*A Growing Faith

*A Growing Faith *Main Idea:

*Christianity won many followers and eventually became the official religion of the

Roman Empire.

*A Growing Faith *Lecture Focus:

*Why do you think people like to belong to a community? Think about the Roman culture

and their communities…

*A Growing Faith *During the 100 years after Jesus’ death Christianity won followers throughout the

Roman world. *The Empire itself helped spread Christian

ideas.

*A Growing Faith *The peace and order established by Rome allowed people to travel in relative safety. *Christians used well paved Roman roads to

carry their messages from place to place

*A Growing Faith *Since most of the empire’s people spoke either

Latin or Greek, Christians could talk with them directly.

*A Growing Faith *Why did Christianity attract followers?

*First, the Christian message gave meaning to people’s lives.

*A Growing Faith *Rome’s official religion “Roman Mythology”

urged people to honor the state and the Emperor.

*Christianity instead reached out to the poor and the powerless who lead very difficult lives,

it offered hope and comfort.

*A Growing Faith *Second, the ideas of Christianity were familiar

to many Romans. *They already knew about other eastern religions and like these faiths Christianity appealed to the emotions and promised

happiness after death.

*A Growing Faith *Finally, Christianity gave people the chance to

be part of a caring group.*Within their churches, Christians not only

worshiped together but helped each other and organized their communities better.

*How did the Romans Treat the Christians*Over time, Roman officials began to see the

Christians as a threat.*All people in Rome were usually allowed to

worship freely, but Christians had to honor the emperor and their god.

*How did the Romans Treat the Christians*Christians, like the Jews, believed in one god

and refused to do this.*Christians also refused to serve in the army or

hold public office.

*How did the Romans Treat the Christians*The Christians criticized Roman festivals and

games…GLADIATORS!!!*Thus the Romans saw the Christians as

traitors who deserved punishments

*How did the Romans Treat the Christians*In 64 C.E. the Roman government began to

persecute, or mistreat Christians.*At this time , the Emperor of Rome, Nero

falsely accused Christians of starting a fire that burned much of Rome.

*How did the Romans Treat the Christians*Christianity was made illegal by Rome and

many Christians were slaughtered.

*How did the Romans Treat the Christians*During these difficult times, many Christians

became martyrs…people willing to die rather than give up their beliefs.

*How did the Romans Treat the Christians*At that time, Romans required dead people to

be cremated, or burned to ashes.

*How did the Romans Treat the Christians*This was an issue for Christians, because they

wanted to bury their dead. *They were forced to bury their dead outside in

catacombs, or underground burial places.

*How did the Romans Treat the Christians*Catacombs were also used for religious

services during times of persecution, or when Rome was on the hunt for Christians.

*How did the Romans Treat the Christians*Even with all of the hardships, Christianity

spread.*Over time it even began to draw people from

all classes…rich people…poor people

*How did the Romans Treat the Christians

*After 250 C.E., many Romans grew tired of war and feared the end of the Empire.

*They began to admire the faith of the Christians.

*How did the Romans Treat the Christians*Questions:

*1. What does the term persecute mean? *To mistreat people*2. What was a Christian martyr? *A person willing to die than to give up their beliefs *3. What does the term catacomb mean? *They were underground burial places. *4. What did the Romans do when they became tired of war? *They began to admire the Christians faith

*Christian Catacombs *Christians believed in resurrection, the idea that the body would one day reunite with the

soul. For this reason, they would not allow their bodies to be burned, which was a Roman

custom.

*Christian Catacombs *Also, Roman law did not allow bodies to be

buried aboveground. *Therefore, starting in 100 C.E., Christians

buried their dead beneath the city of Rome in a series of dark, cold, stench filled tunnels

called…catacombs.

*Catacomb entrances were often found in Churches or cemeteries.

*Christian Catacombs

*Christian Catacombs *Each tunnel was about 8 feet high and less

then 3 feet wide.*Bodies were stacked in slots along the sides of

tunnels.

*Christian Catacombs *Catacombs walls were painted with images from the bible, Greek Mythology and Roman

Mythology.

*Christian Catacombs

*Christian Catacombs *More than five million bodies were buried

under Roman streets and buildings. *Many Christians buried in the catacombs were

martyrs who had been killed for their beliefs.(Paris Catacombs)

*Christian Catacombs * Paris Catacombs:

* The catacombs were maintained through the donations of the relatives of the deceased.

* Each new body was placed in a temporary niche and later placed

into a more permanent place.

* As long as the contributions continued, the body remained in

its proper place but when the relatives did not send money any

more, the body was put aside on a shelf until they resumed payment. * .

*Christian Catacombs *Questions: *Why did Christians bury their dead in catacombs? *Roman Law states no man can be buried above ground *What skills do you think would be necessary to dig and plan catacombs? *Needs to be able to design and support the weight of a tunnel.

*Rome Adopts Christianity*In the early 300’s C.E. the emperor Diocletian

carried out the last great persecution of Christians. It failed, and Roman officials

realized that Christianity was to strong to be destroyed.

*Rome Adopts Christianity*Then in 312 C.E., the Roman Emperor

Constantine accepted Christianity as his religion.

*According to tradition, Constantine saw a flaming cross in the sky as he was about to go

into battle.

*Rome Adopts Christianity*Written beneath the cross were Latin words

that said “In this sign you will conquer”.*Constantine won the battle and believed that

the Christian god had helped him.

*Rome Adopts Christianity*In 313 C.E. Constantine issued an order called

the Edict of Milan. *It gave religious freedom to all people and for

the first time in Roman history made Christianity legal.

*Rome Adopts Christianity*Constantine began giving government support

to Christianity. *With the help of his mother, Helena, he built

churches in Rome and Jerusalem.

*Rome Adopts Christianity*He also let church officials serve in the

government and excused them from paying any type of tax. Constantine's successor, the

emperor Theodosius, made Christianity Rome’s official religion in 392 and outlawed all

other religions.

*Rome Adopts Christianity*Questions:

*Why was emperor Constantine important for Christianity in Rome?*Accepted Christianity as his religion and made it legal in Rome.*What did Constantine and his mother build throughout Rome and Jerusalem? *Churches*What did Theodosius do to Christianity in the Roman Empire? *Made it the official religion of Rome in 392 C.E.