What if the story of early Christian missions isn’t just preserved in texts but in stones, inscriptions, and cities waiting to be read? In Gods, Emperors, Philosophers, and a New Movement, Michael T. Cooper explores how archaeology reshapes our understanding of the early Christian movement—and what that means for missions today. In this interview, we asked him about the intersection of archaeology, theology, and the spread of the name of Jesus.
1. What prompted you to write this book?
This book emerged from a recognized gap in missiology. While we have strong theological frameworks for movements, we often lack engagement with the physical evidence of those movements. My earlier work Ephesiology: A Study of the Ephesian Movement (William Carey, 2020) addressed theology, but this project asks: what does archaeology reveal about the spread of the name of Jesus? By examining material culture, I aim to ground missiological reflection in historical reality. Ultimately, the book seeks to connect the evidence for past movements with present missions practice.
2. How does archaeology contribute to our understanding of early Christian movements?
Archaeology provides tangible evidence of how early Christian communities lived, gathered, and interacted with their surrounding culture. It allows us to see the spatial, social, and religious dynamics that shaped the movement. Rather than abstract theology alone, we encounter embodied expressions of belief. This helps us better understand how the name of Jesus spread in real historical contexts.
3. What surprised you most in your research?
One of the most striking discoveries was how closely early Christian gatherings resembled philosophical schools rather than temple-based worship. This suggests that learning, dialogue, and formation were central to the movement. Additionally, the depth of Christological expression—particularly presenting Jesus as Logos and God—parallels contemporary philosophical discourse.
4. How did early Christians engage with the religious world of gods and emperors?
Early Christians did not operate in a vacuum; they engaged directly with the dominant religious and imperial systems. Through what I call missiological parallelisms, they communicated the superiority of Jesus in culturally intelligible ways. This included contrasts with emperor worship and local deities. Their message was both meaningful to the culture and engaging cultural assumptions.
5. What lessons can modern church movements learn from this book?
Modern church planting can learn the importance of engagement of culture without compromising the identity of Jesus. The early church demonstrated adaptability while maintaining theological depth. They also integrated learning, community, and missions in ways that resemble dynamic movements today. These insights can help bridge the gap between theology and practice.
6. How does your book challenge traditional views of early Christianity?
The book challenges the idea that Christianity is a monolithic or institutional religion. Instead, it presents a movement deeply embedded in everyday spaces—homes, lecture halls, voluntary associations, trade guilds, and public venues. It also highlights the intellectual rigor of early believers in engaging philosophical thought. This reframes early Christianity as both a social and intellectual movement.
7. How do you hope readers will use this book?
I hope readers—both scholars and practitioners—will use this book to rethink how they understand and participate in God’s mission. The goal is not simply to inform but to inspire action grounded in historical and archaeological insight. Ideally, it will serve as a bridge between academic research and real-world missions. As with any book, its impact ultimately depends on how it is shared and discussed within communities.
If archaeology reveals how the earliest Christians lived, gathered, and proclaimed Jesus within their cultural worlds, what might it reveal about how we should engage ours?
About Michael
Dr. Michael T. Cooper is the author of Gods, Emperors, Philosophers, and a New Movement: Discovering the Movement of God in the Archaeological Record of Asia Minor (Wipf & Stock, 2026), First Christian Voices: Practices of the Apostolic Fathers (Samuel Morris, 2023), Ephesiology: The Study of the Ephesian Movement (William Carey Publishers, 2020), Unwrapping the First Christmas (Ephesiology Press, 2019), Contemporary Druidry: A Historical and Ethnographic Study (Sacred Tribes Press, 2010) and co-editor of Social Injustice (The Timothy Center Press, 2011) and The Peaceable Christian (The Timothy Center Press, 2011) and Perspectives on Post-Christendom Spiritualities (Morling Press, 2010).
Michael has contributed numerous academic articles in the Journal of the Evangelical Missiological Society, Global Missiology, Nova Religio, Pomegranate, Journal of Nature, Religion and Culture, Sacred Tribes Journal, Common Ground Journal, Missiology, Evangelical Missions Quarterly and he has presented academic papers at the University of Utah, London School of Economics, University of Bordeaux, University of Craiova and other universities and seminaries around the world.
Dr. Cooper holds a PhD from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, a MA from Columbia International University, and a BED from Texas A&M University.
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Gods, Emperors, Philosophers, and a New Movement: Discovering the Movement of God in the Archaeological Record of Asia Minor
Religions, politics, and education shaped the cultural world of Asia Minor where a new faith emerged that would change history. Gods, Emperors, Philosophers, and a New Movement uncovers how the earliest Christians navigated—and often disrupted and adapted—the dominant forces of their age. Drawing on decades of research, fieldwork, and teaching, Michael T. Cooper takes readers beneath the surface of Ephesos, Smyrna, Pergamon, and other cities to reveal how temples, inscriptions, and civic spaces illuminate the missionary impulse of the first Christians. Far from being silent, the archaeological record testifies to their resilience, creativity, and bold proclamation of the gospel in a world saturated with competing loyalties.
This is more than history. By examining how the early church encountered powerful religious traditions, political ideologies, and systems of education, today’s missionaries and church leaders gain fresh vision for gospel engagement in their own pluralistic and contested contexts. The dynamics that shaped mission in the first centuries—identity, power, worldview, and cultural disruption—remain central to how the good news advances today. This book is an invitation to rediscover the mission of God in the archaeological record and to discern its enduring relevance for faithful witness in the twenty-first century.
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