As we’ve seen in the last two entries for “The Story,” the coming of Christianity into the Viking world was, of course, a good thing.  It was sometimes inexcusably intermingled with the violence of the Viking world, but in the end it was good.

It was no longer a commonly accepted part of life for people to sacrifice their children to idols, or to leave their unwanted babies exposed to the elements until dead, or for women to fear venturing out of their homes to go to the market, etc.

There is much more that could be said about the dramatic conversion of an entire culture than what we have said here, but as one last word let us consider briefly the image of Christ the Conqueror. 

Those earliest Vikings who heard of Jesus would sometimes scorn him as the “white” Christ.  By white they meant cowardly and effeminate, when compared to the bloody red valor of Thor.  In one legend, a pagan poet once confronted a Christian missionary with these words:  “Have you heard that Thor challenged Christ to a duel, and that Christ did not dare go into combat with him?”

The missionary’s response:  “I have heard that Thor were nothing more than dust and ashes if God did not will that he lived.”

But as Christian evangelistic efforts spread increasingly throughout the Viking world, more and more attention was focused on a militant, conquering, victorious Christ who could ensure your success in this world and your salvation in the next.  It took a couple of hundred years for the concept of a suffering Christ to really take root in the Viking world.  Before that he was consistently depicted as a triumphant prince — even while on the cross!

It was Christ who had conquered all the rich and fertile parts of Europe.  When Christians won victories or when Christians destroyed pagan idols with impunity, it was proof that Christ was supreme.  When pagans destroyed Christian churches, it was explained as divine punishment for Christians’ sins.  Over and over the missionaries were seeking to demonstrate that Christ was not only the most powerful God, but was in fact the only God.  All others were demons.

What are we to say about this part of our story — of the church’s story?  While this view of Christ the Conqueror definitely needs to be balanced with Christ the Sufferer, there is also great truth here.  What’s the very first thing we read about Jesus in the Bible?

Is it that he’ll be a gentle friend?… a good shepherd?… a sacrificial lamb?… a wise teacher?… a holy priest?…

Nope.

The first thing we read about Jesus in the Bible is that he’ll be a mighty conqueror.  Genesis 3.15… Christ will crush the serpent’s head.  He will be the victor, the champion, the hero who will vanquish all evil with a smashing defeat.  And yes — he conquered from the cross.

“Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’”

“He must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.  The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

“‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’… No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.”

—Ephesians 4.8; 1 Corinthians 15.25,26; Revelation 21.4,5; 22.3