Strange Religion: How the First Christians Were Weird, Dangerous, and Compelling

material sacrifices, physical temples, and formal priests. Such things were the building blocks of religion in the first century, and if you showed up to a Christian gathering in Ephesus or Philippi, you wouldn’t find any of these things. Isn’t that weird?

I came to a clear conclusion: by and large, early Christians were weird and were dangerous to many, and yet clearly some found this religion attractive and compelling.

The first Christians were weird! There’s no denying that. I am not talking about their clothing, music preferences, or hobbies. When I say “weird” or “strange,” I am talking about deviation from cultural norms and society’s expectations for how things ought to be done.

“Christians were so fascinated with rejecting what is common to all people that they themselves would no longer want to be Christians if everyone decided to become one.” Volf, Captive to the Word of God (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010), 75.

It was more the case that the person of Christ, the work of the Spirit, and the fundamental dynamics of the gospel themselves changed their orientation toward God, God’s world, God’s creatures, and God’s good end. That made Christians seem like aliens from another planet.