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I contend that in becoming entangled in the political affairs of the Roman Empire, the church actually did not convert that worldly empire at all; rather, the world converted the church into an institution that Jesus never intended. The simple, despised, and holy faith which preceded those dark post-apostolic years does not resemble in the least the rich, ceremonial, and politically powerful religion of Christianity that followed them.

May I be allowed to pose the virtually unthinkable, yet unavoidable, question: Is Christianity really the church?

John David Clark, Sr.
Burlington, North Carolina

I noticed the photo caption on page 13 listing Atreus and Thyestes accidentally switched their legendary roles. Please note the following from "Encyclopedia.com":

"In retaliation for his brother Thyestes' seduction of his wife, Atreus murdered three of Thyestes' sons and served them to him at a feast. … Thyestes is the name behind our English word 'Thyestean,' meaning 'of or relating to the eating of human flesh.' "

One final note: I really enjoy my CD-ROM collection of your past issues. It is thoughtfully laid out and a joy to use for either random browsing or organized research.

Scott Harrup
Springfield, Missouri

If it were not for reading the Bible, I might believe your articles. You may be able to pooh-pooh and disregard the miraculous in our Christian history, but you can't edit the miraculous from my Bible. What converted the [Roman] Empire? It was the same thing that converted the Jews under Jesus' ministry, the Samaritans under Phillip's ministry, the people at Joppa when Peter raised Tabitha from the dead, and the Gentiles under Paul's ministry as he went about establishing churches. It was the miraculous manifestations of the power of God!

Bertram Gaines
Stryker, Ohio

Thank you for reminding us that the membership of this heavenly club extends back 2,000 years. All too often evangelicals lack a sense of history and continuity with the long line of Christians whose lives built the body of Christ. This is a shame, as many younger people have gone over to "Eastern" religions in an effort to find this feeling of connectedness.

David VanMeer
Mount Vernon, Washington

Once again you have done an outstanding job in sharing how the faith has impacted history and vice versa. It is refreshing to see how the faith has been passed on to us in a precious gift that ought not to be taken lightly or merely seen through late-twentieth-century eyes.

Bob Cooper
Cape Charles, Virginia

I read Bruce Shelley's description of Constantine's "waffling" Christianity and his inability to take a stand and stick to it at the Nicea council ("This explains, in part, his explosions of temper and indecisive policy making and why he could be ardent in his convictions yet remain oblivious to moral implications."). It appears Christian politicians are the same, no matter what the time or location. We study history, I tell my students, to learn from the past and not make the same mistakes again. Too bad more politicians don't do the same.

Lois Newton
Columbia, Missouri

Corrections:

Historian Everett Ferguson pointed out some items that need correction: (no wonder he's the editor of the Encyclopedia of Early Christianity):

page 14: the Latin word is hetaeria not heraeria.

page 16: Justin Martyr could not have referred to the "thundering legion," for the event occurred after his death; several Christian authors did appeal to the incident (Tertullian was probably meant by the author).

page 41: Athanasius was exiled five times, not four.

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