Explaining the Rise of Christianity

[@Notypls101]

“Todays topic is Christianity” me hearing it for the 1,000th time : LETS GOOOOO

[@lordlongstroke5989]

And yet you still believe all the lies...

[@Notypls101]

@@lordlongstroke5989 yep all the 100,000s of people who died being thrown to lions claiming Jesus is lord and claiming what they saw was correct were lying

[@edwardjoseph8007]

The reason the Jews were so hard to govern was because the Romans said you had to follow our laws but the Jews believed that following roman law was an affront to their own beliefs. Most cultures were perfectly fine following roman law in addition to their own personal beliefs but for the Jews they believed if was incompatible hence the irishness

[@tuckerbugeater]

They kept them around

[@hermitcard4494]

Thats how monotheistic think. You can always keep peace and cooperation with polytheist because they can agree with different interpretations. YOU CANNOT KEEP PEACE with monotheists, they wont obey, not tolerate others interpretations and eventually convert them. Judaism did it by force, Christianity did it by pressure, Islam a combination of both. That's why no polytheist kingdom has conquered and spread as much as monotheist.

[@דניאל-ש2ה]

@@hermitcard4494 Greek empires, Roman Empire, Mongol Empire all were pagan. Now tell what exactly Judaism did violently? Lived in a tiny kingdom and were exercising their ethno-religion?When pagan invaders came and forced them to abandon their ancestral cult?

[@QuizmasterLaw]

I don't think that is the case. It is the restrictions on Jews following Jewish law which have however often led to social conflicts, sometimes (infrequently) right up to war, not the fact Jews also had to obey the law of an occupier.

[@geesixnine]

It's because they remember how Cyrus the great treated them under their Empire. Also, in the Bible, the Jews strayed from God, hence their exile from Jerusalem initially in the Persian conquest

[@BMWE90HQ]

Constantine did not convert Rome to Christianity . He legalized it and converted himself but it was Theodosius who made it the official religion.

[@joshsolomon4825]

35:36 He didn't convert the empire, he just make Christianity legal

[@spoonfulofdreams8790]

Armenia was the first state to convert to Christianity not Ethiopia

[@tianming4964]

Actually Osroene/Edessa was the first in 200 AD. Didn't last as an independent kingdom for long though.

[@ThePoopsmith-12345]

I am Armenian, in part, I always believed that Armenia was first but not it was Osroene.

[@robleahy5759]

Georgia was the first Christian kingdom.

[@robleahy5759]

Ireland converted around the same time. Go figure the distance.

[@ThePoopsmith-12345]

@@robleahy5759 no, Georgia didn’t convert until early 400s ce. Armenia officially converted in 301ce and is well documented. Osroene converted in 200ce but the kingdom fell in 214ce.

[@obiwankenobi6871]

As a Eastern Orthodox Christian☦️ this was great to watch but also painful simultaneously, he paints a lot of things with personal spiritual biases often

[@algro9567]

Can you go into detail about what these personal spiritual biases are? I just want to understand your perspective as someone from the Eastern sphere.

[@charliedontsurf334]

We all have biases.

[@samueldietschi4278]

As a catholic, same. specially when he talks about the Eucharist being psychodelics

[@charliedontsurf334]

@@samueldietschi4278 I need a lot of evidence before I can buy that the Eucharist was a psychedelic.

[@abbacab77]

The book is called "The Immortality Key" by Brian C. Muraresku if you actually want sources.

[@julian9898]

"Once you imagine the Christian church as a bunch of multi-ethnic working class people, it looks a lot different."

[@HunnysPlaylists]

Because you are trying to justify your own religion, not presenting The Actual Church.

[@corterapidoetramontina2904]

Do not forget the psychodelic wine 🍷🍇 😅

[@julian9898]

@@HunnysPlaylists im not justifying anything. I was quoting a line from the video that i thought was interesting 🤷‍♂️

[@HunnysPlaylists]

@@julian9898 you saw stnism on your screen and began to worsh1p.

[@HunnysPlaylists]

@@corterapidoetramontina2904 Communion Wine Is Pure Water and Genetically Pure Red Grapes, all of which Blessed.

[@SD1Airsoft]

"I'm a Christian" and then its just nonstop heresies, half truths, lies, and rumors.. Rudyard I love ya but you really got to stop these faulures

[@m3c4nyku43]

It's because he's a Ma -son. Not a Christian.

