Pagans and Christians in the City: Culture Wars from the Tiber to the Potomac

Steven D. Smith's book is perhaps more relevant today than when it was published

Someone I know recently recommended reading Pagans and Christians in the City.

I’m glad she did.

I could not put it down, although it is a densely written history by a law professor, almost academic in scholarly detail—yet intended for a general audience.

No book that I have read better explains what seems like the insanity of the current civilizational meltdown of the West.

Instead of seeing civilizational conflict primarily in terms of Capitalism v Communism, Left v Right, Black v White, Male v Female, or LGBTQ+ v Straight, Professor Smith sees the crisis resulting from a clash of civilizations between Paganism and Christianity. It was going on when he wrote the book, as it was going on the in 1960s, 1940s, 1920s, and well before.

Because it has been going on as long as the clash between polytheism and monotheism.

Viewing current events through this lens, movements like Transgenderism begin to make sense — as a return to a form of Pagan Values predominant before the spread of Christianity.

After reading Professor Smith’s analysis, I became convinced that no secular liberal movement now in existence remains strong enough to turn back what, after reading his book, looks very much like another Pagan Revival.

However, Christians (and to some extent, religious Jews and Muslims) may have the theological and the historical experience to confront and possibly prevail over today’s Pagans in the end, by returning to the habits that provided their historical victory over the Paganism of Classical Antiquity—making the glory of Greece and the grandeur of Rome serve a Higher Power.

Professor Smith not only is a persuasive writer, he is a legal expert. Currently he is Warren Distinguished Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Institute for Law and Religion at the University of San Diego. He was previously the Robert and Marion Short Professor at Notre Dame Law School and the Byron R. White Professor of Law at the University of Colorado. Smith’s other books include The Rise and Decline of American Religious Freedom and The Disenchantment of Secular Discourse both published by Harvard University Press.

His vivid description of the end of Pagan Rome and beginnings of Christianity, his lucid explanation of how Pagan and Christian forces have been in contention ever since, buttressed by dozens of historical examples including St. Agustine, gave this reader the distinct impression that what we see happening today is an instance of his theme, that the City of Man (Paganism) and the City of God (Christianity) are in constant conflict over time—and have been since year 1 AD.

A focus on polyamorous and polymorphous sexuality had been a feature of pre-Christian Classical Civilization, both for Romans and Greeks who indulged in sybaritic lifestyles at odds with Christian notions of virtue, piety, chastity, virginity, or indeed what we think of as monogamy. In other words, the creators of the BBC’s I, Claudius weren’t making up examples of Roman decadence displayed onscreen.

And so today.

One only has to think of the many sightings of Paganism in Western Culture going on now, from the Burning Man Festival beloved of High-Tech Moguls, to Harry Potter’s Wizardry, Wiccans, Satanists, as well as those who call themselves “Modern Pagans” in places like Sweden, to realize that Smith is on to something.

It is his contention that Paganism and polytheism are inherently incompatible with Christianity and monotheism (including Islam and Judaism).

In light of that insight, it becomes clear that we are seeing now in debates over men using women’s restrooms, or male athletes in female sports, is only one more iteration of a cycle thousands of years old.

How with this particular clash end?

Only time will tell…but in the meantime, Steven D. Smith’s book explains what’s happening right now.