Christianity

Religious Diversity in Early Rome

• Within the culturally diverse Roman empire, a variety of religious beliefs and practices existed.

• Jupiter, Mars, Juno and other traditional Roman gods remained important to some people.

• However, a growing number of people were looking elsewhere for spiritual fulfillment.

Jesus and His Message

• Jesus was born around 4 B.C. in Bethlehem near Jerusalem, Israel.

• Jesus’ teachings were firmly rooted in Jewish tradition.

• Jesus believed in One God and accepted the Ten Commandments.

• He also preached that he was the Son of God or messiah (chosen one).

• His mission was to bring spiritual salvation and eternal life to anyone who believed in him.

Death on the Cross

• Some Jews welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem, but others regarded him as a dangerous troublemaker.

• The Romans thought that he would try to take over Rome.

• He was nailed to a cross (crucified) which was the Roman method of killing a person.

Spread of Christianity

• Following Jesus’ death, his apostles and other disciples (followers) spread Jesus’ message of love and salvation and established Christian communities.

• Paul was one of the first Christian missionaries (a person who spreads Christianity).

Appeal of Christianity

• The reason many Romans found Christianity appealing is because Jesus had welcomed all people, especially the humble, poor and oppressed.

• Paul also added ideas from Greek philosophy to Jesus’ message.

• The work of missionaries such as Paul was made easier by the unity of the Roman empire.

End of Persecution

• The persecution of Christians finally ended in 313 A.D. when the Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan.

• It granted freedom of worship to all citizens of the Roman empire.

• In making his decision, Constantine was influenced by his mother who was a devout Christian.

• Some 80 years later, Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire.

Structure of the Church

• There are three branches of Christianity today: The original sect of Christianity was the Roman Catholic Church.

Christianity

Roman Catholicism

ProtestantismEastern

Orthodox

There are 27,000 Protestant denominations.

A few are Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Evangelical, Anglican,

Baptist, Pentecostal, Mormon, Episcopal

Structure of the Church

• When the Roman Empire split into two sections, an eastern half with it’s capital being in Constantinople, Turkey, and a western half with it’s capital staying in Rome, the Christian Church split as well.

• The western portion remained Roman Catholic and the eastern portion formed a new sect called Eastern Orthodox.

• In the 1500’s a new sect of Christianity formed because the Catholic Church was becoming corrupt. This was called Protestantism.

Split of the Roman Empire

Split of the Roman Empire

Roman Catholic:

• Pope (greatest authority of the Roman Catholic Church)

• Cardinals (people directly beneath the pope who chooses the pope)

• Bishops (a Church official who is responsible for all Christians in an area known as a diocese)

• Priests (a Church official who is responsible for ceremonies called mass in one Church)