Christianity and Business: It's Good when it's Bad

Questions about the legality of Christianity and the threat of imperial power come to light with extant documents from the 2nd century. One document in particular is illuminating, the exchange between the Emperor Trajan (98-117 AD) and proconsul of Bithynia and Pontus, Pliny the Younger (11-112 AD). Pliny seeks confirmation for actions already taken against the Christians, and advice on future legal action. It is a fascinating glimpse of history--including such questions as to whether the Christians should be prosecuted regardless of age. And something that reads like surprise--surprise that the Christians' meal appears to be ordinary food and not, though not stated, human flesh. Christians (and before them, the Jews) faced accusations of drinking blood and cannibalism.

For this post, we are concerned with only a small snippet of Pliny's inquiry and report. Here Pliny is giving the "good news" that the spread of Christianity in the countryside has been checked. He writes:

Still I think it can be halted and things set right. Beyond any doubt, the temples — which were nigh deserted — are beginning again to be thronged with worshipers; the sacred rites, which long have lapsed, are now being renewed, and the food for the sacrificial victims is again finding a sale — though up to recently it had almost no market. So one can safely infer how vast numbers could be reclaimed, if only there were a chance given for repentance.

The advance of Christianity had resulted in an unwelcome downturn in commerce. Hardest hit were those business that provided fodder for the sacrifices at pagan temples. Now, with the successful suppression of Christianity, Pliny could report that business was picking up. Always have to give the boss good news.

This effect of Christianity on business is not new.

Some sixty years earlier, while on his second missionary journey, Paul's stay in Ephesus resulted the riot of 55 AD. A riot started by the artisans who made their living supporting the widespread worship of Artemis of Ephesus.

The KJV and NKJV refer to her as Diana. The NIV, ESV, and NASB refer to the goddess as Artemis. Sorry KJV only types: you are wrong in this case. Diana was the name of a Roman goddess whom they identified with the Greek goddess Artemis, and for some reason the KJV made the decision to use the Latin names of Roman counterparts when discussing Greek gods.

Artemis (who was not the Artemis of Greek mythology) was worshiped in Ephesus with a special veneration. An earlier temple had burned down. Its replacement was so magnificent as to be named one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. And the image of the goddess enshrined in her temple was not made by man, it fell from the heavens:

After quieting the crowd, the town clerk said, "Men of Ephesus, what man is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image which fell down from heaven? (Acts 19:35)

It was, evidently, a meteorite, and there are other instances in ancient times of meteorites becoming objects of worship.

The silversmiths of Ephesus drew the bulk of their income creating miniature Artemis shrines, some of which had survived. With the work of Paul, the supremacy of Artemis began to wane, as former devotees turned to the Way. This was bad for the shrine business. The guild held a meeting under the leadership of Demetrius, in a theater that later excavation revealed to boast of a capacity of 25,000. The demonstration was ostensibly for the goddess Artemis, in reality it was against those who did not worship her: Jews and Christians. The fact that the Jews were not responsible for their loss of business was too fine of a distinction, even though the Jews tried to disassociate themselves from the Christians. It took a clever town clerk, fearful that rioting would bring in the Roman army, to quite and disperse the mob.

And Today?

So, today, in 21st century American culture and 21st century American Christianity--if Christianity shrinks further, what businesses will prosper as a result? If a revival occurs, what businesses will suffer?

Or today, in America, would there be no effect at all?