How Christianity Changed the World

I have a friend who works in the criminal justice system. He tells me chilling things like some of the young offenders he works with have no sense of right and wrong. They show no remorse for the vilest of crimes. In a society that seems all too intent on casting off its Christian influences, we do well to remember what those influences wrought. Losing them would create a terrible world. Alvin Schmidt takes us on a tour of the many civilizing influences christianity has had, including the valuation of human life, the institution of healing arts and humane care for the mentally ill. Even an atheist would have to admit the faith has built much of what we value and take for granted in our society.

I have always known that Christianity had an enormous impact on the world, but I didn't realize the depth and scope of its influence, until reading Alvin Schmidt's amazing book. No other religion, ideology, or person has affected the course of history like Christianity.Schmidt explores the different fields and institutions that have been produced or improved upon by the world's largest and most widespread religion. I especially liked the chapters on science and education, which no doubt, will spark some controversy, particularly, by atheists and scientists. But history shows that contrary to prevailing thought, science and the institutes of higher learning got an incalculable boost from Christianity. Monasteries were the predecessors of the modern university. Schmidt also correctly pointed out that Christ's passionate directive to "teach all nations" was the true driving force behind global civilization, not merely military conquest.Women were elevated in status. Children were rescued from exposure, and sick people who weren't rich or important by societal standards, were cared for and sparked the rise of today's hospitals. Also, Schmidt cogently argues that Jesus has been the single greatest artistic inspiration for the past 2000 years. From the Pieta to the Last Supper, the Ascension to the Descent From the Cross, Schmidt clearly shows how Christ poignantly influenced artists as diverse as DaVinci, Durer, Raphael, and the incomparable Michaelangelo. This book will be a major eye opener for everyone who reads it. Even atheists and secularists will be hard pressed to disprove its claims. May Dr. Schmidt receive undying praise for his marvelous effort to enlighten our world about the greatest religion ever founded.

In an age when denigrating true Christianity has become the in thing to do this book brings forth solid answers and reasons for christians to be bold and confident in their faith. Dr. Schmidt is meticulous in his footnoting of sources. He also has written the book in a very reader friendly style that even reluctant readers can easily follow and enjoy.

In this well-documented volume of over 400 pages, Schmidt marshals the evidence for the transforming power of the Christian faith. He shows how Jesus has the power to transform men, who in turn are able to transform society. And on every level, that is exactly what has happened. Several specific examples can be mentioned. In spite the claims of some today that Christianity oppresses women, the historical record shows just the opposite. Women were oppressed in almost every culture prior to the coming of Christianity. By elevating sexual morality, and by conferring upon women a much higher status, the Christian religion revolutionised the place and prestige of women. The way Jesus treated women was in stark contrast to the surrounding culture. In Roman law a man's wife and children were little more than slaves, often treated like animals. Women had no property rights and faced severe social restrictions. Jesus of course changed all that. The way he treated the Samaritan woman was one remarkable example. And this was not lost on the early disciples. We know from the New Testament documents that many women exercised various leadership roles in the early church. Indeed, during this period Christian women actually outnumbered Christian men. Admittedly there were some anomalies later in the church's history, when chauvinistic and anti-feminine views were allowed to re-enter parts of the church. But such aberrations must not detract from the truly revolutionary elevation of the status of women achieved by Christianity. Consider also the issue of health care. Prior to Christianity, the Greeks and Romans had little or no interest in the poor, the sick and the dying. But the early Christians, following the example of their master, ministered to the needs of the whole person. During the first three centuries of the church they could only care for the sick where they found them, as believers were then a persecuted people. Once the persecutions subsided, however, the institutonalisation of health care began in earnest. For example, the first ecumenical council at Nicea in 325 directed bishops to establish hospices in every city that had a cathedral. The first hospital was built by St Basil in Caesarea in 369. By the Middle Ages hospitals covered all of Europe and even beyond. In fact, "Christian hospitals were the world's first voluntary charitable institutions". Care for the mentally ill was also a Christian initiative. Nursing also sprang from Christian concerns for the sick, and many Christians have given their lives to such tasks. One thinks of Florence Nightingale, for example, and the formation of the Red Cross. Education, while important in Greek and Roman culture, really took off institutionally under the influence of Christianity. The early Greeks and Romans had no public libraries or educational institutions - it was Christianity that established these. As discipleship was important for the first believers (and those to follow), early formal e

In an increasingly secular society this concise summary of the impact of the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ helps put in perspective the monumental impact this has had on individuals and nations. For beleivers this will reinforce the credibility and validity of being part of the most revolutionary movement in the worlds history, for a skeptic it presents a challenge in spite of opposition to anything supernatural to accept the necessary continuance of the Christian faith in society at large.