[@acem82]

1. The Eucharist (Communion) was not (originally) a hallucinogen. It literally was the Passover bread! This claptrap comes from 1 of 2 fallacies: A. Everything needs a mechanistic explanation. This is obviously false. B. These people absolutely need to find some way to make Christianity “dirty” or a trick so they can discount it. Not only is this claim nonsensical, it also violates the concept of Ephesians 5:18 “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit” and 1 Peter 4:3-4 “For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do-living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.” 2. It wasn't simply claimed by Christians that Jesus died, it's denied by pretty much zero historians. He lived, was condemned, and was executed. All the relevant sources say such. 3. There are *not* lost books of the Bible! There were a bunch of books in the 1st 2 centuries that claimed or implied that they were authoritative ...and they were rejected by the early Church for very good reasons. 4. Please stop the constantly disproven claptrap about December 25th (or Christmas in general) being some sort of pagan holiday. It wasn't. Any reference that the pagans celebrated that day post dates references that Christians celebrated that day. In fact, it's the pagans who tried to steal the day from the Christians! Why December 25th? There was an old belief that prophets died on the day they were conceived. They knew Jesus died March 25th, so they went back (Edit: actually forwards, as @Ch-ew9tm points out below) 9 months to December 25th, and that's when they celebrated his birth. … Given I've found errors in other history you've presented, and a lot here (in a subject I know well), I'm really wondering why I'd trust you to avoid pitfalls of historical thought in other subjects. After all, just because someone wrote it in a book, that doesn't mean it's correct!

[@TheFifthofFive]

Yeah, a lot of what he said in the video just drove me crazy. I think he just reads random books on the subject but doesn't check the quality of the source. I usually really like his video but after this it made me realize he doesn't know how to filter out bad sources.

[@johnnyboy2537]

The pattern with Rudyard is that he's great when it comes to the big picture but usually gets the details wrong so the comments are usually good for correcting and balancing him out

[@grogdizzy5814]

You don't know about saturnalia and the winter solstice yet claim to know everything about Christianity? I think faith relies on ignorance.

[@acem82]

@@grogdizzy5814 1. I don't know everything about Christianity. I'm not God. 2. I know about all the claims that December 25th was a pagan holiday. The issue with these claims is that they post-date our evidence that December 25th was already being celebrated as Jesus' birthday. They also ignore that we already know *why* they celebrated it then, in that it was thought to have been when Jesus was conceived. InspiringPhilosophy has a dozen or so videos on this subject.

[@grogdizzy5814]

@@acem82 like i said, faith relies on ignorance

[@Chris-es3wf]

Here before the reformation in the comments starts.

[@BrockSamson18]

Remember, Jesus literally and actually rose from the dead and now sits at the right hand of The Father.

[@abbacab77]

"scoot over, Michael."

[@thorpeaaron1110]

He didn't.

[@deitchj003]

@@thorpeaaron1110you are a sad person and I pray for you

[@BrockSamson18]

​@@thorpeaaron1110 Pinochet recognized this Truth.

[@mountainmanmike1014]

But on which side of the moon?

[@Taiyama2]

There's a lot wrong here, alas. You can tell that Rudyard's high openness (he mentioned he's on the far right of that bellcurve) sometimes leads him into traps, since he wants to assume the truth is always hidden and needs to be uncovered rather than being out in the open. The bread and wine is "just" bread and wine in material terms. The magic is that it's also the body and blood of Christ.

[@Drummr88]

Wrong. Christ was sacrificed ONCE, and now sits at the right hand of the Father. Jesus says we're to take communion in "remembrance" of Him. Transubstanciation is pagan, superstitious nonsense, unfortunately, and is intended to keep believers dependent on the Roman Catholic institution.

[@Taiyama2]

@@Drummr88 A. I'm Anglican, not Catholic. I don't believe in transubstantiation either. I believe in the Real Presence a la Luther. B. Is omnipresence an aspect of God?

[@memphisallen8021]

Christ is lord and king!!

[@history1982]

Lol

[@DeFu-dt4qt]

Naw 😂

[@michaelgranholm7598]

Christ is lord and king.

[@ShivanshThakur-sh8ub]

Nope.

[@maryhildreth754]

Candace?

[@Rocknrolldaddy81-xy8ur]

“Pontus Pilot = Deca Records X 3” Rudyard Lynch Awesome - I love this channel and his other channel. Keep em coming Rudy!

[@scottanos9981]

Rudyard, I think you might find a book on the history of the turbulance in the early Christian Church to be interesting. It's by James E. Talmage and is titled "The Great Apostasy". You were discussing various groups like gnostics trying to infiltrate the Christians from almost the beginning, and this can help explain how even the Apostle Paul was writing in the Epistle of Jude over the matter. Also, I think the third group you were thinking of among the Jews were named the Sadducees. Hope this helps!

[@temujanradari1105]

Didn't know they were Hellenistic... Always thought they were lovers... as they were Sad, you see

[@carteraskelson782]

Great Book!

[@haraldthi]

There's an easy alternate explanation to psychedelics in the Eucharist by the way: The Roman Catholic church claims that they are literally transforming the wine of Eucharist into the blood of Jesus by magic ritual, even to this day. And if people literally believed in that, I can understand how they were scared. No need for psychedelics.

[@Byronjesk6004]

“As a Christian I’m legally obligated to say it was all God’s plan.” Ha! This man barely conceals his non-belief. Very edgy.

