The Survival of Christianity

Imagine living in a culture where Christians are considered second-class citizens and part of a strange, superstitious sect with dangerous views. Imagine not having a voice in the public square, being relegated to the fringes of society, having your property confiscated and – worse – being physically punished for believing in Jesus. Nowadays, with the growing clash between religious liberty and identity liberty, and the rise of what Rod Dreher calls “soft totalitarianism”, such alarming images of persecution of Christians seem closer to becoming reality in the West. Yet, the above is actually a description of what much of the church lived through during the first three centuries.