Not only were some ancients not very credulous (see discussion in ch. 4) but also something distinctive about the cumulative force of early Christian claims rendered them more persuasive than mere myths about the past or claims about some particular folk healer. The movement did not spread simply because people liked fanciful stories, for fanciful stories were abundant elsewhere. The movement spread in part because the claims surrounded not only its founder but also many subsequent figures in the movement who claimed to represent him (see discussion in ch. 10).
