was no sharp division between the supernatural world of cosmic
powers and the natural world of humankind.
Such stories occur in accounts penned by authors convinced
of the heavenly intervention they set out to describe in their
accounts of miracles: the authors of the gospels believedthat Jesus
could work miracles; the author of Actswas equally convinced
that Paul could do likewise; and Eusebius, as we have seen,
assumed that Christianity’s success had been guaranteed by
heaven. Modern researchers tend to be sceptical of the miraculous
and prefer more sociologically plausible accounts. Thus they seek
explanations in anxieties about the world (Dodds 1965) or in
response to moments of crisis, such as the outbreak of plague or
famine (Stark 1996: 73–94; Reff 2005). Perhaps it was the case
that as Christian numbers apparently mushroomed in the third
century conversion became easier because it brought membership
of a substantial and supportive social network. Yet the third
century also saw bloody persecutions of the Christians, and
conversion at such times seems to defy reason (MacMullen 1984:
29–30; K. Hopkins 1998: 226). Even so, it may be the case that
the steadfastness of Christians in the face of death impressed
onlookers in a world where fatal illness could strike suddenly and
without warning (thus Justin Martyr, Apology2.12).
For the most part, however, we are often left groping
for answers that our sources do not provide. Mass conversions –
like that at Caesarea following the sea’s regurgitation of the
martyr’s body – are described by onlookers, often with polemical
of apologetical agendas. Indeed, even the famous story of Paul’s
conversion on the road to Damascus is told in full only by the
author of Acts(9.1–19; 22.3–16; 26.9–21); Paul’s own references
to it in his letters are rather more oblique (e.g. 1 Corinthians
15.8–9;Galatians1.12–17;Philippians3.4–7; cf. Marshall 1980:
166–72). First-hand accounts are rare and apply only to a hand-
ful of individuals. The second-century apologist Justin Martyr
described his experiences in his Dialogue with Trypho, a work of
apologetic directed against Jewish doubters of Jesus’ status as
Messiah. By his own account, Justin was on a quest for God
CONTEXTS FOR THE ORIGIN OF CHRISTIANITY1
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