Crisis of the Third Century 1) What were some factors contributing to instabilities in the Roman Empire from the 3rd century A.D. onward? 2) True or False: “Christianity spread as the Roman Empire declined. Therefore, Christianity caused the disintegration of the Roman Empire.”

Evaluate the following: “The four canonical gospels, Mark, Matthew, Luke, & John tell a single, simple factual account of the life of Jesus. Therefore, all early Christians believed the same things about Jesus and his significance.” 1) What are the available sources for the life of Jesus? 2) Why can we not take these sources (the Gospels or any others) at face value as a simple account of what happened? Each of the Gospels tells the story in a different way. That means more than merely rearranging certain episodes or adding new sayings here and there... Changing the order and wording of such episodes usually reflects a distinctive understanding of Jesus’s life, teachings, and death on the part of the Gospel author who was far more interested in the theological significance carried by the story than in historical accuracy. From Jesus to Christianity (2004) Emergence of Christianity

1) What is the thesis or main point of each clip? 2) Connect the clips to what we’ve read and talked about in class. Be specific. From Jesus to ChristFrom Jesus to Christ: The First Christians