[@TheGreenKnight500]

He's just not a blind adherent to ideology.

[@deitchj003]

@@TheGreenKnight500you have your name as a knight. Who are based on Christianity. You cannot escape God.

[@FozzyBBear]

@@deitchj003 "the green knight" is literally a paleo-British demonic icon, a legendary trickster archetype akin to Loki in Norse mythology.

[@DrakusLuthos]

@@FozzyBBear The Green Knight is a figure from the Arthurian tale of Gawain and the Green Knight, most likely some sort of fae spirit. If you want to know how the faithful considered tales such as this, look no further than J. R. R. Tolkien, whom penned a loving rendition of the tale in poetic verse. He was a devout Catholic.

[@spoonfulofdreams8790]

Christ is king!

[@rgeipoj325]

No

[@spoonfulofdreams8790]

@@rgeipoj325 god bless you!

[@bryantstudentd3831]

Amen

[@Noname-iq1gz]

I’m your king and daddy

[@shroomsopenminds3623]

Christ said specifically not to call him or any man king or master or rabbi

[@playmaka2007]

The problem: "One of the best traits of Christianity is it's adaptability" @18:20 I know what you mean in that humans have tried to adapt "Christianity" to make it palpable to them However Hebrews 13:8 directly contradicts this. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Christ, and what he tells us it means to follow him, is the least adaptable thing imaginable.

[@ikengaspirit3063]

I think you're confusing what he means there. I don't think he's talking of changing doctrine but changing organization. Christianity has managed to survive in many different forms from as organized state religion to as decentralized as having no priesthood. It has managed in agriculturalist and pastoralist societies etc.

[@felippogaglianoneneto621]

The adaptability of christianity is not about changing the message of Christ's teachings, it will always stay the same, but rather the presentation. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9.20-22: To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.

[@charliedontsurf334]

“There was room for Yahweh on Mt Olympus, but no room for the Olympians in the Holy of Holies.” The Casual Historian. There was no way the Jews would worship other gods after the Babylonian Exile.

[@TheGreenKnight500]

@@charliedontsurf334 The tribe still seeks revenge to this day.

[@charliedontsurf334]

@@TheGreenKnight500 Which tribe?

[@jon9428]

@@TheGreenKnight500 For what, not letting the Olympians sit on the Holy of Holies? What are they seeking revenge for?

[@HunnysPlaylists]

@@jon9428 against God For Giving Us His Church.

[@HunnysPlaylists]

pgn "gods" are dmns by the way.

[@Interne73859]

The Virgin Mary absolutely doesn’t come from Isis.

[@hismajesty6272]

It spread because the hearts and minds of Judea, Rome, and beyond were open to the Fullness of Truth, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

[@Meow-gp5nk]

Christard coping as per usual

[@Drummr88]

​@@Meow-gp5nkHaha, you're a few ounces shy between the ears. 🤣

[@hologramjosh]

Good video but a few notes: - Rodney Stark argues convincingly that early adopters of Christianity were largely of the upwardly mobile middle class. A better analogy might be a small business owner rather than a walmart worker. - Calling the Essenes "hippies" might be misleading. They observed the ritual law very strictly, but did so in isolated communities not unlike later Christian monasteries. - The third group were called the Sadducees and represented the aristocratic class. They had the most power and best relations with Rome, hence the trend towards Hellenization. - The Rest is History did a good podcast debunking the idea that Xmas was stolen from pagans. Likewise Christians traditionally did not depict God the Father in artwork and depictions of the Father as a Zeus-like bearded man are usually renaissance and later.

[@WhatifAltHist]

Interesting. Thanks

[@SacClass650]

I love Diarmaid MacCulloch's description of Christianity: 'It is a dialogue between Judaism and Classical philosophy.' (His works on the history of Christianity are exemplary, highly recommend.)

[@UrbanBard1]

I can't consider myself a good Christian, because I struggle with it so much. But, being WOKE seems insane. Partly, this is because I have been influenced by the Stoics. Christianity, to my mind, is about conforming myself to God's wishes. "Love God with all my heart, soul and mind and love my neighbor as myself. " Stoicism pursues the Best life by changing how we think about whatever happens to us. External events can be awful or disconcerting, but we have no idea what good can come from those events. So, a Stoic asks "what lesson are we supposed to learn from this?" Thus, a Stoic practices the four virtues: pursue Wisdom, exercise Temperance (or moderation), be Just (doing the right thing) and possessing Courage. I believe God wants these actions from us. Thus. we are expected to act toward other people, by being modest, gentle, kind, mature, peaceful and selfless, where it makes sense. God has given us a brain so we can determine what is the wise response in any situation. Nothing is automatic, nor must we necessarily allow ourselves to be manipulated. I ask, instead, "What does God think is wise?" While being WOKE looks like Live Action Role Playing. It is virtue signaling on a global scale. It never looks at consequences or reactions. Disaster tends to follow such people.

