Student Book Review: Michael Kruger’s Christianity at the Crossroads
Posted On July 29, 2025
Written by Timothy Baggenstos, an RBC alumnus.
My favorite local hiking spot is called Black Bear Wilderness. Though I’ve never spotted a bear there, I’ve been treated to sightings of alligators, snakes, and even wild boars. The main trail forms a loop, so shortly after you leave the trailhead, you are faced with a crossroads. Whether I go clockwise or counterclockwise affects how I experience the hike.
Michael Kruger, in his book Christianity at the Crossroads, uses the same word picture to frame the state of the second-century church. He argues that “this phenomenon we call ‘Christianity’ was profoundly shaped by the challenges faced by the Church in the second century” (227). The church stood at a crossroads, and the decisions she made were formative for the rest of church history.
Kruger characterizes the second century as a time of transitions, which he groups under five major headings: “sociological transition,” “cultural-political transition,” “ecclesiological transition,” “doctrinal-theological transition,” and “textual-canonical transition” (5–8). The rest of the book expounds on how these transitions shaped the church. For example, Kruger details how in the second century, Rome began to view Christianity as distinct from Judaism. Christians could no longer rely on their association with Judaism to avoid social or political persecution. This is representative of how Kruger relates these major transitions to the formation of the church.
One of the strongest aspects of Kruger’s writing is his clarity. Even if you vehemently disagree with his conclusions, there is no doubt as to what those conclusions are. The detailed subtitles for each chapter serve as signposts for Kruger’s topical progression, and his introductions and conclusions clarify where he is in his argument.
Another positive aspect of Kruger’s approach is his balanced, faithful scholarship. He teaches at Reformed Theological Seminary, a conservative and confessionally Reformed institution. It would have been easy to ridicule critical scholars and argue against strawmen, but he is charitable in his interpretations and takes opposing claims seriously. For example, he addresses scholars who would view the term “Christianity” as a malleable, undefinable concept. This would be considered a laughably false view by many conservatives, yet Kruger treats these critical scholars with respect and calmly calls them to a better way. He replies, “There are some that would be all too happy to deconstruct Christianity. . . . However, as appealing as that might be to some, it is simply not the job of historians” (157). Kruger is unapologetic in his conservative conclusions, but he argues for those conclusions with a gentle spirit.
While Christianity at the Crossroads will not win any awards for containing awe-inspiring prose or groundbreaking new claims, the work is still an engaging introduction to the second-century church. The work is readable enough for a layperson to understand and well-researched enough for a scholar to benefit. Kruger serves his readers not only by the historical content he communicates but also by how he communicates it. Christians would do well to model his clear and charitable scholarship.