What is the meaning?

Question

Peter Brown states, “Hence the paradox of the rise of Christianity as a moral force in the pagan world. The rise of Christianity altered profoundly the moral texture of the late Roman world. Yet in moral matters the Christian leaders made almost no innovations.”

This statement of a paradox concerning the rise of Christianity has to be explained by taking into consideration Brown’s complete explanation of the relationship between Christianity and the Roman moral culture out of which it arose. Explain the paradoxical relationship between Christianity and the Roman World.

Answer 1

I don't know that this answer is going to help you, but there were many paradoxes. I haven't read Peter Brown, but here's my take on things.

Pagans have morality, and always have. Morality wasn't a Christian invention. When the Christians appeared on the scene, they were a subversive force. Christianity began, you see, as a freedom fight as much as a religious movement. Think of Christ more like Dr. Martin Luthor King Jr., Ghandi or, dare I say it, Malcolm X, because that's what he was and that's why they hated him. Not because he spread the religion around, at that point, the Romans didn't care that much. Not until God got into their politics did it become an issue and, for the record, that's also why most Jews didn't want a thing to do with Jesus. He was a dangerous man, a rabble rouser. The Pagan Roman leaders sent out edicts demanding their capture claiming that they sacrificed babies, engaged in unnatural sexual practices and many other things that were extremely immoral by Pagan standards. These Christians were rounded up and encouraged to convert to the state religion of the hour, or at least to denounce Christ, and many (though certainly not all, I'm sure) refused and were thus imprisoned, tortured and killed in horrible ways.

When Christianity became the state religion of the hour, things turned around. Well, not really. Now Paganism was the subversive force at least in the cities and in the military. (On the countryside it didn't matter so much, that's where the word Pagan comes from) Religion, you see, is a reason to do alot of things one doesn't necessarily want to do. When Rome's democracy fell and it became an Empire, it was only a matter of time before it adopted monotheism (as it is only a matter of time in democratic countries before monotheism goes away. just watch). Monotheism supports Empires quite well, so it is in the best interest of the Empire to encourage all of its members to follow Monotheistic religion. So propeganda was spread around about Pagans. That they engaged in child sacrifice and unnatural sexual practice and all sorts of things that were immoral to Christians. And the Pagans were rounded up and encouraged to convert and those who refused, and many did, were imprisoned, tortured and/or killed.

If that's not a moral paradox, I don't know what is.

Answer 2

The Romans were pagans and cruel. Remember it was the Roman soldiers that beat Christ with the cat of nine tails that pulled flesh from his bones. It was also a Roman Soldier that at the cross recognized Jesus as the Son of God and knew the truth. Where the Holy Spirit begans a work in one man's heart, it spreads. Your question sounds like something you are doing for school and I am not sure if I have answered it right or not. Maybe others can give you a better answer.