[@felippogaglianoneneto621]

Stoicism is very popular today, but i really don't know why, because it is christian ethics without God. Justin Martyr already said that in 150AD, in his dialogue with Trypho, that stoicism is worthless in knowing about God, because it teaches that believing in Him is unnecessary. And, without believing in God, there is no reason to seek a virtuous life, unless you're doing it for self gratification. Stoics just end up being self-centered and self-worshiping people, and i'm not saying that is your case, i'm just saying this is what the philosophy leads us to believe.

[@UrbanBard1]

@@felippogaglianoneneto621 It's not that simple; I don't see it as a replacement for Christianity. Christ is my first go to. Sadly, people will try to manipulate you, if you let them. What do you do when you have turned your cheek and been slapped again? Clearly, this advice doesn't always work. Especially, when they also ridicule you. So, you look for something else. Stoicism is a philosophy for how to deal with the world of imperfect men. It can be seen as an ancient form of political science. In large part, it is about controlling oneself and lessoning one's expectations. People will let you down. It teaches us to avoid self sabotage through a lack of restraint. Throughout history, men have claimed to embrace God, but committed the most terrible atrocities. I am presently viewing a "Brief history of the English monarchs." I have to shake my head at these monarch's blindness and selfishness. They were nominal Christians, but hardly real ones. www.youtube.com/@BriefHistoryOfficial/videos If you plan to become an anchorite, then you have no need for Stoicism. If you look forward to involving yourself in commerce, then, knowledge of how to avoid errors can be valuable. It's the same reason a person should read history. You can learn much from the mistakes of others. Stoicism is a 2500 year old record of other people's mistakes.

[@felippogaglianoneneto621]

@@UrbanBard1 but that is exactly the point, christianity is about being slapped on the face and turning the other cheek again and again. That is why following Jesus is so hard, you'll need to be a boy scout if you want to be a christian, and not every person wants to be like that.

[@bryantstudentd3831]

​@@UrbanBard1No matter how great your sins are the blood of Christ is greater. Even though you and I both are not deserving of Christ's love He gives it to us all the same.

[@vortigan9068]

49:08 lmfao rudy is really something

[@barrackobama2422]

Arf Arf Arf! That was so fuckin random it was funny

[@94sweetgoats52]

yeah that killed me lol

[@skyhighstax]

I am not religious but I do understand the importance of religion in society. We are doomed without it

[@m3c4nyku43]

Then you're a doomed individual.

[@HunnysPlaylists]

​@@m3c4nyku43 The Church, and only The Church could, Created ALL you know, don't know, and take for granted. without your Remaining Catholic Capital you lose it ALL.

[@m3c4nyku43]

@@HunnysPlaylists bro he said he's "not religious". Say that to him. These type of people who say "I'm not religious but we need religion" are on a high horse and believe themselves superior to the average person and they think they don't need religion but it's good to keep the cattle in check, that's their belief system. I used his own words to point out the hypocrisy. And if we're to split hairs, it's not the Church that created everything, it's God. He created the Church.

[@danielwatcherofthelord1823]

The Sadducees were a sect and also there were the scribes who were in alignment with the Pharisees, but had a different role in the religous structure. And lastly, the Herodians were aligned with the state and Roman state influence, possibly Greek also but not completely sure on that.

[@charliedontsurf334]

They weren't really in alignment. They were quasi-theological liberals who only accepted the Torah/Pentateuch as scripture.

[@pre-debutera6941]

You have a bad habit of presenting theories as fact

[@johnnyboy2537]

The pattern I've noticed with him is that he usually nails the overall picture but misses or gets details wrong that can mess up the point he's trying to make if you know more about the subject than he does. Still worth listening to though.

[@thorpeaaron1110]

From an apocalyptic Jewish preacher to world religion Christianity has had quite the ride. Your talking about the Sadduces.

[@TheGreenKnight500]

@@thorpeaaron1110 It's crazy how it started off as a lunatic cult that preached the world was ending in everyone's lifetime. It was a genuine lunatic cult and Christians have tried really hard to make people forget that. I think Christianity became less psycho only because it became Europeanized and had Greek and Roman values put into it. If it remained strictly Middle Eastern, it would likely be just like Islam and be the source of mass terrorism.

[@northidahoshorts]

Love your channel god bless. Do a video on the early church schisms

[@cupholderincorporated]

30:04 I think you need to watch some inspiring philosophy videos as inspiring philosophy debunks all of those fabricated myths by atheists to diss Christs word

[@deirdrecarney7093]

Excellent video that perfectly expresses what a lot of us feel. It’s good to know other people feel the same.

[@utarefson9]

The host actually talked back! Please, more of that!

[@humbertosoares3563]

Love your videos. Keep up the good work.

