greek or Roman would the idea that um someone who you know that someone who had suffered such a serval fate could in any way be worthy of appribation let alone worship appalls nature because he sees it as an offense against the values of strength and power and glory and beauty that he identifies in Greek and Roman culture."

This inversion of values - seeing moral worth in the weak and suffering rather than the strong and triumphant - has deeply shaped Western ethics, even for those who reject Christianity's supernatural claims. Holland argues that the idea that "someone who is tortured to death has a moral value over the person who tortures him to death underpins my moral system and I think the moral system of uh the vast number of people in the west."

The Foreign Ethics of Antiquity

Reading ancient history reveals just how foreign and often brutal Greco-Roman ethics appear to modern sensibilities. The famous quote from Thucydides that "the strong do what they will and the weak suffer what they must" encapsulates an ethos that most Westerners today would find abhorrent.

Holland argues that our instinctive moral revulsion to such sentiments is itself a product of Christianity's influence:

"I think is it Thusidities who said that the the the strong do what they will and the the weak suffer what they must or some some that's probably close to the translation a phrase that is being quoted a lot at the moment it must be yeah yeah and it's um and yeah I mean so you actually make that point in your in your documentary on on the Islamic State as you're walking through Synar that this that this was a um a promulgation of of a of a of a Roman ethic essentially."

While we may admire aspects of Greek and Roman civilization, their casual acceptance of extreme violence and cruelty towards the weak is deeply at odds with modern Western values. This shift in moral perspective, Holland contends, is largely due to Christianity's long-term influence.

The Paradox of Secular Ethics

One of the great paradoxes that Holland explores is how deeply Christian ethics have shaped even secular morality in the West. Many who reject Christianity's supernatural claims still operate within an ethical framework profoundly influenced by Christian concepts:

"I enjoyed the paradox that that secularism would not probably have been secularism without the labors of 11th century popes it seemed to be a very entertaining paradox."

Holland argues that the very concept of the secular - a sphere separate from religion - emerged from debates within medieval Christianity. The division of the world into religious and secular realms was a uniquely Western development that laid the groundwork for modern secularism.

This creates a situation where even committed atheists often hold moral intuitions and values that have their roots in Christian ethics, whether they recognize this lineage or not. The idea of universal human rights, concern for the poor and oppressed, and the notion that the powerful have moral obligations to the weak all have deep Christian roots, even if they are now expressed in secular terms.

Christianity's Influence on Western Thought

Holland's work traces how Christian concepts and values have permeated Western culture over the centuries, often in subtle ways that are easy to overlook. Some key areas of influence include:

Philosophy and Ethics

Christian theology profoundly shaped Western philosophical traditions, from medieval scholasticism to Enlightenment thought. Concepts like natural rights and human dignity have roots in Christian anthropology.

Science

The Christian view of an orderly universe created by a rational God helped lay the groundwork for scientific inquiry. Many early scientists saw their work as uncovering the laws of nature established by God.

Politics

Ideas of equality before the law, limits on state power, and care for the vulnerable all have roots in Christian political thought, even if later expressed in secular terms.

Art and Literature

Christian themes, symbols, and narratives have been a wellspring of inspiration for Western art and literature for centuries, shaping the cultural imagination.

Social Reform

Many social reform movements, from abolitionism to civil rights, drew inspiration and moral authority from Christian concepts of human dignity and equality.

The Uniqueness of Christianity

Holland argues that Christianity's influence on Western civilization was unique and transformative in ways that set it apart from other ancient religions and philosophies. Some key factors include:

Universalism

Christianity's message was universal, transcending ethnic and social boundaries in a way that was radical for its time.

Focus on the Marginalized

Christianity's concern for the poor, sick, and outcast was distinctive and influential.

New Concept of Divinity

The idea of a suffering, self-sacrificing God was a radical departure from ancient concepts of the divine.

Ethics of Love

Christianity's emphasis on love, forgiveness, and non-retaliation was countercultural in the ancient world.

Linear View of History

Christianity introduced a linear, purposeful view of history that contrasted with cyclical ancient concepts.

Christianity and Islam

Holland's work also explores the relationship between Christianity and Islam, noting both similarities and crucial differences. While both emerged from the cultural melting pot of the late antique Near East, they developed in radically different directions:

"Thinking that and studying it and and um kind of raifying my thoughts about how what today we would call Judaism and Christianity and Islam and Zerastrianism were kind of related but quite radically different in their presumptions again sharpened for me the sense of what was distinctive about Christianity."

Understanding these distinctions helps illuminate what made Christianity's influence on Western civilization unique.

The Persistence of Christian Ethics

One of Holland's key arguments is that Christian ethics continue to shape Western moral intuitions, even among those who reject Christianity's supernatural claims. This creates an interesting tension, as many secular individuals operate within an ethical framework that has deep Christian roots without necessarily recognizing this heritage.

Holland suggests that many of our basic moral assumptions - the inherent dignity of human life, concern for the vulnerable, skepticism towards power - are products of Christianity's long-term influence on Western culture. Even as traditional Christian belief has declined in much of the West, its ethical legacy persists.

Challenges to Holland's Thesis

While compelling, Holland's arguments about Christianity's enduring influence are not without potential challenges:

Other Influences

Critics might argue that Holland overstates Christianity's role and understates other influences on Western ethics, such as Greek philosophy or Enlightenment thought.

Universal Moral Intuitions

Some might contend that basic moral intuitions about human dignity or concern for the weak arise naturally and are not unique to Christian influence.

Secular Innovations

Others could point to ethical developments in the modern era, like concepts of individual rights, that seem to go beyond traditional Christian frameworks.

Cultural Differences

The persistence of significant cultural and ethical differences between historically Christian nations might challenge the idea of a uniform Christian ethical legacy.

Implications for Contemporary Ethics

Holland's thesis has interesting implications for how we think about ethics and values in the modern world:

Historical Awareness

It suggests the importance of understanding the historical roots of our moral intuitions, even if we no longer accept their original religious justifications.

Ethical Foundations

It raises questions about the foundations of secular ethics and whether they can be fully separated from their religious origins.

Cultural Dialogue

Understanding the Christian roots of many Western values could inform dialogue with other cultural and religious traditions.

Reassessing Secularism

It challenges simplistic narratives of secularization and suggests a more complex relationship between religious heritage and modern secular thought.

Conclusion

Tom Holland's exploration of Christianity's enduring influence on Western civilization offers a provocative and nuanced perspective on the relationship between religious history and contemporary ethics. By tracing the strange and counterintuitive elements of early Christianity - particularly its exaltation of a crucified God - Holland illuminates how radically it reshaped ancient values.

The paradox at the heart of Holland's argument is that even as traditional Christian belief has declined in much of the West, its ethical legacy continues to shape our moral intuitions in profound ways. This creates a situation where many secular individuals unknowingly operate within an ethical framework deeply influenced by Christian concepts.

While Holland's thesis is open to debate and challenge, it offers a valuable perspective on the complex interplay between religious history and modern values. It suggests that understanding our ethical heritage requires grappling with the long-term cultural impacts of Christianity, even for those who reject its supernatural claims.

Ultimately, Holland's work invites us to reflect more deeply on the origins of our moral assumptions and the complex ways in which ancient ideas continue to shape our modern world. Whether one accepts all of his conclusions or not, his exploration of Christianity's enduring legacy provides a rich and thought-provoking contribution to our understanding of Western cultural history.

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