CUP (2023) h/b 490pp £34.99 (ISBN 9781316517239)
This book, which covers the history of the church from its beginnings to its official recognition by the Emperor Constantine, is not written as a celebration of the growth of the Christian Church. It is instead a careful study of how Christian groupings faced and responded to the dilemmas involved in living in a society whose accepted norms might appear to conflict with the demands which Christian believers might consider that their new-found faith imposed on them.
Its author, Hartmut Leppin, Professor of Ancient History at the Goethe University, Frankfurt, states that he is approaching his work as an ancient historian and not as a theologian. It is impossible, of course, to write on this subject without using some basic theological terminology, but true to his word L. steers clear of expressing a view on the validity of any of the theological issues which arise.
He sets out, he tells us, ‘To observe them [the early Christians] in their attempts, with varying degrees of success, to find their place in the world.’ He divides his quest into four sections:
- How they defined themselves viz-a-viz Jews and pagans
- How they organized themselves
- What everyday dilemmas their faith presented for them
- Their attitude to political power, leading up to the issues that arose when the emperor Constantine declared himself a Christian
Each of these sections is illustrated and illuminated with fascinating examples from early Christian writers. Tertullian, for example, discusses and denies vehemently that some Christian businessmen’s reluctance to swear oaths should affect their reliability as business partners; L. notes that ‘Some Christians wriggled out of this dilemma by making an oath only in writing, rather than saying it out loud.’
Countless similar examples of ‘compromises’—e.g. Christians should not read texts extolling pagan gods but might do so for ‘educational purposes’—show how prohibitions might be circumvented for Christians to live in a fair degree of harmony with their unbelieving neighbours.
The book is a treasure house of detail, fulfilling the author’s aim ‘to show how Christians met the expectations and challenges of their environment.’ It is beautifully produced, fluently translated from the German original, illustrated with numerous plates in black and white and in colour, with copious notes towards the end of the book, an international bibliography and a comprehensive index of persons and places. The absence of a subject index is the only disappointment in this magisterial work of scholarship, which is to be highly commended.
Ray Morris