[@synth404]

Let's do Mezopotamia next, maybe one day peloponnesian wars or the different crusader Knight orders

[@ikengaspirit3063]

30:03 our first source of the mitra/sol Invictus on December 25th literally post-dates the first source for christmas on that date. So, no, it isn't adopted from a dif religion.

[@feliciaf8]

yep this one irks me, and also the eucharist too

[@ikengaspirit3063]

@@feliciaf8 I think the Eucharist stuff comes from moderns being unable to understand how people can have altered state of consciousness experiences without drugs and how people can believe in the supernatural as much as they believe in the natural. It's why they come up with so many ridiculous explanations to explain away the resurrection while there's more realistic explanations of they either just believe it or look at how people that still believe in the supernatural today in semi-modern countries, act around miracle.

[@jonbenson6109]

Christ is King!

[@MidwestArtMan]

"A bunch of working-class multi-racial people taking psychedelics." That's literally Joe Rogan's audience.

[@feliciaf8]

even tho its not true at all in regards to psychedelics

[@us3rG]

Christianity needs your mind to be clear.

[@us3rG]

Adam was created masculine in God image, sbove emotions in perfect peace woth love and wisdom Eve is life, Nature, mother of all living, everything feminine and part Adam Masculine for women is like light for a plant. They thrive and became full of life Christian in its pure form is the natural order God Christ Man Woman Children Love is from above This is why fathers are important

[@dolphadomian4762]

Correction: Armenia was the First Nation to convert to Christianity

[@Petrusanak]

The Edict of Serdica in 311 AD/CE forbade the persecution of Christians in the Empire The Edict of Milan in 313 AD/CE legalized Christianity as one of the religions of the Empire The Edict of Thessalonica in 380 AD/CE made Christianity the State Religion of the Empire

[@BABYPOP028]

Some Gregorian chant music in the beginning would have set the mood a bit more proper

[@Mcfunface]

Maybe some polyphony too

[@HunnysPlaylists]

The Holiness would repel his unforgivable blasphemies.

[@RockawayCCW]

The book at 54:55 is Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years by Diarmaid MacCulloch

[@declanodenki9728]

9:03 can you please provide some sources of Roman or Greek authors saying things like I don’t believe in the Gods?

[@notsocrates9529]

"No. Don't think I will." 🥄👨🏻‍🍼

[@Chris-es3wf]

@@declanodenki9728 His point was that most bureaucratic classes provided lip service to the Gods but weren't religious. Consider politicians today. Even today almost no politician would say they are atheist, despite no one actually believing these politicians are at all religious. Similar concept. E.g. Biden is a Catholic, but is ok with abortion. Ted Cruz says he's a Christian but clearly is not. Etc.

[@georgios_5342]

Iota in Greek doesn't mean nothing, it is a letter of the alphabet, basically the debate was about a part of the Nicene Creed, that described Jesus as having equal value to God the Father (omoousios), but some heretics thought it was of similar value (omoiousios)

[@HunnysPlaylists]

if reddit was a video. The Church Spread Two Ways: 1) Miraculously, 2) Bld Of Martyrs. unforgivable blaspheming wont change that.

[@simmat6419]

Christianty, my favorite religion!

[@gregorylatta8159]

My only religion!

[@AMRARDvermebrungruppe]

21:00 Ruddy comes really close to explaining that the Grateful Dead is what the early church looked like

[@aasifazimabadi786]

It's interesting how Professor Lynch keeps referencing the video on the late Roman Empire (which is natural, as that was produced first), but I am binge-watching from the History 102 playlist that has re-arranged topics in chronological order. As per the playlist, I'm going to watch "Explaining the Fall of Rome" next.

[@brycetheice7908]

Where are you getting your gnostic history from? I’ve done some light research and it usually states that it started as a twisted branch of Christianity with many different versions like Sethians first appearing in either the 1st or 2nd centuries. Not saying that’s correct just wondering where you got the Iraqi origins from

[@tianming4964]

I'm assuming he's saying the dualistic elements of Persian religions particularly Zoroastrianism (which mostly were present in Iraq at that time) influenced gnostic elements in Christianity.

[@azlyri]

In Iraq they are known for their witchcraft and their gold trade.

[@ikengaspirit3063]

Nah, what's i've read as well is that gnostic cosmology of the world that all gnostic groups have to be really considered gnostic, pre-existed Christianity.

[@felippogaglianoneneto621]

The real origin of gnosticism according to tradition was Simon the sorcerer, who tried to buy the Holy Ghost's power from Peter and John, as stated on the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 8. He was samaritan. He started teaching it as the "true" gospel of Christ, and his teachings became very popular on the Middle East from the first century AD. John even fought some of his disciples, once again according to tradition.

[@tomislav078]

Those videos are awesome! Could you make them alot longer? I could listen to them for hours

[@lostcauselancer333]

“Iota” isn’t a Greek word, it’s a Greek letter, and it’s the difference between “homoousian” and “homo*I*ousian,” (same substance/different substance). It’s a serious theological debate over the trinity and whether Christ is divine.

