Trigger warning: mention of the persecution of ethnic and religious minorities

Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years by Paula Fredriksen (published by Princeton University Press) sets out to humanise the religions of old. Whilst it being an expansive work of historical investigation, Fredriksen also crosses into disciplines such as politics and theology. She does not shy away from exploring how division and persecution was often a powerful tool in cementing Christianity as an ideology, with religious and ethnic minorities being used as a stepping stone to increase influence. In this vein her discussion of the impact of the increasing might of the Roman Empire on Christianity allows her to explore the function of religion in serving as a way to establish political and cultural identities, highlighting that early Christianity had as much to do with being a good Roman as it did following a Christian life.

It becomes clear quickly why Fredriksen uses a plural of Christianity in her title, as she explains that religions we now see as being categorically distinct had more fluidity in the past. For example, there were several key figures such as Paul the Pharisee who worked on spreading a Christianised version of Jesus’ prophetic message to Jewish practitioners. These prophecies also garnered interest within pagan communities, despite their relatively ostracised status. Ultimately Fredriksen works to expand the lenses through which the first five hundred years of Christianity has previously been viewed. Pointing out that religion and culture were potentially more diverse than our modern society would assume. In this way, she is refreshingly nuanced in seeking neither to demonise nor absolve Christianity in regard to its colourful history, instead she represents it as the complex product of history that it is.

Fredriksen also attempts to pull back the veil surrounding the role of women in early religious society. Whilst she does not attempt to deny that gender inequality was still a basis of life, she does suggest that there may have been more social mobility for women than scholars have previously suggested. Fredriksen suggests that the patriarchal image of early Christianities was likely embellished throughout history in order to depict later Christianity in a more positive light than its contemporaries. She acknowledges that we do not have enough reliable evidence to draw a solid conclusion on this matter. Regardless of this, her work reads as a welcome attempt to give the women of early Christianity a historical autonomy that they may not have possessed in their own waking lives. 

To conclude, Ancient Christianities offers a comprehensive chronological and thematic review of the birth and build of Christianity in regard to changing politics and advancing knowledge. Whilst the book is chiefly a study on change versus continuity, Fredriksen uses key concepts as a way of elevating the five hundred years worth of history outside of itself. This does not mean that the book is abstract; the contents are meaty and not to be consumed in one go by the faint of heart. An ingenious way that Fredriksen tempers this denseness of information that I found particularly useful, is the timeline inserted at the end of the book, along with a provisional reading list for those who want to understand the topic in even more depth. Furthermore, a variety of maps at the beginning of the book serve to geographically place the events and peoples mentioned. From the question of religious diversity and perspectives on martyrdom, to religion as organised within Empire, Fredriksen skilfully condenses half a millennia of religious activity into an examination of the quickly changing human tapestry at the core of early life. 

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