concern, however, the infliction of suffering was merely
entertaining. Some human beings—criminals
andmilitarycaptivesespecially—andallanimalsfelloutside
this sphere.
ItisagainstthisbackgroundthattheimpactofChristianity
mustbeassessed.ChristianitybroughtintotheRomanworld
theidea ofthe uniqueness ofthehuman species,which it
inheritedfromtheJewishtraditionbutinsisteduponwithstill
greateremphasisbecauseoftheimportanceitplacedonthe
human being’s immortal soul.Human beings, alone of all
beings living on earth, were destined for life after bodily
death.WiththiscamethedistinctivelyChristianideaofthe
sanctity of all human life.
Therehavebeenreligions,especiallyintheEast,whichhave
taughtthatalllifeissacred;andtherehavebeenmanyothers
thathavehelditgravelywrongtokillmembersofone’sown
social,religious,orethnicgroup;butChristianityspreadthe
ideathateveryhumanlife—andonlyhumanlife—issacred.
Eventhe newborn infant and thefetus in thewomb have
immortalsouls,andsotheirlivesareassacredasthose of
adults.
Initsapplicationtohumanbeings,thenewdoctrinewasin
manywaysprogressive,andledtoanenormousexpansionof
the limited moral sphere of the Romans; so far as other
speciesareconcerned,however,thissamedoctrineservedto
confirm and furtherdepress thelowly positionnonhumans
hadintheOldTestament.Whileitassertedhumandominion
over other species, the Old Testament did at least show
flickersofconcernfortheirsufferings.TheNewTestamentis
completely lacking in any injunction against cruelty to