[@Peak_Aussieman]

What a co-inky-dink I was just reminiscing on your How Christianity Changed History video.

[@Peak_Aussieman]

@@CmdrDingus As Written...

[@tuckerbugeater]

The Jews created Christianity and it changed people not the other way around

[@Xairos84]

Judea was to Rome what Gaza is to Israel today. Strange to say...

[@LilgaevOfficial]

Very accurate

[@shaulkofler3247]

This is a factually incorrect statement. Also you unknowingly inferred that the jews had a historical homeland and therefore your statement makes even less sense

[@hjs9td]

The problem with this analysis is that Rome respected religions older than their own. The Jews were given exemptions from Roman religious laws. Despite this, the Jews chafed at Roman rule because they still had to answer to Rome rather than God.

[@Interne73859]

The Jews just had anger issues

[@steambub]

Can you please list the book recommendations in the description. It's hard to read the author and title of these books from a webcam.

[@Smittywebenjägermanjensen]

It’s safe to say modern Christianity is the culmination of paganisric rituals and festivals and materialistic contrivances that overall throughout the millennia has completely lost the plot. But the coping from modern Christians, who seem to not represent or inhabit any of Christ’s supposed behaviors and beliefs, does nothing to exemplify him en masse and revert to memic exclamations while convulsing with hatred for those who disagree with their philosophy. Honestly quite sad at the state of Christianity today

[@skivvy3565]

Thank you rudyard, this comment section is proof people don’t even understand our own religion

[@WizzaStrap]

What is the name of the Jewish rabbi from 23:40?

[@דניאל-ש2ה]

Rabbi Hilel

[@antonivsfortis]

11:55 Ideologically Jesus was more aligned with the Pharisees actually, especially the school of Hilel. Though he did give the Pharisees the most grief over specifics of Jewish law, it was more like two schools of thought fighting each other specifically the opposing School of Shammai. In the way that Jesus was in dialogue with these Jewish teachers it was actually pretty typical of the time. This is something a theologically educated Jewish audience would be able to capture in regard to the stories of Jesus interacting with rabbis and teachers of the law, very difficult for your traditional Christian audience to grasp because they will tend to just hear the term Pharisee and think it is a synonym for hypocrite.

[@AverageYoutubeEnthusiast]

I like when minions start singing at the end of the intro

[@aaronfredrickson9538]

Illumination. Hehehe

[@CmdrDingus]

If you haven't done so yet you should do a rise of Judaism video

[@TheGreenKnight500]

@@CmdrDingus it's never risen. It's always been a minority religion.

[@burneraccount122]

Been a big fan for a couple years now. Id love to see you do a history video on the early church schisms please.

[@PvtSchlock]

2:09 So like Decca Records? I believe a senior exec said the market was moving away from "guitar oriented rock music".

[@RockawayCCW]

One theory is that Paul co-opted christianity and turned it into a Roman tax collection agency.

[@caleb3639]

just so you know, Christianity started in the garden

[@jonathanh5405]

Referring to 10:30 - The Jews revolted because Semitics have an ethno-religious world view (until today), the Romans thought sacrificing to the Emperor means you show loyalty to the Empire, to the Jews it is worshiping a man, which is a very big no-no and has NOTHING to do with secular loyalty which they had no issue with, it's a misunderstanding between different cultures (in Judaism you have only 3 sins for which you should refuse performing even onto death - incest, murder, foreign worship - even in the holocaust you have Jews refusing to kill, even when they know it means they or/and their family immediately being shot in the head for refusing, the Romans put an altar in the holiest of holies in the temple, of course this would bring endless Jewish revolts). Jew and Israeli here

[@MeanBeanComedy]

Peasants weren't afraid of the Eucharist because it was somehow psychedelic. They were afraid from the rhetoric, yet people still sometimes broke in and stole the wine anyhow.

[@weldcrafted343]

Can you make a video about each religious view on women?

[@hardwing]

Such a great episode! Still I would have wished for a small tour to the great christian shisms/schools of the beginning, like Arianism and their extend ... I mean wouldn't it make Middle/Eastern Europe christian before the arrival of the huns? Could Persia have converted in time if not for the rise of Islam? Etc. ...The Christian world nearly was much larger and different in the beginning.

[@cmontera1979]

What was the psychedelic in the eucharist?

[@ElvargsBane]

We do need a consistent worldview for the right. Christianity is one present and (I'm biased as a Christian) but it is a pretty good to follow and end up with.

[@Cgl3g3nd]

You didn’t mention Alexandria

[@vorynrosethorn903]

The word you were looking for throughout this was deracinated. Also no, early Christianity immediately swept up a whole bunch of Greco-Roman intellectuals who had reasoned themselves into monotheism, thus there was an extremely heavy influence of Hellenistic philosophy from very near the start. It did not stay contained at all, it exploded outwards as the apostles scattered to plant the seeds in every corner of the known world, and often to directly bare witness to the faith through martyrdom.

