A review by christianhartman
Pagans: The End of Traditional Religion and the Rise of Christianity by James J. O'Donnell

3.0

Narrates the rise of Christianity from the perspective of a non-Christian, truly strange how (Paraphrasing), "a street preacher's followers had learned, in four centuries, how to control a multinational empire". As a Christian I know the rough history of Christianity, but had never fully put it's rise in its true context, against the background of "paganism", a made up term to describe a religion that had no history, a religion that simply was the way of life before Christianity and it's radical monotheism destroyed the old polytheism (I'm grateful anyways). Also very interesting to view Constantine's "conversion" to Christianity in a different light. Overall fascinating book, amazing history of life in Roman times.