Theology Applied
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 63, No. 1 – Fall 2020
Editor: David S. Dockery
By Gerald L. Sittser. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2019, xv+222pp., $19.99
Gerald L. Sittser serves as professor of theology and as senior fellow and researcher in the Office of Church Engagement at Whitworth University in Spokane. He has taught at Whitworth since 1989.
Resilient Faith: How the Early Christian “Third Way” Changed the World is Sittser’s ninth book. Previous works by Sittser recognized for their excellence include: When God Doesn’t Answer Your Prayer (Zondervan, 2003), which received the 2005 Gold Medallion Award in the Christian Living category from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, and Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries (IVP, 2007), which won the Logos Book Award.
The origin of Resilient Faith may be traced to Sittser’s study of a second-century document, “The So-Called Letter to Diognetus,” many years ago. In this writing, an unknown author references the Christian movement as the “third race” (which Sittser renders as the “third way”) to distinguish it from the Roman (“first race”) and Jewish ways of life (“second race”). This classification of Christianity intrigued Sittser and led him to ask, “What made early Christianity so unique that ancient people regarded it as a ‘third way,’ a set of beliefs and practices different from the Roman and Jewish ways?” Furthermore, “Why did Christianity’s distinctiveness attract some to the faith and repel others?” His desire to understand the rise of Christianity within its historical and cultural context is similar to portions of Fox’s Pagans and Christians (pp. 263-335) and Green’s Evangelism in the Early Church (pp. 29-75).
Sittser’s exploration of these questions is motivated by a greater concern than merely tracing the rise of Christianity, however. His larger goal is to provide guidance to modern Christians who desire to see a resurgence of Christianity. He argues that early Christianity supplies the beliefs, practices, and approach needed for renewal. In regard to approach, Sittser posits that the earliest believers neither accommodated nor isolated themselves from the culture. Instead, they “immersed themselves in the culture as followers of Jesus and agents of the kingdom, influencing it from within both as individuals and as a community” (p. 174). While this is true, at times Christians did separate themselves from certain professions (e.g., actor) and cultural spheres (e.g., gladiatorial events).
Sittser begins by contrasting the context of the modern church with that of the ancient church (Chapter one: “Then and Now”). Noting that modern Christianity no longer dominates over the culture as it did in the past, he argues that many in the West today question Christianity’s relevance due to the fact that Christians have failed to demonstrate the uniqueness of their beliefs and practices. Stated differently, modern believers have compromised Christianity’s identity and the gospel message (p. 12). In contrast, the ancient church displayed a distinctive identity and articulated a unique message that centered on Jesus (p. 16). They regarded him as the new way and sought to live as citizens of God’s divine kingdom within the context of the Roman Empire. Also, the ancient church took spiritual formation seriously, giving a great deal of time and effort to shaping Christian disciples (p. 17).
In Chapters two through eight, which comprises the bulk of the writing, Sittser explores selected topics related to his two key questions of concern. This review will comment on several chapters.
In the “Old World and New World” (Chapter two), Sittser contrasts the “old world” of the Romans with the “new world” brought by Christianity. In the new world of Christianity, Jesus stood as the distinguishing feature (p. 19). Christians, unlike their polytheistic neighbors, worshipped him exclusively (p. 24), viewing him as the Son of God and Savior of the world (p. 34). In addition, Christians refrained from participating in the imperial cult (p. 21). At times, their behavior incurred pagan criticism as seen in the writings of Pliny (pp. 19-22) and Porphyry (pp. 34-35).
In Chapter five (“Authority”), Sittser examines three sources of authority that not only distinguished the church but also kept it strong and stable: belief, book, and bishop. Belief refers to the “rule of faith” (p. 89) or “orthodoxy” (p. 91). The church’s beliefs conflicted sharply with Gnostic teaching (pp. 85-88), which presented a completely different worldview. Sittser also suggests that Christian beliefs arose independently on a grassroots level as opposed to “top down” (p. 91).
The second source of authority, the Bible, also played an important role in the life of the church. Believers read it personally, listened to others read it, memorized it, copied it, distributed it, and gathered weekly (sometimes even daily) to learn from it (pp. 91-93).
Another source of authority was the office of the bishop. The earliest believers regarded bishops as leaders who continued the apostles’ ministry (p. 93). Bishops exercised authority over the churches through their teaching, shepherding, and care. They also bore witness to the life and teachings of Jesus (p. 96).
In the final chapter (“Crossing to Safety”), Sittser discusses the catechumenate, the early church’s three-year process for bringing pagans into the church. The gulf was so wide that prospective converts needed a bridge to assist them in crossing over to a position of functional discipleship. For Sittser, this type of intense discipleship is absolutely necessary for a resurgence of the church today (pp. 177-178).
The author concludes with a helpful annotated bibliography of early Christian literature (pp. 179-196). This section includes a categorized list of primary (e.g., martyrdom accounts, church manuals) and secondary sources (e.g., early Christian theology, worship, Christian life in the world). It contains a wealth of information.
Sittser’s Resilient Faith makes a much-needed contribution to the modern church. He successfully identifies the beliefs, practices, and approach that distinguished the ancient church and contributed to its growth, including: a firm commitment to Jesus as the center of a believer’s life and existence, a strong personal ethic, service to the “least of these” motivated by a desire to follow Christ’s example; and a dedication to worship which in turn prepared believers to live in the world, avoiding both the path of accommodation and isolation and practicing a rigorous program of discipleship.
Those who wish to see the church experience a resurgence today should study Sittser’s book carefully. While recognizing that the early centuries were not a golden age of Christianity, he calls his readers to follow the ancient church’s example at its best. Highly recommended.
