People have often been willing to give up wealth, comfort, and even life itself in hopes of gaining the blessings of that unseen world. And in many cases, this belief has had a powerful moral effect. It has lifted people upward. It has encouraged righteousness. Religion, in all its varied forms, is therefore a phenomenon that deserves serious and careful study.
One striking feature of religion is that it clearly distinguishes human beings from animals. Animals act entirely according to bodily needs and pleasures. Bees make honey and birds build nests because these activities support physical life. But they build no temples and offer no worship. Humans, by contrast, almost everywhere — except perhaps among the very lowest societies — create places of worship and practice religious rituals. These acts reveal a human awareness of realities greater and better than the visible world alone.
At first glance, the religions of the world seem endlessly diverse. Yet when we look more closely, important similarities appear. Despite the presence in many religions of elements that can be morally questionable, nearly all honor the supreme authority of the moral law and affirm moral accountability. Almost without exception, they teach that justice extends beyond death. And most call people to acknowledge an unseen Creator — one who is Father, Ruler, and Judge of all.
Among these many religions, Christianity stands apart in a way that is difficult to ignore. For over a thousand years, Christian nations have shown a near monopoly on sustained progress and on the highest forms of human good. Non-Christian nations, unless influenced by Christianity, have tended toward stagnation or decline. Christian nations, with very few exceptions, display ongoing progress — material, intellectual, and moral.
Despite their many conflicts, Christian nations form a kind of political family. Even the weakest states have recognized rights, and the strongest are restrained by law. No non-Christian nation truly belongs to this brotherhood. Christian nations do not, and cannot, deal with countries such as Turkey, Persia, or China on equal political terms. No Christian nation would tolerate the level of foreign interference that Turkey has repeatedly accepted, nor would one Christian nation impose such interference on another. Even China, with its immense population, does not exert political influence equal to that of a single great European power.
The same pattern appears in internal government. Outside Christian influence, constitutional rule — or government genuinely aimed at the good of the people — is largely absent. Compared with Christian nations, non-Christian societies remain on a distinctly lower level, even allowing for the many flaws within Christendom.
The contrast is even clearer in military strength. Today, no army has any real chance of success unless it uses weapons and strategies developed by Christian nations. Even warfare — the sword itself — has passed into the hands of those who acknowledge the authority of the humble Nazarene. Military power, however undesirable it may seem, remains a form of material good: it protects homes, preserves civilization, and prevents barbarism from overwhelming society.
What makes this especially striking is that these achievements did not originate with Christianity. Long before Christ, great advances were made in art, science, law, and military strategy. Alexander, Hannibal, and Caesar remain models of military genius. Roman law still commands respect. Greek art and literature continue to shape modern taste. Yet by the time Christ was born, Greek culture was already fading, and Roman power carried within it the seeds of decay.
Within three centuries of Christ’s death, the most powerful ruler in the world recognized His authority. The barbarian invaders who threatened to destroy ancient civilization instead adopted the religion — and the culture — of the empire they conquered. Quietly and steadily, Christianity placed its mark on every form of material good and bestowed it upon the nations that accepted Christ’s rule.
This steady progress contrasts sharply with the ancient world. Ancient empires rose and fell quickly. Babylon flourished and collapsed within a single lifetime. Greek brilliance faded almost as soon as it reached its peak. Rome was built on crushed liberties and eventually rotted from within. By contrast, for a thousand years Christian history has been a story of sustained progress. There have been setbacks, but these have been temporary — like the brief retreat of a rising tide. Even the most backward Christian nations have shown signs of advancement.
More important than material progress is the moral growth within Christian societies. There is a stronger sense of justice, greater kindness, deeper compassion for the weak, and a higher view of human life. When Christ was born, the world was sinking into moral decay. Today, outside Christian influence, stagnation and corruption largely remain. Within Christian nations, despite many flaws, genuine moral improvement is visible in social habits, public opinion, and concern for the helpless.
This sustained progress is one of the most striking facts of human history. Before Christ, progress appeared sporadically and briefly across many nations. By His time, it seemed exhausted. Then something new entered history. Out of the ruins of the ancient world arose a new civilization, morality, and hope. Progress resumed — slowly but steadily — and extended to every area of life. Remarkably, this renewal occurred only in nations that acknowledged the authority of an obscure teacher who died young.
It must be admitted that many in Christian countries disobey Christ’s commands, neglect religion, or deny God altogether. Yet even these people benefit from Christian influence, often without realizing it. Christian ideas shape public morals, education, and culture. Jesus of Nazareth is widely regarded as the greatest moral teacher in history. His words are familiar, his influence pervasive, and his teaching continues to elevate moral understanding.
Some leaders in modern science reject Christianity’s core beliefs, but even they often acknowledge Christ’s moral greatness. Moreover, they themselves were shaped by a culture formed through centuries of Christian influence. Outside Christendom, scientific progress has historically been absent. The recent emergence of anti Christian thought is too new to judge its long term effects. Time alone will tell whether it benefits or harms humanity.
Christianity’s unique position is not undermined by the divisions among Christians.
To understand this, we turn to history. Christianity emerged suddenly from an obscure people — the Jews — whose sacred writings uniquely rejected idolatry and proclaimed one moral Creator. Yet Judaism itself had little influence beyond its borders. By the time Christ was born, Israel had lost political independence and clung only to hope for a deliverer.
Then, through the preaching of Christ’s followers, a quiet stream became a mighty river. Christianity spread across the world, bringing moral and spiritual renewal. Wherever Christ is honored, vitality appears; where He is not, decay persists.
All of this points back to Jesus of Nazareth. Christianity is more completely centered on its founder than any other religion. Christ stands as both the source of its blessings and the model of its ideals. If Christianity flows from His personal influence, then it is no exaggeration to say that He saved humanity from moral ruin and redirected the course of history.
That this influence came from an unknown artisan who taught publicly for only a few years is astonishing. In that brief span, He reshaped human thought and life. Any serious view of the universe must account for the enduring and transformative power of Jesus of Nazareth — especially given His teachings about the unseen world and life beyond death.
This post is based upon Lecture V from J. A. Beet's book Through Christ to God: A Study in Scientific Theology (1893). The original text may be found at the Internet Archive here: Through Christ to God.
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