“A genuinely
thought-provoking and imaginative book.”
— Peter Thonemann,
The Wall Street Journal
Many Christians in Ancient Rome lived in a dynamic middle ground. Their quiet successes, as much as the clamor of martyrdom, were a powerful agent for change.
The supposed collapse of Roman civilization is still lamented more than 1,500 years later—and intertwined with this idea is the notion that a fledgling religion, Christianity, went from a persecuted fringe movement to an irresistible force that toppled the empire. The “intolerant zeal” of Christians, wrote Edward Gibbon, swept Rome’s old gods away, and with them the structures that sustained Roman society.
Unfortunately, such tales are simply untrue to history and ignore the most important fact of all: life in Rome never came to a dramatic stop. Instead, a small minority movement rose to transform society—politically, religiously, and culturally—but it was a gradual process, one that happened in fits and starts over centuries. Drawing upon a decade of recent studies in history and archaeology, and on his own research, Boin opens up a wholly new window onto a period we thought we knew.
More Praise for
Coming Out Christian in the Roman World
“Boin offers a highly original approach to the social and religious anxieties that seized Jesus’ followers in the years after his death. The result is not just another new study of early Christianity. Coming Out Christian in the Roman World takes the history of the Roman empire into a wholly new direction.”
Reza Aslan, author of Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth
“Boin is a gifted writer with the rare ability to bring ancient history before modern eyes.”
Greg Carey, The Christian Century.
“Boin's books lifts up early Christian voices, examines their everyday lives, and demonstrates how Romans, Jews, and Christians navigated changing laws, and came to terms with new identities…. Coming Out Christian shows another side of life in Late Antiquity and the Early Medieval period, one that is not so widely known or discussed, yet remains a vital piece to the puzzle in understanding this transitional time, and understanding who really pushed Christianity forward, and why paganism declined. For those studying this period or who have an interest in the early Church, it is a must-have addition to your bookshelf.”
“This is a refreshing argument with much to support it.”
“In this well written and engaging book about late antiquity, Boin provides us with a thought provoking new take on the origins of Christianity with explanatory power for how we think about ourselves today. Anyone who wonders or worries about religious freedom in the modern world should read Coming out Christian.”
Candida Moss, author of The Myth of Persecution
“The author provides some thought-provoking points and successfully begins a dialogue with conventional wisdom on this subject. … A great conversation starter with plenty of room for more research and elaboration.”
“Was it all blood and martyrdom, or was there peaceful tolerance on both sides? How is it possible that there was something in the middle? Boin tackles the question masterfully and broadens our understanding of early Christianity.”
Alicia de los Reyes, Patheos.com
“A very thorough and detailed picture of what it was like for a Christian living in the early Roman Empire…Very well written.”
Lisa Covington, Manhattan Book Review