The Way Up is Down
The Church in the Secular Age
Has the Church diminished its influence by actively pursuing it?
This question gnaws within me as I explore Dr. Tom Holland’s magnum opus, Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World (2019). Holland, an eminent classicist, is well-versed in ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. His research revealed that no ancient movement matched Christianity’s profound and enduring impact. While followers of Christ will not be surprised by this research finding, others might be. Tom Holland was one of those. Holland’s recent lectures have followed the title of one that I witnessed: “Why I Changed My Mind About Christianity.” Also, not surprising to believers, Tom Holland’s research led him to the Person of Jesus, the resurrected and reigning King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Dominion as the title of his book became the reality of his encounter.
Reviewing the rise of Christianity amidst persecution under a regime known for emperor worship and a myriad of Roman and Greek deities, the answer to “How?” becomes clear: daily acts, thoughts, attitudes, and personal decisions, anchored in Christ-centered lives, that both amazed and fascinated the ancient world. Christianity didn’t conquer Constantine and the Roman Empire by imitating them, but by living out Jesus Christ’s sublime teachings. The belief that God became man, chose poverty to claim the cosmos, redeemed sinners through crucifixion, and was raised from the dead on the third day elevated Christianity beyond mere philosophy. Christians, demonstrating their faith, rescued infants abandoned by the Tiber River, nurturing them in their beliefs. Noteworthy early Church leaders gained admiration not for their affluence or power but their humility, intertwining boldness with gentle courage.
Has the Church diminished its influence by actively pursuing it?
Referring to Jesus’s advice to the rich young man, “If you want to be perfect, sell your possessions, give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Matthew 19:21), Martin of Tours (c. 316–397 AD) exemplifies this divine wealth. As Holland describes, “The first monk in Gaul ever to become a bishop, he was a figure of rare authority: elevated to the heights precisely because he had not wanted to be” (Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, p. 147). Thus, the Prophets: “Thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isaiah 57:15).
Figures like Martin of Tours reshaped the ancient landscape with their unwavering commitment to Jesus Christ and their empathy for the marginalized. As we traverse the challenges of the secular age, tales of these early believers illuminate our paths. From the days shortly after Christ’s ascension to the rise of Christianity in the present-day Global South and Global East, Christian history offers valuable insights for the Western Church. The opulence of some mega-church figures, the spectacle surrounding particular Christian celebrities, and the cultural compromises of many present-day believers (how can I say that I am exempt from such compromise? For, I, too, live amidst the temptations of Babylon) may captivate their fervent followers but lack the genuine spiritual power to transform the world. Observations from the Western Church in the late 20th to early 21st centuries affirm this notion. Cultural accommodation did not cause the ascendancy of Christianity in the ancient pagan world. It will not today. It is the “Word from another world” lived out and proclaimed by fellow human beings that is the catalyst for transformation. Christian leaders like Martin of Tours and Henry Luke Orombi (born 1953), the former Anglican Archbishop of Uganda, who served not for personal gain but to assist the disenfranchised, epitomize authentic Christian leadership. These are much-needed heroes of the faith.
As Dr. Robert L. Reymond, my late, esteemed systematic theology professor, would emphasize, “In your pastoral journey, always remember: the way up is down. Life in Christ arises from death of self. The greatest acts are those of the humble servant.”
This ethos must surely be the course for Christian ministry, and indeed for all believers, as we venture further into a pos-Christian secular era. Dr. Reymond’s mantra, the way up is down, embodies the divine message of the Cross, wherein lies the paradoxical potency to change both hearts and minds.
Note: Henry Luke Orombi served as the Archbishop of Uganda from 2004 to 2012.