Christianity has always had the potential to be influenced by – and exert influence upon – the surrounding culture. And this has been both a good and a bad thing throughout history. So, it’s time for an historical tour of the early church to take stock of their sins … and their wins!
Meet our guest
Nadya Williams is a former professor of Ancient History, specialising in Greco-Roman military history at the University of West Georgia.
She is an author and book review editor, with by-lines in various publications including Plough Quarterly, Front Porch Republic, and Church Life Journal.
Her new book Cultural Christians in the Early Church is out now, via Zondervan Academic.
Links
Special thanks to our season sponsor Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptions
To Read
- Here’s the complete index of Strabo’s Geographies. It’s a fascinating read on the wilder places of the ancient world.
- Here’s a moving account of the passion of Perpetua and Felicitas
- This article from Christianity Today gives some great insight into the cultural importance of martyrdom to the early Christians
- If you’ve got the stomach for it, here is Cyprian’s account of the plague that struck Carthage in the mid-3rd-century AD
- If you want to know more about the desert fathers, here are some accounts of their wild ways
To Watch
- Check out the inspiration for today’s layout – this Back to the Future clip!
- This documentary from CBN unpacks the dangers of a “cultural” faith
- Here’s the clip we played in the show on Christian nationalism in the US
- This fun video – while not necessary Christian – gives a cool snapshot of church history up until Constantine
To Listen
- We’ve named a whole podcast after the Delorean – check out Delorean Philosophy here
- We’ve also done an entire episode of Emperor Constantine that’s worth a listen!
- Our episode with Tom Holland of The Rest Is History is also a great companion piece to today’s episode
- Also, make sure you check out Holland’s debate with AC Grayling on the legacy of Christian culture
… and finally
- Here’s the fall of Rome – explained in just ten minutes!
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