The Rise & Spread of Christianity

Birth of Christianity 4 BCE: Augustus orders a census of the empire (something new) Israelites ordered to return to the city of ancestors’ birth Records from Bethlehem, Judea show a Joseph and Mary from Nazareth with an unnamed newborn son Bible matches Roman records

Death of Jesus 26 CE: Roman and Jewish records speak of a new rabbi – Jesus of Nazareth – and his growing movement 29 CE: Jesus arrested (by Jewish leaders) and executed (by Roman authorities) Sedition against Rome (claiming to be long-awaited Messiah – God’s son) INRI – IESVS NAZARENVUS REX IVDEAORVUM (Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews)

Spread of Early Christianity: Peter Apostle of Jesus, appointed to lead the church (thus the first “pope”) Jesus was the fulfillment of the Jewish promise of a messiah, so one had to be Jewish first in order to accept Christianity Most Jews refused to accept Jesus as Messiah Church spread rather slowly at first under Peter’s leadership

Bringing Christianity to the Gentiles: Paul Originally named Saul Educated Jew from Tarsus, Anatolia (Turkey) – Roman citizen Persecuted Christians On the way to Damascus, Syria he met Christ in a vision and immediately converted Brought Christianity to non-Jews (Gentiles) of the Empire Went on 3 missionary journeys Wrote letters to teach and encourage churches (epistles in the New Testament) Arrested and executed after Nero’s fires

Paul’s Journeys

Appeal of Christianity Promise of life after death Egalitarian Message of love, hope, compassion, and equality very appealing to poor, slaves, women Morality and commitment of new converts The greater the persecution, the greater the converts Provided focus Pagan deities generally disinterested in human condition Effectively organized bureaucracy Accepted rites, scriptures, structure

CHRISTVS A Union of Strengths Hebrew Greek Roman Monotheism Abraham Religion as a lifestyle with strong social conscience, not merely an observance Greek Logical outline of beliefs which took the form of a philosophy of God (theology) Roman Model for organization (empire) Ease of communication, Pax Romana, road/mail system CHRISTVS

Christianity as a Cancer to the Empire At first, Rome didn’t really care about Christianity Problem: citizens must pray to the emperor’s god for the health of the empire Christians refused = treason Thousands executed As Christianity spread, citizens identified themselves with Christianity, not Rome Shift removed a fundamental pillar of Roman society

Jewish Diaspora Use Echoes, p. 212 to create point form notes on Who? What? When? Where? Changing conditions/treatment of Jews in Roman Empire