RISE OF CHRISTIANITY 6.4 Notes

6.4- Christianity and Judaism A new religion called Christianity developed within the Roman Empire and gradually spread throughout the Roman world Essential Question: How did Christianity arise and spread throughout the Roman world?

6.4- Christianity and Judaism Judaism in the Roman World  Christianity – religion based on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth  Many of the beliefs and customs Jesus and his followers practice are based in teachings from Judaism  Romans conquer Judea in 63 BCE – allowed Jews to continue practicing their religion as long as they paid tribute and maintained order Reaction to Roman Rule  There are several branches of Judaism, and not all of the Jews believed they should cooperate with Roman authority  Zealots – armed resistance - rise up against Rome and re-establish the Kingdom of Israel – 2 revolts  66-70AD a mass uprising began in Judea Romans sacked Jerusalem and killed thousands of Jews 130’s Jews were banded from Jerusalem entirely Messianic Prophecies  Messianic Prophecies – no resistance – wait ing for the Messiah, a spiritual leader who would restore the kingdom and peace

6.4- Jesus of Nazareth Jesus of Nazareth  born in Bethlehem, near Jerusalem. Studied carpentry and the writings of Jewish prophets  Against the turbulent background he taught messages of forgiveness and redemption, love, mercy, humility, and charity Life  Most of our knowledge of Jesus comes from the Gospels – first four books of the New Testament  The New Testament and the Old Testament from the Hebrew Bible make up the Christian Bible  Preach a message of redemption and warning  Jesus had many followers called disciples. His messages aroused both followers and critics, some of whom feared political uprisings  According to the biblical accounts Jesus created a great deal of excitement by performing miracle  Instructed people to repent of their sin’s and seek God’s forgiveness  His popularity alarmed authorities who feared political uprising

6.4- Christianity and Judaism Death and Resurrection  Jesus was arrested, tried, and sentenced to death. According to his followers he rose from the dead, and spent 40 days teaching on earth before ascending to heave.  He and his disciples claimed him as the long awaited Jewish Messiah.  12 disciples called Apostles, whom Jesus chose specifically, became missionaries following his death to spread the messages of Jesus

6.4- Spread of Christianity Paul of Tarsus  Jesus had 12 followers called disciples, or Apostles. His messages aroused both followers and critics, some of whom feared political uprisings  One apostle, Paul, was crucial to the spread of Christianity. Having believed that God had chosen him to spread the messages of Christianity and convert non-Jews by establishing churches, changes doctrines, and broadening the religion to attract new followers  Paul’s actions helped to gain followers and distinguish Christianity from Judaism  Without him Christianity may have stayed a branch of Judaism rather than it’s own religion Roman Christianity  Two things that helped Christianity to spread were that Christian messages of love and eternal life after death appealed to many people across social classes, and the Roman religious tolerance of other religions

6.4- Spread of Christianity Persecution  As more people converted to Christianity, Roman leaders began to fear it’s influence  began persecuting Christians, and create martyrs from the ones they killed  Large scale persecution of Christians was rare during the first 2 centuries after Jesus’s life  As it grew persecution grew Imperial Approval  The conversion of the Emperor Constantine increased the spread of Christianity.  Constantine converted after seeing an omen, a cross in the sky, that he interpreted as meaning his conversion would result in winning an important battle in 312 CE  Issues the Edict of Milan in 313 CE legalizing Christianity within the Roman Empire This allowed for the spread of Christianity which will effect the western world for centuries to come and even into modern times.

6.4- The Early Christian Church Early Christian Church  The Christian church began as small close-knit groups and became more complex as time passed  The Eucharist is an example of a ceremony honoring the last supper that increased the complexity of the church  As the church grew an administrative structure was developed  bishops to oversee church affairs and had authority over other priests  By 300’s heads of the largest and oldest congregations were called patriarchs and had authority over bishops  Later the patriarchs of Rome became the pope who became the figurehead of the entire Christian church

The rise of Christianity Knowledge Check Point  What branch of Judaism was vocal about overthrowing Roman rule?  What were the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth?  Why did authorities arrest Jesus and sentence him to death?  What do Christians believe happened to Jesus after he died?  How did Christianity spread throughout the Roman world?  How did Constantine help Christianity gain a firm foothold in the Roman Empire?  What was the early Christian church like?  Why was Paul a key figure in the early history and development of Christianity?  What types of officials developed in the early Christian church?

ASSIGNMENT Study the selections on page 192 under “Document Based Investigation, Rome’s Legacy”. After you have read and studied the documents, you will answer the Reading Like a Historian question for Document Then you will need to write a one page response explaining Rome’s legacy. You will need to use evidence from these selections and from Chapter 6.