Book Description
THE RISE OF CHRISTIANITY FOREWORD TO THE THIRD IMPRESSION IN the second impression of this book a few misprints and mistakes were corrected. But few specific errors had been mentioned even in hostile reviews. A number of these criticized the bibliography as partial to antiquated authors and ideas. My critics failed to notice that the brief list of books cited is for readers, knowing only English, who may wish to extend their knowledge of the subject and, most probably, to contrast my conclusions with an earlier type of apologetic. I make no refer ence to authorities whose works are only available in French or German, nor do I mention recent English linguistic enquiries which I find unconvincing. Some analytical work produced on the Continent during the last fifteen years seems to me both more sound in its judgment and more free from inhibitions than that which has gained esteem in England. Complaint has been made that readers can hardly find in the book such words as Trinity, Incarnation, and supernatural. None of these words occurs in the New Testament, and they belong to theology rather than to history. The postulate of the finite-scale uniformity of nature has been assailed by a number of theologians but, so far as I have ob served, by no competent man of science. The theologians have written with a conviction which is not always according to knowledge. E. W. B. November 1947 CONTENTS CHAPTER I THE REMOTE BACKGROUND OF CHRISTIANITY PAGE 1. The beginning of man ...... i 2. Palaeolithic man ....... i 3. Neolithic man 2 4. The Bronze Age 3 5. Early burials ........ 4 6. The Sumerians ....... 4 7-Egypt 5 8. Progress and decay Egypt and Babylonia . . 6 9. The religions of Mesopotamia and Egypt 6 10. Egyptian religion ....... 7 1 1 . Sumerian-Semitic religion ..... 8 12. Akhenaten ........ 9 13. - Syria in the time of Moses . . . . .10 14. Early Hebrew history 11 15. Moses and the Hebrew invasion of Palestine . . 11 1 6. The kingdoms of Israel and Judah . . , .12 17. Assyria 12 18. Persia 13 19. The Persian empire ...... 14 20. The Jews under Persian rule . . . . 5 21. The formation of the Old Testament -. . - 15 22. The worship of Jehovah . . . . . 17 23. The Hebrew prophets . . . . . 17 24. The background of ethical monotheism . . .18 25. Zoroaster . . . . . . . .18 26. The originality of the Hebrew prophets . . 19 CHAPTER n THE MEDITERRANEAN WORLD L The Eastern Mediterranean 27 Crete ... 21 28. Mycenaean civilization 21 ix C CONTENTS PAGE 29. The Greeks .22 30. Greek science and philosophy ..... 122 31. Greek fertility and its exhaustion .... 24 32. Greek religion and morality ..... 24 33. Alexander the Great ...... 25 34. Hellenistic civilization ...... 25 35. Palestine after Alexander ...... 26 36. The Maccabaean revolt . . . . . .27 37. Judaea, Rome and Herod ..... 28 38. The influence of Greece on Judaism .... 29 39. The Apocrypha ....... 30 40. The Septuagint ....... 30 41 . The influence of Greece on Christianity . . 31 42. The Logos doctrine , . . . . , .32 43. Christianity and Greek culture ..... 33 44. Judaism in the time of Christ 34 45. The pharisees ... 35 46. The sadducees ....... 36 47. The pharisees and Christianity ..... 36 48. Judaism and Jewish sects . . . . . - 37 . The Western Mediterranean 49. The Etruscans ....... 38 50. The Etruscan legacy to Rome ..... 39 51. The Carthaginians ....... 39 52. The sources of Carthaginian power .... 40 53. The struggle with Rome ...... 41 54. Carthaginian culture ...... 41 55. Carthaginian religion ...... 42 56. The Punic stock ....... 42 57. The Romans .....,., 43 58. The Roman character ...... 44 59. The winning of world control . . , . 44 60. The price of victory , . , . . 45 6 1. Augustus and the Julio-Claudians .... 46 62. Roman religion ...... f 47 63. The divine element in man 48 64. Roman religion and Christianity , . , 48 CONTENTS XI CHAPTER III THE MYSTERY-RELIGIONS PAGE 65. The nature of a mystery-religion .... 50 66. The mysteries were sacramental ...... ... Read more