[@lawrencek1900]

Glamorgan was the first Christian Kingdom circa AD 36, then to Rome with its invasion, with King Caratacus's speech to the Roman senate still extant - 1st Century AD

[@jasonpalacios1363]

I say you should do the Spanish-American War, the US Westward Expansion, The American Revolution, The War of 1812 and the Spanish Reconquista.

[@mrfawkes9110]

Prestor John wasn't supposed to be an Empire but an Emperor. It was more likely that it was Ghengis Khan than Ethiopia.

[@bettyhade1844]

Tom Holland and Rodney Stark are good reading. The lost history of Christianity tells the story of the Nestorians. Christianity spread along coastal cities, mainly in the Mediterranean. It grew because they reproduced and persevered better than polytheistic groups. Constantine converted Christianity into the Roman state religion. The Byzantines were constantly fighting wars against heretics on all sides. On the west the goths were christianized barbarians who split off the Roman empire into independent pieces. The Byzantine wars to the east lead to the eventual collapse of the Zoroastrian Persians, and also famine and plaque, out of which the Arab warlords gained control, their vague monotheism (more tolerant at least than the Byzantines) eventually being transformed into Islam (which basically gave license to pillage and enslave in the name of religion. By 950, Christianity in Europe was sandwiched between Islam in the south and Viking pagans to the north. But the monks convinced the castellans and knights to not rape/pillage their own people, and the serfs were able to produce wealth with wind, horse, and water power. The Viking kings converted because in large measure it was more profitable. The crusades represented a belated counterattack after the north was no longer the same threat. Europe prospered creating universities, literate populations, and capitalism. Utilizing gunpowder, movable type, and the ability to navigate the oceans. Europe used guns, the printing press, and ships to dominate other continents. Initial efforts by royals and religious nonconformists were taken over by joint stock corporations, which made enormous profits for the kings and a new middle class, but also were amoral, using slavery and drug trading as part of the colonial project. The rising middle class eventually won freedom from state control, and eventually slavery was largely defeated and political rights for the powerless established. Today the question is who will control cyberspace, and thus whether we have free spread of information. Christianity is well positioned for this future.

[@andyg7693]

Hi Rudyard, regarding your opening statement about pontius Pilate, you might enjoy The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

[@stevenl1706]

An unbeliever in the gospel of Jesus Christ and who the LORD God JEHOVAH “explaining Christianity.” The Bible says that the natural man (someone not born again in Christ) receiveth NOT the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, *because they are spiritually discerned* so let an actual Bible believing Christian explain Christianity please. You literally said that God incarnate was just going around saying “love is the answer to the universe” like dude please leave this subject to those who have the Holy Ghost. 20:39 where did this happen in recorded Scripture? Chapter and verse please.

[@Bogfrog1]

I strongly recommend you read The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity to learn a cool story about the persecution of Roman Christians. The parables of the Desert Fathers is also an amazing read. St Anselm’s “Proslogium” is a beautiful (yet also wordy) proof of God. St Francis of Assisi also has some beautiful poems about God and nature.

[@steambub]

Who's the author for Christianity book at 54:54 ?

[@QuizmasterLaw]

Because of Rudyard Lynch I started writing popular books about society, for example The Tao of Christ: Understanding Chinese Religions in Comparison with Christianity (by Eric Engle). Thank you Rudyard! (or, if you prefer, Mr. Lynch)

[@WhatifAltHist]

Fr

[@QuizmasterLaw]

@@WhatifAltHist If you mean for real" yes in fact. Basically your method is interesting and unique, you look at history both as facts and as various conflicting emotional drives, and with a moral perspective without being moralistic. That's definitely unique. Most of your analysis is qualititative, rather thant quantitative, which is a point to criticize, and when you do get quantitative (Spengler) it's determinist and insufficiently deep to be taken seriously. Macrocyclicity isn't even understood well in economics, where people have money riding on predictions and so consider the question of cyclicity much more intensely. Regarding the rise of Christianity, I shall watch it again, though I don't think you brought out the deliberate christianization of the empire to impose unity sufficiently. Caesar and Christ were nearly contemporaries and both claimed to be god, which is a fact modernity also ignores. Good arguments can be made for Christianity as a covert Caesarism and the empire absolutely needed something to keep all those disparate nations together. I was surprised that as man as 14% of the empire were Jews though I still think its overcounting and wonder how well founded that stat is. I do take your word for it and can understand that after the mass murder of lots of jews that their % dwindled.

[@angadgrewal9324]

could you do a video on Sikhism and the mongol empire?

[@hardyje1915]

timestamps?

[@DFMoray]

He was and is the son of God, not a carpenter's son.

