Breakpoint Early Church Ethics
Jan 22, 2026
Explore how early Christians challenged societal norms and shaped ethics long before modernity. Discover critiques about the perception of Christian morality as a recent invention. Hear about Justin Martyr's insights on worship that resonate with today's services. Learn how the Didache's pro-life teachings and Christians’ rescue of abandoned infants made a transformative impact. Join the discussion on the distinct role of Christians as sojourners, advocating that obedience, not compromise, led to real change in the Roman Empire.
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Early Worship Mirrors Today's Church
- Early Christian writings show worship and doctrine were settled very early and resemble modern practice.
- John Stonestreet argues these sources refute claims that Christian beliefs are merely modern inventions.
Pro-Life Ethics In The Early Church
- Early Christians explicitly opposed abortion and infanticide, documented in texts like the Didache.
- Stonestreet connects this ethic to the church's rapid growth in the Roman world.
Baby Rescue Changed Demographics
- Christians rescued abandoned infant girls in the Roman world, increasing their community's female population.
- Rodney Stark shows these rescues created marriageable women who then attended church, accelerating conversion.
