Two paragraphs from my newest favorite book

"How did the early church supplant...diverse and often hostile ideas?  It studied, critqued, argued against, sometimes adapted, and finally overcame them.  Individuals also demonstrated their commitment by authentic living, to the point of sacrifice and even death.  One of the most amazing success stories in history is the way Chrisitanity supplanted classical religions and worldviews to emerge as the leading influence on Western culture.

What does this suggest about the best strategy for engaging global secularism today?  We often hear Christians speak about recovering the vitality of the early chruch.  But which aspects of the early church are they thinking about?  It's a safe bet they are not thinking about the way the early church went on the offensive against the dominant intellectual systems of the age.  Today's churches pour their resources into rallies, friendship evagelism, and mercy missions that distribute food and medicine.  And these are all vital.  Yet if they aspire to the dynamic impact of the early church, they must do as it did, learning to address, critiqute, adapt, and overcome the domnant ideologies of our day."

Saving Leonardo, Nancy Pearcey, p.14.