Hi, I'm interested to read history of Christianity's influence on the world over the course of history, from a humanistic perspective, and especially using a critical perspective. I'm especially interested in why/how Christianity was intentionally used to control, how it turned into a story designed to control through force and terror, and how it displaced other cultures and religions.
If there's a book that also includes the positive humanistic effects Christianity had through history (spreading compassion) that would be great too, though I'm wary of books designed to whitewash Christianity's history.
I'm especially interested in the middle ages. Thank you!
by Acceptable_Book_8789
3 Comments
My favorite is
Sin and fear : the emergence of a Western guilt culture, 13th-18th centuries
by Delumeau, Jean
https://archive.org/details/sinfearemergence00delu
*Dominion* by Tom Holland covers that territory. He wasn’t a Christian when he wrote it (I think he may be now) but his overall view is probably more positive than you’re looking for. Part of his point is that we wouldn’t have the values we use to judge Christianity if Christianity hadn’t been so successful in disseminating them. In Roman society, e.g., the idea that a slave had the same dignity as a nobleman was completely laughable. It took Christianity to instill that radical thought in the western world.
I would recommend Karen Armstrong. She’s an ex nun who writes secular history books about the abrahamic religions.
A History of God traces the historical development of all 3 Abrahamic religions and is one of her most comprehensive books.
For Christianity Specifically,
St. Paul, the Apostle We Love to Hate- about the influence Paul had on the early church.
The Bible According to Women- tackles the misogyny and sexual control of women promoted by many Christian scholars throughout history
Holy War: The Crusades and Their Impact on Today’s World- critiques the crusades
Would also recommend Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Kobes Du Mez to understand the relationship between toxic masculinity and Evangelical Christian politics in the US.