Alternative Church Histories

Last updated on: December 7, 2015 at 5:17 am by Michael F. Bird

Alternative Church Histories 2015-12-07T05:17:47-04:00 Michael F. Bird

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I’ve been thinking what it would be like to set essay questions for students about alternative scenarios in church history.

Students would answer questions on how would the history of Christianity and the Roman empire be different if …

What if the Holy Family remained in Egypt?

If Jesus grew up in the Jewish community in Egypt, speaking Greek rather than Aramaic, immersed in Greco-Roman culture, and from there entering Palestine, what would have been different?

What if Paul went east into Bithynia rather than west into Macedonia?

Richard Bauckham actually did ask this question in an article, noting that Paul could have gone through Bithynia into Armenia, into Adiabene, and into a number of Hellenistic or Parthian cities between the Euphrates and Tigris. It would mean Pauline Christianity spreading primarily into India and China. How would that change world Christianity?

What if the Jerusalem Council made circumcision compulsory for Gentile Converts?

Would Paul have gone all maverick and just done his own thing any ways, confident in his calling to be the apostle to the Gentiles, Peter and James be damned? If Paul acquiesced, what would Christianity have looked like? Would Jewish Christianity have been wiped out in 70 AD or even 135? Would there have been a parting of the ways? Would Jewish Christianity eventually take over Rabbinic Judaism as the prevalent form of Judaism?

What if the Marcionite churches became the majority in the second century?

I think it was Tertullian who said that the Marcionites build churches like bees build honeycombs: they just multiply. What if the Marcionites came to outnumber the proto-orthodox because their version of an unJewish and platonized Christianity won the day? Probably not good for Judaism, very different spirituality would emerge, a very different churches too.

What if Constantine lost the Battle of the Milvian Bridge?

Decius and Galerius had already worked out that trying to stamp out Christianity was not really working and gave up. Even so, it was Constantine’s victory over Maxentius in 306 that set the course for the Christianization of the Empire. But if Maxentius had won or else simply stayed holed up in Rome without engaging Constantine, would it simply have delayed the inevitable, or would Christianity have remained a minority religion in the Roman empire?

What if the Arians prevailed at the Council of Nicea?

Diarmaid MacCulloch has a lecture on this and I do wonder, wonder, wonder. For a start, it was mean that Christianity would not be Trinitarian but more of a Triadic Monotheistic Monarchy: Father as Big God, Son as Mini-God, and Spirit as the vibe between them (otherwise known as pop Christianity). I wonder if this form of Christianity would have been less affronting to the Muslim conquerors of the Middle East and North Africa and permitted Christianity more tolerance (maybe not).

Any other good questions for alternative church histories anyone can thing of?

Uncategorized

Previous Post

December 5, 2015

Engaging Josh Jipp and his Christ is King, Chapter 2: "King and the Law"

Next Post

December 7, 2015 Engaging Josh Jipp and his Christ is King, Chapter 2: Josh's Response

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Bible Lands Blogosphere Book Review Calvinism Colleges & Universities Ecclesiology Emerging Adulthood Evangelicalism Foreign Affairs Gospel of John Greco-Roman World Humor Just War N. T. Wright Old Testament Resurrection Terrorism Theological Education Travel Uncategorized Writing

Select a Month September 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does "Apocalypse" mean in Greek?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Redemption Revelation or unveiling Wrath End of world

Books by This Author Books by Mike Bird

See All Titles »