Christianity’s immediate appeal is to the dispossessed, which is why it was able to take root and spread so successfully. Jesus’ message (of asceticism, humility, redemption from sin, faith’s primacy over power, acceptance of the downtrodden, equality in the eyes of God, reversal of the power structure and the meek inheriting the earth) is one that speaks most directly to sinners and the powerless, in celebrating the reverse of the materialistic assignation of status. Status on earth, associated with riches and power, does not correlate to status in heaven, which is defined by spiritual purity and godliness.
However, once Christianity reached a critical mass of followers, and ceased to become a minority sect, other aspects of its theology appealing to the powerful must have become equally, if not more, prevalent. For example, in the 4th century, when the Roman emperor Constantine converted, it probably wasn’t because he was attracted to the idea of God raising poor folk and a-casting down the proud. Likewise, how would the Church have developed such a powerful hierarchy and attained such heights of authority if the religion were unsuited to such an arrangement?
It seems that Christianity has often faced this conflict between Jesus’ teaching and ecclesiastical or political structure. The Reformation was spurred by a reaction against the church’s excesses and abuses of power. More recently, I think liberation theology has something of the same flavor, while some Protestant strains reconcile faith and prosperity with the idea of God’s favor showing itself through earthly success. While mutable enough to be appealing to those from both ends of the status spectrum, Christianity’s original message may get diluted or forgotten when its followers encounter power.
2 comments:
I think you illustrated the shift in values really well. The historic examples you chose supported your points clearly, but were worded in a way to actually make the reader think more about the shift in values, not just dryly read over the example simply as a reference to another event in the past.
I agree with Francesca in that you highlighted the transitions in attraction to Christianity quite well. I really liked the fact that you pointed out how it seemed to originally be a religion for those who considered themselves to be sinners or powerless because now it's that it's so diverse it would be interesting to go back and find the places where it branched out, finding new types of societies to appeal to.
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