I recently read the historian Tom Holland’s Dominion. This is an excellent book, in which many things stand out – not least, his main contention: the way in which Christianity’s legacy dominates everything in Western society today, and even, to a certain extent, those countries with little or no Christian heritage, due to colonialism.

Seeking purity

Holland pulls no punches with Christianity’s failures, yet in a way that is ultimately sympathetic, having come to the striking conclusion that his entire value system is based upon the Christian faith. 

But in its sweep of two millennia of Christian history, contrasted aptly with Greek, Roman and Persian culture before it, one key thing struck me – and that was the one factor that led to the large-scale conflicts that periodically tore the Church and society asunder. Yes, he touches on heresies which needed putting in their place – theologies that needed honing. But these didn’t lead to war. 

It was, rather, when men relentlessly and obdurately sought for ‘purity’ of the faith, for absolute reformation. 

Refusing compromise

The first of these occurred in Carthage, North Africa – during a period in history I knew little about. This was a region that had given the early Church some of its most influential thinkers (e.g., Augustine, Tertullian). But when faced with a period of persecution, there occurred a split between those who refused absolutely to compromise – and suffered the consequences – and those who reluctantly handed over their scriptures, as per the demand of the Roman authorities.

Many of our readers, me included, will particularly sympathise with those who refused compromise (the Donatists), standing firm in their faith and enduring through thick and thin. But they didn’t stop there, even when persecution faded away as Constantine became emperor. Rather, they began to attack their fellow, ‘weaker’ Christians – and quite literally. Bishops, leaders and church buildings were targeted in a terrorism campaign – to which the Catholics responded in ‘kind’. The hatred between the two sides became entrenched in the North African region.

Rather, they began to attack their fellow, ‘weaker’ Christians – and quite literally.

Is it, then, a coincidence that the then largely Christian north Africa, once Roman rule subsided, was one of the areas that fell to the Islamic invasion, when much of the mostly united Christian Europe was able to withstand it?

Power corrupts

Europe indeed stood generally united, also seeking to evangelise the barbaric northern territories, whilst holding its line against the followers of Mohammed. The Church, whilst not flawless, kept the faith moderately well for a millennium or so, despite issues for which it could rightly be criticised in this era. 

But the biggest problems arose following Gregory VII’s ‘reformatio’ from c. 1050–80 . Gregory sought to purify the Church – and to put it above the kings of Europe. As time passed, the need to eliminate the Church of heresy launched Christendom into a horrendous civil war, lasting two decades (1209–29). For, as Holland put it, “It was no sin, Gregory believed, to amplify moral exhortation by threatening those who ignored it by violence.”

Gregory and his reforms won, in essence – but at great cost. Now the Church and the popes had power, which corrupted them. The Church went from being somewhat flawed, yet a positive force for good, to being a corrupt, tainted tyranny, enforced through the Inquisition, one which veered far from gospel or scriptural principles.

Elevation of ideologies

Martin Luther was not the first to condemn this. In essence, however, he wanted to reform the Church as it was, not to break away. The necessary reforms that he highlighted in his 95 theses were essential. Eventually, the Catholic Church did actually embrace many of the much-needed changes through the Council of Trent in its counter-reformation (a part of the story that Holland neglects, as it isn’t central to his overarching study of the ideas that shaped the world).

This, however, did not happen until after many years of bloodshed. ‘Puritanical’ zeal – on both sides – led to horrendous slaughter, of which the St Bartholomew’s Day massacre in France of the Huguenots (French protestants) is the most well-known.¹

Is it any coincidence that as much, if not far more, damage has been inflicted in Europe over the centuries on ideological grounds than by territorial conquest?

This extremism, this elevating of ideologies to the point of war and carnage, seeped outside the Church as that institution lost its power, and the French revolutionaries sought to impose their own, secular, ‘reformation’ zeal onto society – as did Hitler when he sought to remould Europe in his image.

Is it any coincidence that as much, if not far more, damage has been inflicted in Europe over the centuries on ideological grounds than by territorial conquest?

Volcanic eruptions

We are at a point in history when ideological zeal is once more polarising society. This is occurring in various forms. We have the progressive movement – one that is actually mostly built upon sound Christian principles, yet is being driven into deeply murky territories by those who actually want to undermine the Christian foundation that has been the basis of so much that is good in the West. Those progressives now call for purity – hounding all transgressors out of jobs and influence. We have those who know that these ‘reformers’ are deluded about the abyss that their changes are tipping us into, yet seem to cling to political solutions and personalities to solve it.

This is worse in the United States, as people who should know better hail the re-ascendant Trump as a hero and messianic figure who will save America, despite his narcissism, his cruelty, and his derision of all who don’t kowtow to him (notwithstanding the fact that there is good common sense in some of his policies). While in Britain we have no Trump figure, the willingness of many to discount fellow Christians as heretics and traitors smacks of the Donatism in early Church North Africa.

We are at risk of the entire world coming once more to war – and not just from the threat posed by Russia.

The monster of militant atheism may be in retreat, but an even more dangerous ideology threatens much of the world in militant Islam – not least in our own land. Throw in hyper-nationalism, anti-Semitism, and even net zero extremism (as opposed to environmentalism), and across the world we see ideologies and counter-ideologies square up, the tectonic plates grinding in confrontation, and conflict already bursting through every now and then like volcanic eruptions.

We are at risk of the entire world coming once more to war – and not just from the threat posed by Russia. The dangers of polarisation and blinkered, at-any-cost, ideologies are innumerable and immense, and history teaches us the horrors that it can unleash. We are not, however, without hope.

Spiritual transformation

The one thing that most historians agree kept Britain from succumbing to the same revolutionary forces that tore France apart was the Wesleyan revival. Wesley was no wishy-washy Christian; for him faith meant everything. Filled with a missionary zeal, Wesley preached Christ to everyone he could reach, and equipped others to do likewise – a grassroots revival which changed the entire nation.

We need purity – not one enforceable by outside authorities or social media pile-ons, but a personal refining by the Holy Spirit.

Yet he called his hearers not to a political faith, but to a personal transformation through the saving grace of Jesus, empowered through the Holy Spirit. Surely, in this lies our best hope for our communities, our nation and for our world. We need purity – not one enforceable by outside authorities or social media pile-ons, but a personal refining by the Holy Spirit. It may not defend us from external threats in which the country needs to defend itself – but it would allow for unified Western countries once more, ones which aren’t wracked with dangerous divisions.

The apostle Paul shows us the way – before his conversion he showed the damage unbridled ‘zeal’ can do, as he persecuted the Church (Phil 3:6-7). But after he met Jesus, his passion became that of sharing his beloved Saviour with all whom he met, and encouraging the fledgling churches. And he did this, yes, with zeal, but in love, preaching to and reasoning with those who did not know the Lord, and exhorting and building up even those churches who at times frustrated him. 

For we must share the Good News of Jesus with all whom we can, praying for the Holy Spirit to change us and them from the inside out. For in Christ is our salvation, and in Him alone our hope is found.

Endnote

1. In England, the Protestant ‘Puritans’ of the (mainly) 17th century who sought to rid the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices were generally not involved in acts of extremism – being more concerned with greater purity of worship and doctrine, as well as personal and corporate piety. Like many in their day, they did engage in witch-hunts, however, and scores of people across England were accused of being witches and executed in the late 16th and 17th centuries.