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Schaff, Philip. (2014). "Chapter II. The Literary Triumph of Christianity over Greek and Roman Heathenism." In History of the Christian Church. (The Complete Eight Volumes in One). Volume 3, Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity A.D. 311-600, from Constantine the Great to Gregory the Great. pp. 1888-1856. (Original work published 1889). Amazon Kindle Edition. (Personal Library).
Schaff opens this chapter with a brief and lightly annotated bibliography (Schaff 2014, p. 1838). He then observes that the Roman and Greek paganism of the period was dissolving. At the same time, Christianity was rising with an ongoing growth of literature. The philosophies of the Greeks were weakened through syncretism which rendered them powerless to speak against the coherent Chrsitian points of view. However, at the same time, Schaff sees the greater governmental acceptance of Christianity to have allowed various types of moral corruption to enter into the church (Schaff 2014, p. 1839). This caused confusion on the part of pagans, who failed to distinguish historic Christianity from the less pure expressions of it. Schaff observes that Christianity had flourished earlier and was maintained longer in the eastern empire than in that of the West (Schaff 2014, p. 1840).
Schaff moves on to describe Julian's aggressive attempts to defeat Christianity (Schaff 2014, p. 1841). Julian the Apostate was familiar with many of the tenets of Christianity, even as he sought to overturn them. The arguments Schaff reports made by Julian are remarkably similar to the late 20th century talking points often repeated by secularists. I observe that Schaff was writing in the 19th, not the 20th century. The objections center around matters of doctrine and practice which can be twisted to seem contradictory. To do this, people in Scripture must become caricatures. Schaff discusses a number of works which were written against Christianity, which he considers largely ineffectual (Schaff 2014, p. 1841-1845). Again, they are largely reiterations of talking points.
Schaff notes that, as with Christians, the pagans also had people who would be recognized as apologists (Schaff 2014, p. 1845). The pagan apologists primarily sought to defend Neo-Platonic syncretism, and argue for toleration of their point of view. Schaff illustrates the syncretism using a quote from Themistius, who urges the acceptance of different paths in different religions, all leading to the same end (Schaff 2014, p. 1846). Themistius' arguments can also be seen in other apologists.
Christian apologists, as mentioned earlier, were flourishing at this time. Schaff provides an extensive bibliography of the major works (Schaff 2014, p. 1847). The apologetic works are primarily focused on articulating theological points of view, as the general idea of Chrsitianity was already well established. Schaff provides a brief summary of the work of a number of the Chrsitian apologists.
Among the most prominent of the apologists, Schaff details Augustine, Orosius, and Salvianus, all fifth century individuals (Schaff 2014, p. 1851). These three specifically refuted ideas of the decline of Rome being due to the growth of Christianity. Augustine saw the decline of Rome as related to a loss of the city's ancient values, and that its decline opened the door for Christianity to usher in a new age (Schaff 2014, p. 1852). Salvanius, a presbyter from Gaul, saw the problem as rooted in the failure of Chrsitians to guard their purity (Schaff 2014, p. 1853).