Ancient Rome and the Rise of Christianity

Origins of Christianity Judaism: world’s first monotheistic religion Jews believed that one days Messiah or a savior would be sent by God to save the Jewish people In 63 BC Pompey (remember him from the First Triumvirate??) conquered Judea

Origins of Christianity -started as a group of Jewish people who believed that a young man named Jesus was the Messiah -Christians believed that Jesus was also the son of God and the incarnation of God on Earth

Christianity Romans allowed Jewish people to worship their one god Many Jews reluctantly lived under Roman rule, however, some wanted a revolt against Rome and believed a messiah would come to lead their people to freedom

Jesus -Born in 4 B.C. in Bethlehem -worshipped God and followed Jewish law -at 30 began preaching to villagers, used parables-short stories with simple moral lessons to communicate his ideas -Recruited 12 disciples to help him spread his ideas, called Apostles, in Jerusalem -Some Jews in Jerusalem welcomed Jesus, many of the rabbis felt he threatened their leadership -Roman authorities felt Jesus would lead the Jews in a revolt against their rule

Jesus’ Message God was coming soon to rule the world He urged people to stop their sins Faith over Laws: He stressed that following Jewish religious laws was not as important as having a personal relationship with God based on faith Forgiveness: people that to love and forgive from the heart rather than go through the motions of following religious law Love: “Love your neighbor as yourself” Salvation: Life after death in Heaven for those who believe in him and confess their sins Trinity: Belief that God had three aspects: Father, Son, Holy Spirit

Death of Jesus -According to the Gospels, Jesus was betrayed by one of his disciples, arrested by the Romans, and killed by crucifixion-a person was bound to a cross and left to die -Rumors then spread that Jesus had not died but had risen from death and commanded his disciples to spread his teachings -After the disciples reported he ascended into heaven Gospels: the 4 accounts of Jesus’ life written down by his followers Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

Christianity Spreads -Followers called Christians -Disciples preach the messages of Christianity throughout the Roman world -Peter established Christianity in Rome itself -Paul played the most influential role in spreading Christianity He spread Christianity throughout the Mediterranean -His letters called Epistles became part of the New Testament in the Bible

Christians Oppressed Romans were not tolerant towards Christians because: they refused to honor the emperor with sacrifices they refused to worship Roman gods to protect the state Christians were used as scapegoats, blamed for social and economic problems Many Christians became martyrs- or people who suffer or die for their beliefs However, Christianity continued to spread due to the fact that all people were welcome

Martyrs

Appeal of Christianity Jesus’ teachings honor the poor over the rich Jesus taught that anyone could be saved Jesus brought a message of love and compassion

Early Christian Church: Constantine Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in 312 AD when he saw a flaming cross in the sky as he was about to go into battle. He also saw the words “You will conquer under this sign”. Constantine won the battle and thought the Christian God gave him victory.

Early Christian Church: Constantine Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in A.D. 313. The Edict granted freedom of worship to all citizens of the Roman empire 325AD Council of Nicaea is held to formally write down Christian beliefs Nicene Creed: the formal declaration of Christian belief

Theodosius Formally makes Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire in 392 AD

Structure of the Church The Christian Clergy Pope/Patriarch Bishop Diocese Priest + Community