The consensus among many historians has been that the transition from paganism to Christianity in the Mediterranean world was effortlessly accomplished by the end of the fourth century. In Christianity and Paganism in the Fourth to Eighth Centuries, Ramsay MacMullen sets out to disprove the consensus, which he maintains is an understandable misinterpretation considering the "corrupt foundation" of historical records it rested upon. He makes his case by covering a wide range of material to show that Christianity did not destroy paganism as much as merge with it. Through his brilliant and original display of primary and secondary source material it becomes evident that paganism remained alive and deep-rooted long after Constantine. Many factors appear to have caused this, most prominently the vast extent of the empire and consequent diversity of tribal and local customs, which met people's daily needs. Christianity replaced paganism only when the people believed it could do more......
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Approximate Word Count: 1892
Approximate Pages: 8 (260 words per double-spaced page) |