Not the Impossible Faith

This monograph presents a systematic refutation of Christian apologist J.P. Holding's claim that Christianity's early success constitutes evidence for its truth. Carrier examines Holding's argument that Christianity possessed features so culturally repugnant to ancient Mediterranean society that its rapid spread would have been impossible without divine intervention. The work methodically dismantles this premise by demonstrating that early Christianity actually aligned well with existing cultural expectations and religious patterns in the Roman world.

Carrier's approach combines historical analysis with sociological insights about religious conversion patterns. He argues that Christianity's growth follows predictable patterns observable in other successful religious movements, requiring no supernatural explanation. The text examines specific elements Holding identifies as impediments to conversion, including Christianity's Jewish origins, its crucified messiah, its resurrection doctrine, and its moral teachings. For each purported obstacle, Carrier provides extensive evidence that these features either appealed to significant segments of ancient society or paralleled existing religious beliefs and practices.

The work particularly emphasizes how Christianity's message resonated with marginalized groups in Roman society, including slaves, women, and the urban poor. Carrier demonstrates that the religion's promise of spiritual equality and eternal reward addressed genuine social and psychological needs within these populations. He further argues that Christianity's syncretistic elements, incorporating familiar mystery religion motifs and Hellenistic philosophy, facilitated its acceptance among gentile converts.

Methodologically, Carrier employs comparative religion analysis, examining how other religious movements achieved similar growth rates without claims to divine assistance. He draws parallels with Mormonism, Islam, and various mystery cults to establish that Christianity's expansion follows natural sociological patterns. The text also critiques Holding's selective use of ancient sources, demonstrating how apologetic interpretations often misrepresent the historical evidence.

This contribution to the God debate matters because it addresses a common apologetic argument that treats Christianity's historical success as evidence for its supernatural claims. By providing a naturalistic explanation for Christianity's growth grounded in historical and sociological analysis, Carrier challenges the notion that religious success validates religious truth claims. The work exemplifies how historical-critical methodology can evaluate religious phenomena without invoking supernatural causation, thereby supporting naturalistic explanations for religious development over theistic interpretations.