THE RISE OF CHRISTIANITY
Mr. ErmerWorld HistoryMiami Beach Senior High
THE ROMAN RELIGION Caesar Augustus restores Roman religion
Religion had declined during the late Republic Greek gods worshiped with Roman names Emperors worshiped as gods Observation of rituals brought humans into
better relationship with gods Success comes from pleasing the gods
Romans tolerant of others’ faiths; worship of native gods allowed in provinces
Religions of the East were considered trendy, became popular among Romans looking for a more emotional religion/faith
JEWISH BACKGROUND In Hellenistic times, Jews given much
more independence than other cultures A.D. 6: Roman province of Judaea covers
land of the Israelites, ruled by a procurator
Unrest, difference of opinion about Rome Sadducees: cooperate with Rome Pharisees: observe religious law to keep
Jewish identity Essenes: lived as hermits waiting for God to
save them from Roman oppression Zelots: called for open revolt against Rome
RISE OF CHRISTIANITY A.D. 30: Jewish prophet named Jesus
begins preaching in Judaea and Galilee
Jesus’ Mission: complete salvation God promised to the people of Israel “Messiah”
Taught people to look for inner peace by practicing humility, charity and love toward others
Put to death for “revolutionary” ideas Followers said he rose from the dead
three days later
WORDS OF JESUS: “Do not think that I have come to
abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfill them”
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets”
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY
Began as a movement with Judaism Prominent leaders include:
Simon Peter: Jesus’ friend, Jewish fisherman
First leader of the Christian religion Paul: educated Jewish citizen of Rome,
who took the message of Jesus to Gentiles
Paul believed that Jesus was the Son of God, and humanity can be saved from sin by accepting the teachings of Jesus
Paul wrote letters outlining his beliefs
SPREADING THE WORD OF JESUS
Followers wrote down Jesus’ sayings, and stories from his life
A.D. 40-100: Christians use these stories, sayings to create Gospels (good news)
Together with the letters of Paul and others, they form New Testament
By 100, churches found in most cities in Eastern empire, and some in West
THE CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION
Christian values vs. Greco-Roman values
Christians refuse to worship emperors Romans think of this as treason Christians believe in only one God, and
worshiping another endangers soul Nero begins persecution (harassing
to cause suffering), blaming them for fire
By the end of the rule of the five “Good Emperors”, persecution mostly stopped
CHRISTIAN TRIUMPH
Even with persecution, Christianity grows Persecution seen as strengthening faith Persecution forces organization
Bishops lead whole communities in prayer System of organization gives specific jobs
to clergy (church leaders) and laity (followers)
Christianity grew quickly in the 1st Century A.D., took root in the 2nd, and spread widely in the 3rd Century
REASONS FOR GROWTH Christian message appealed to
Romans Christianity gives purpose to life Roman religion was impersonal and
existed for the benefit of the Roman Republic/Empire
Christianity=personal, eternal life, salvation
Christianity seemed familiar, shared qualities with other trendy faiths from East
Christianity offered sense of belonging Churches=close community with
common goals, help one another; inclusive (rich/poor)
CHRISTIANITY: RELIGION OF THE PEOPLE “You have put on the new self…Here
there is no Greek nor Jew, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.”~ Paul’s Letter to the Colossians
Christianity preached of spiritual equality Rich, poor, free, slave all could be saved
Last persecution was in 4th Century, under Emperor Diocletian, who admitted the strength of Christianity was too much
CHRISTIANITY: OFFICIAL RELIGION OF ROME
A.D. 313: Emperor Constantine issues Edict of Milan, giving freedom of religion Constantine becomes first Christian
emperor of Rome, baptized at the end of his life
Theodosius the Great establishes Christianity as the official state religion of Rome
CHAPTER 2, LESSON 1 REVIEW:
On page 26, write and answer questions 1-5