In the Shadow of the Sword

The books of Tom Holland had been recommended and I checked the local library and was able to pick up "In The Shadow of the Sword" (2012).  With family and personal connections to Muslims, it was of interest.  The cover indicated a history of the Muslim conquests of new land, but that was a bit misleading.  In reality it has turned out to be more comprehensive and less to the point.

 The author seems to believe that religions are mostly humanly constructed with political ties which for me is easy enough to believe.  The first part of the book discusses the origins of Islam, Jewish, Christianity and surprisingly Zorastrianism.  They are all related and the author relates the human dynamics involved.  An earlier blog was concerned with the growth of Christianity:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/08/the-triumph-of-christianity-history.html

 Arabs were thought of as nomads and pagans, lived in tents and were fierce in battle.  They were traders including slaves.  Grew frankincense in Yemen that once had been in demand in the western world. Basically not civilized like the Greeks, Romans or Jews.

Like with the New Testament, the Qur'an was written long after the events it depicts.  Holland points out that after Constantine had converted to Christianity, later Roman leaders felt it was in their interest to convert their subjects and especially new conquests. 

The Middle East was intertwined.  The Jews had been enslaved in Mesopotamia as well as Egypt.  Islam accepted religious customs of others.  From Zorasterianism they adopted the idea of stoning for adultery, prayers 5 times a day,,execution of apostates and that a toothbrush was a sign of piety.   I am reminded that Jesus was credited with saying "let him who is without sin cast the first stone."  From the Jews they adopted circumcision and dietary restrictions.  They accepted Jesus as a religious predecessor, but not the son of God.

Holland points out that Islamic scholars added in unrecorded revelations, first attribute to other scholars, then to companions of the Prophet and then to the Prophet himself.  Jewish scholars who have rules for every aspect of life many of which are not mentioned in the Old Testament.

Interesting facts uncovered:  Chariot racing inspired gang warfare among fans.  Bishops were instituted to oversee money and over time gained more authority.   Arabs were called Saracen and were the only barbarians mentioned in the Old Testament.  During the plagues labourers were able to command higher wages and (similar to today) helped fuel inflation.  Byzantium was ideally located except for a lack of water, but that was remedied by Roman engineers (but I had read that the Etruscans were the ones who taught engineering to the Romans including the famous Roman arch).

The author has written books on Persia, Rome and Christianity and some of that research has made its way into this book.  As is reality they are all connected and we cannot really understand one subject area until we understand the context.

Quote from Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegal:  "Once the world of ideas has been transformed, reality cannot hold out for long."

This book is heavy reading with lots of information linking at least the five cultures of Jews, Romans, Christians, Zorastrians, and Muslims.

The Triumph of Christianity--a history

Christianity might have become a Jewish sect or a minor religion, but instead it changed the world.  Its core believers at the beginning were mostly illiterate.  This book by Bart D. Ehrman can be interpreted as a marketing study.

After the death of Jesus, his followers did carry on his mission, but mostly talking to other Jews who were very resistant.  The author contends that Paul was a key factor.  As a Pharisee Jew he actually had attacked followers of Jesus, but after he "saw the light" he was the first to attempt converting non Jews to the Christian faith without having to adopt Jewish customs.  Paul would visit larger population centres and pay his keep with his trade of tent making and talking to whoever would listen.  After work he would continue seeking out people to talk to.  He would try to get enough believers to establish a church which usually meant meetings in homes.  He would move on to another town and repeat the process.  Only now he kept in touch with his famous letters.

Paul, unlike the original apostles tried to convert non Jews, but had suffered beatings in synagogues and elsewhere.  Pagans did not offer life after death and tolerated a variety of Gods.   Miracles impressed many converts.  One requirement was to reject pagan beliefs and over time this gave the movement more solidarity.  Fear of hell (a new concept for most) compelled many to be converted.  Christians felt a need to service others and this often included medical assistance.  Usually when one household member joined the other members followed.  Conversions were slow, but steady and over the first three centuries became significant.

Hardships and torture actually boosted the appeal of Christianity, although not as common as has been pictured.  Believers who could endure tortures and barbarities inflicted on them became martyrs in the hearts and minds of pagans.  Paganism provided few if any martyrs.

Bart D Ehrman analyses a variety of scenarios but feels most comfortable with the notion that  conversions were mostly in ones and twos, but that over a long time they would have an exponential growth.  The greatest success was among the lower classes and more women than men. 

Constantine was born a pagan, but was converted before a major battle.  He was not baptized until on his death bed, but the author feels it was a common enough personal preference as they would not have time to sin after the baptism.  Constantine did not not try to force Christianity on others, but it was natural that some would convert to gain his favor and others felt it was a natural choice as the new religion was officially approved.  He was very involved in the religion, even holding high level meetings to sort out theological disputes.  Later Emperors were more aggressive in promoting Christianity.

The author notes that before Christianity became the majority they favored the separation of church and state, but afterwards many advocated Christianity as the state religion.  Pagan statues were mutilated.  Anti Semitism was boosted as many Christians thought of Jews as God killers.

The book stops at the fourth century when Christianity had overcome many obstacles.  Obviously Christianity has had a major impact on civilization starting in Europe, but as Europeans conquered and colonized much of the rest of the world it grew in strength.  There are many historical observations and the author draws on the studies of many other scholars.

For a related perspective on how things become popular:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/02/hit-makers.html