This book was a huge disappointment. I'd heard a radio interview with the author and expected this to be a well researched historical analysis infused with some special insights from someone who'd been a "believer." Unfortunately the author's skills as an historian are quite weak. He takes the New Testament as an authoritative source, which I find completely unacceptable, particularly when it's the sole source. The book includes much speculation about what different people might have done or might have thought, and those suppositions are stepping stones to an ultimate point that he wants to make, but that's not reliable analysis. I gave up after reading the chapter looking at why Christianity spread in which there was no mention about the economic and political contexts that surely propelled this. ( )

An interesting, but hardly compelling, discussion of the rise of Christianity. For the most part, the matter is bookended by two of the most compelling figures- the Apostle Paul and the Emperor Constantine.

The author provides a helpful analysis of the differences between paganism and Christianity, although I don't believe he reached any compelling conclusions to explain Christianity's ultimate success. Perhaps the question is unknowable, or a result of myriad factors that belie easy explanation.

Nonetheless, the reader will come away with a greater appreciation for Christianity's development in the early centuries. ( )

In his book, "The Triumph of Christianity", Bart Ehrman looks at the rapid spread of Christianity in the first 400 years after the death of Jesus. Starting with a small group of a dozen or two followers, it is interesting to imagine how these believers of the Divinity of Jesus managed to spread his teachings throughout the region. In reviewing this period of history, Ehrman also covers some of the history of the Roman Empire, and what became the Holy Roman Empire. Ehrman explains the importance of Paul in the early spread of Christianity, and points out how Christian beliefs and practices differed from those who followed pagan practices, and the relevance of Constantine upon Christianity within the Empire. ( )

By far Ehrman's least interesting book. No thought-provoking insights into anything. Its main thesis is that the growth of Christianity was nothing particularly shocking, but mainly the result of small, incremental increases on the model of compound interest. Reads like a Cliffs Notes version of early Christian history.

54. The Triumph of Christianity : How a Forbidden Religion Swept the World by Bart D. Ehrman
reader: George Newbern
published: 2018
format: 10:22 Libby audiobook (~288 pages equivalent, 353 pages in hardcover)
acquired: library
listened: Sep 25 - Oct 4
rating: 4

From Litsy, Oct 5: I really enjoyed this book on audio. Nothing crazy or controversial, but a nice summary of the history of Christianity from a tiny sect to an empire-wide religion of the underclasses, to the empire's official religion. Eventually more than half the empire was Christian

Among the things I learned: 1. Christians weren't really persecuted all that badly 2. Rejection of other gods may have been the most important thing in its spread, because it meant it eliminated other religions 3. Before Constantine, Christians argued elegantly for freedom of religion. Under Constantine they won this! But then they persecuted... 4. Maybe Christianity originally spread as an eastern mystery cult. 5. It was really small a long time.

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This was a really nice supplement to my NT reading, as he goes into Paul and Acts, and into the contextual Roman history. He doesn't make any arguments on the question of Pauline Christianity or the possible James/Peter/Paul tensions, but only acknowledges some of the thinking and possibilities. He also spends some time talking about the various religious conventions of Rome and how Christianity mixed in. And he spends a lot of time on emperor Constantine (who first openly permitted Christianity in 321, summoned the First Council of Nicaea in 325, and converted to Christianity upon his death in 337. He was the first Roman emperor to convert.).

It was interesting to get a sense of how the religious acceptance evolved overtime. First on, religious grounds, Christianity was unique in that it (apparently slowly) made converts, but those converts than stopped practicing all other religious rites, so as it spread, what we call paganism lost followers. This hadn't happened previously because Judaism didn't really spread, and in general, if you honored one rite, there was no need to forgo any other rites or beliefs. That played some role in anti-Christian tensions.

And, Rome official acceptance evolved in interesting ways in the 4th century. Diocletian persecuted Christians. Constantine first persecuted them, then as a ruler supported Christianity. Julian grew up Christian, and then persecuted them as an emperor. Theodosius persecuted pagans.

2018
https://www.librarything.com/topic/288371#6602909 ( )