Christian Persecution in Antiquity

Wolfram Kinzig
Christian Persecution in Antiquity
Trans. Markus Bockmuehl
Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2021.

Wolfram Kinzig’s short volume, only 142 pp, is a concise and riveting narration of the many persecutions of Christians in Roman antiquity as well as examining the various motivations and legal mechanisms behind the various outbursts of violence against Christians. Kinzig analyzes martyrdom accounts of the early church, cautiously drawing on these ancient voices alongside contemporary non-Christian evidence to reconstruct the church’s experience as a minority sect. In doing so, Kinzig challenges recent reductionist attempts to dismantle the idea that Christians were ever serious targets of intentional violence. He is also conscious, however, that there is a vibrant hagiographical tradition surrounding martyrs and martyrdom.

Kinzig shows that in antiquity, following Christ was a risky allegiance! To be a Christian in the Roman Empire carried with it the implicit risk of being branded a traitor to the polis, pantheon, and princeps! Nonetheless, persecution shaped the ethos of the Christian faith and produced a wealth of literature commemorating those who gave their lives in witness to the gospel.

In sum, this is the # 1 book about Roman persecution of Christians, very useful for understanding the persecutions by Nero, those purportedly under Domitian, and especially in its coverage of the “great” persecutions under Decian and Diocletian.

A necessary read for every church history buff!