This is a
great question.
First, Christianity was able to change the Roman Empire
through perseverance. If Christians did not really believe in what they professed, they would
have been stamped out long ago. Christians in the Roman Empire were willing to suffer and suffer
they did in various persecutions. In time, their faithfulness paid off. They gained more
converts and in time even the emperor became a Christian, Constantine.
Second, from a psychological point of view, Christianity offered an answer in an age of
anxiety. Their otherworldly worldview helped people to see that there was something more than
the material world. Other cults also fared well on account of this point.
Third, from a sociological point of view, Christianity was able to give people more
room for social honor. For example, women had greater social capital within Christianity. Also
people who experienced what sociologists call social dissonance were able to find social status.
In Christianity, people found a way to have a new identity.
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