[@cefalopodo5717]

Can you please do one on the French Revolution?

[@yakov95000]

Very Intresting video from outsider perspective(not Roman and not Christian),still I really love this time period in history. Btw The Rabbi that you mentioning that said "Love your nighbour as you love yourself,this is the entire Torah the rest is commentary" is Rabbi Hillel the Elder(I think he died around 10CE). Hillel was Babylonian Jew not Roman, poor farmer and direct decedent of David line(later the leader of Sanhedrin),who was almost killed as kid climbing the window above Jerusalem Synagogue buried under snow as he wanted to study Jewish laws but didn't have the money. The main reason he is famous is his argument with another famous Rabbi and Av Beit Din(Shammai)which was another leader of Sanhedrin and strick legalist(those are the most famous arguments in entire Talmud)Hillel vs Shammai. One example of thier argument is "what do you say to ugly bride on wedding day"(how and when are you allowed to lie to person)Shammai say that you have to tell the truth as Torah commands and hiding from her will not help,while Hillel said "there is no ugly bride on her wedding day" or what you mentioned before gentile comes to Rabbis asking them to explain the whole Torah while he is standing on one leg(what is the main point),Shammai kicked him out and said that honor of Torah doesn't allow this simplicity and needs to be explored while Hillel says like I wrote before loving the nighbour is main lesson.

[@WhatifAltHist]

Very cool. Thank you

[@shaulkofler3247]

Waiting on history of Judaism, jews and Israel.

[@Mcfunface]

44:30 Arianism says Jesus was Divine, just that he was also created by God the Father. Since Nicenian Creed followers had to do the mental gymnastics claiming a concept as absurd as the Trinity (three Gods in one essence) they could not allow Arian Christianity to compete with their compromise made in the Council of Nicea

[@sponge5196]

Tbh, Arianism makes a lot more sense...early Christianity is wild.

[@ITSMRFOXY]

This is justified with the old testament, wherein god does not have a creator, and can manifest his essence on earth as the burning bush, or as the angel of the lord, yet not being the same person as god, therefore the trinity can work.

[@lucasgonzalez9668]

The Trinity is the correct understanding of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Any other interpretation risks being heretical and not Christian.

[@agelesscuriosity5997]

Did he start "arf" around minute 47?

[@mikaelbohman6694]

I much prefer your regular, more structured whatifalthistory episodes. These are too rambling and have the maybe inevitable inaccuracies of a spoken format.

[@GnosticInformant]

Gessius Florus was told by Nero to take money from the Temple of Jerusalem and they revolted. They weren't just "being like the Irish". Also, the Pharisees were the Hellenized group and the Sadducees were the older, more conservative law-keeping sect.

[@cordellharwood7363]

Yo Neal love your stuff bro Hail Satan

[@HunnysPlaylists]

@@cordellharwood7363 your curses are Consummately Returned.

[@HunnysPlaylists]

@@cordellharwood7363 By My Final Authority you and ALL those l1ke you are Hereby Marked In Full.

[@felippogaglianoneneto621]

12:32 they were called sadducees.

[@reeldeelz2940]

Jesus was taken out basically because the messenger got bigger than the message a la Malcom X..

[@ziondelima5136]

Please interview and talk to Mark Moss. He has interesting insights and theories about different cycles like the one's you talk about in your videos.

[@carlossaborio6716]

Jesus considered himself a Jew, he did not create Christianity as a new religion. Historically that goes to the first pope (Peter) who wanted to differentiate Jesus’ philosophy in order for it to not get lost to the sands of time.

[@JacobFraps]

Christianity is about Jesus Christ

[@Fenster21]

Yes, he did as the messiah predicted by the Torah. “Christianity” is the fullfillment/continuation of Hebrew scripture while post-Jesus Judaism is the schism that rejects the messiah.

[@thorpeaaron1110]

​@@Fenster21The Historical Jesus never attended to start a new religion.

[@carlossaborio6716]

@@Fenster21 Jesus stated himself that his teachings were in accordance with the torah. Christ never stablished his own separate church from the Jews during his lifetime. Christianity as a codified religion separate from Judaism began with Peter. Jesus was a jew and Christian’s seem unable to accept that fact and their cognitive dissonance is astounding. The lack of a logical revision of Christianity is just gonna lead to the belief system to crumble like it’s has over the last 2 centuries.

[@Fenster21]

@carlossaborio6716 that's what I'm saying. Jesus was a continuation of Judaism, a fulfillment of the prophesies. Rabbinical "judaism" is a schism off this that reject the Messiah. Christianity is just a renaming of Mosiac Judaism not some separate contrived religion.

[@johnmorrison2894]

He speaks of Christ like he wasn’t actually God 😢

[@Istobias]

Because he isnt Christian

[@gussampson5029]

Please at least say the author's name and the book title. Showing it from two feet away on a less than amazing video camera is not conducive to actually finding the book.