Rise of the Church

Origins of Christianity Hebrew Old Testament Jesus of Nazareth (2 B.C.-30 A.D.) Jewish man who claimed to be the Son of God Preached ethical concepts- humility, charity, and love toward others

Spread of Christianity Paul of Tarsus (3- 66 AD) traveled and wrote letters spreading Jesus’ message Spread quickly Personal Offered salvation and eternal life Gave meaning and purpose to life Created community

Persecution Roman Authority threatened Christians refused to worship the state gods or emperors Persecuted from Nero (37-68 A.D.) to Diocletian (244-311 A.D.)

End of Persecution Constantine Theodosius the Great First Christian emperor Edict of Milan (313) - official tolerance of Christianity Theodosius the Great Christianity becomes official Roman state religion (391)

Church Role in Middle Ages After Rome falls, the Church takes on many gov’t functions Justice system Tax collection Road and aqueduct repairs Hospitals Care for the poor The Church grows incredibly rich, powerful, and corrupt

Popes Considered the head of the Catholic Church Christ’s representative on earth Infallible (incapable of making mistakes; perfect)

Just for fun… (Don’t write this down) In Salem, Massachusetts, the Chadwick family found this Dorito shaped like the Pope’s Mitre or the Pope’s Hat. It sold on Ebay for $1209. This is Jesus’ face on a piece of toast This grilled cheese has the Virgin Mary’s face on it. It sold for $28,000 on Ebay.

Catholic Church Hierarchy God Pope Clergy- people appointed for religious service Cardinals Bishops Priests and Monks Laity- not in clergy

Pros/Cons Preserved classical knowledge Offered order in chaotic times Instilled moral values in society Corrupt Abused power

Naughty Popes! Assignment: Read the “10 Worst Popes of All Time” packet Decide who were the worst Popes and which ones weren’t so bad On your paper, rank the Popes from worst to best (1 being worst, 10 being best of the ten) and explain why you chose to rank them that way in 1-2 sentences