How Christianity changed the world : formerly titled Under the influence

476 Pages·2009·5.33 MB·English

by  Schmidt

“With the increasing secularization of society and the current emphasis
on multiculturalism—especially in matters religious—the massive impact
that Christianity has had on civilization is often overlooked, obscured, or
even denied. For this and many other reasons, a powerful response is
long overdue, not only in the interests of defending the faith, but more
urgently, to set the historical record straight. This book delivers that
compelling response.…
“No other religion, philosophy, teaching, nation, movement—whatever
—has so changed the world for the better as Christianity has done. Its
shortcomings, clearly conceded by this author, are nevertheless heavily
outweighed by its benefits to all mankind. You will relish these pages as
they unveil these benefits.”
—Paul L. Maier
from the Foreword
It has become fashionable in “the academy” and “the public square”
either to ignore or to deny the positive results of Christianity. Professor
Schmidt’s book instead offers a far more honest and realistic alternative.
Reading this book is not only educational; it also is a fascinating
inspirational experience.
—David O. Moberg, Ph.D.
Professor of Sociology Emeritus,
Marquette University

A CHARITY HOSPITAL for children in London in the nineteenth century.
(Gustave Doré)

ZONDERVAN
HOW CHRISTIANITY CHANGED the WORLD
Copyright © 2001, 2004 by Alvin J. Schmidt All rights reserved under International and Pan-
American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the
non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part
of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or
stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any
means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express
written permission of Zondervan.
ePub Edition June 2009 ISBN: 978-0-310-86250-5
Requests for information should be addressed to:
Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Schmidt, Alvin J.
[Under the influence]
How Christianity changed the world: formerly titled Under the influence / Alvin J. Schmidt.
p. cm.
Originally published: Under the influence. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing House,
© 2001.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-310-26449-1
1. Christianity—Influence. 2. Civilization, Christian. I. Title.
BR115.C5 S335 2004
270—dc22
2004023959
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New
® ®
International Version . NIV . Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used
by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Other Scripture texts cited in this book are the
King James Version (KJV), the New King James Version (NKJV), and the New Revised Standard
Version (NRSV). Italics used in quotations of Scripture are added by the author for emphasis.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any
other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
07 08 09 10 11 12 13 • 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4
To my cherished sons,
Timothy John and Mark Alvin.
May they and their descendants
continue steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine
as did so many of their Christian predecessors
since the time of Christ
CONTENTS

Title Page
Copyright
Foreword by Paul L. Maier
Introduction: Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due
1. People Transformed by Jesus Christ
2. The Sanctification of Human Life
3. Christianity Elevates Sexual Morality
4. Women Receive Freedom and Dignity
5. Charity and Compassion: Their Christian Connection
6. Hospitals and Health Care: Their Christian Roots
7. Christianity’s Imprint on Education
8. Labor and Economic Freedom Dignified
9. Science: Its Christian Connections
10. Liberty and Justice for All
11. Slavery Abolished: A Christian Achievement
12. Christianity’s Stamp on Art and Architecture
13. The Sound of Music: Its Christian Resonance
14. Hallmarks of Literature: Their Christian Imprint
15. Additional Influence: Holidays, Words, Symbols, and Expressions
Acknowledgments
About the Publisher
Share Your Thoughts
SUMMARY CHARTS

Chapter 1 Early Christianity Under Roman Emperors
Chapter 2 Mores of Human Life
Chapter 3 The Morality of Sex and Marriage
Chapter 4 The Role and Status of Women
Chapter 5 Development and Maintenance of Christian Charity and
Compassion
Chapter 6 Origin and Development of Hospitals
Chapter 7 Milestones in Education: Christianity’s Influence
Chapter 8 Perspectives of Labor and Economics
Chapter 9 Christian Advocates of Scientific Knowledge
Chapter 10 Liberty and Justice
Chapter 11 Some Prominent American Abolitionists
Chapter 12 Christian Art and Architecture
Chapter 13 The Progress of Music During the Christian Era
Chapter 14 Some Literary Hallmarks
Chapter 15 The Christian Connection to Common Words and Symbols
Chapter 15 Christian Derivation of Expressions and Sayings
ILLUSTRATIONS

Charity hospital for children
Martyrdom of St. Stephen
Martyrdom of Perpetua
Emperors Decius and Diocletian
Fish symbols
Fishermen retrieving castaway infants
Thumbs Down on Gladiators
Emperor Constantine the Great
Adulterous Woman
Two illustrations of the woman at Samaria
Mosaic of Helena
Women at the Polls in New Jersey
Foot binding
St. Francis Teaches Charity
Julian the Apostate
John Pounds’ School for Ragged Children at Portsmouth
Flower Girl
Scripture Reader in a Night Refuge
Domus Sancti Spiritus
Dorothea Lynde Dix
Justin Martyr
King Alfred Visiting a Monastery School
Catherine of Siena
Friedrich Froebel
Louis Braille
Robert Raikes and poor children
Billingsgate—Landing the Fish
Max Weber
Martin Luther
John Calvin
Christopher Columbus before Isabella and Ferdinand
Captain John Smith
Francis Bacon