Did Christianity Cause Western Values? Part 1: Rome, Jesus, Paul, and Theologians.

It’s a common conservative claim that Western values are based on Christian-Judeo values. Liberty; that we should love everyone; valuing the weak; human rights; the equal dignity of every person; scientific exploration; belief in historical progress; secularism/the separation of church and state; charity for the poor; continual reformation, progress, and renewal; that God’s laws, rules, morality, and natural law are written on the hearts of men, in our consciences; valuing all human beings and not just one’s local tribe, city, or in-group; that the law nor rulers are independent sources of truth; and universal beliefs. All of these values, beliefs, and attitudes would not be a prominent part of western culture if not for Christianity. That is the claim.

The West was steeped in Christianity. Almost all thought was done through a Christian lens. Ideas in the Renaissance and the Enlightenment built upon centuries of ideas developed in the Middle Ages. So, of course, ideas that became western values were spoken of in Christian language and used Christian justification. But, that doesn’t mean Christianity was a cause. Christianity could have been epiphenomenal, meaning, it was along for the ride but had no independent impact. Christianity can be, and has been, interpreted in a variety of ways and can be used to arrive at a variety of sometimes contradictory conclusions. It may be that other factors led the West to think of and believe in western values, and Christianity was…