Sir – Bruce Cane (Letters, October 8) is quite right that the Divinity of Jesus Christ cannot be proved rationally.

The whole point of being a Christian is that you have faith in Jesus Christ as a real and ever present divine spirit; a friend and companion through difficulties. The account of his life in the gospels, and His wonderful and revolutionary teachings are a way in which we can come closer to him, but they are not legal documents through which we can prove anything. Faith doesn’t need proof; faith is a spiritual form of knowledge which doesn’t require it.

Even the atheist however cannot deny that the teachings of Jesus, and the conversion of the Roman Empire have shaped Western civilisation and its values.

Although I’m sure many would be quick to point out that Christians have not always behaved in the spirit of Christ, I wonder if society wouldn’t still have the Roman imperial culture of cruelty, sadism and power hunger if it wasn’t for the influence of JC.

Dr Daniel Emlyn-Jones, Oxford