1. Christianity

2. Do Now – Quick Questions What was the Pax Romana? How long did it last? Which emperor was responsible for “beginning” the Pax Romana? Describe two examples of developments or reforms during the Pax Romana.

3. Roman Religion In Rome, government and religion were linked. The gods/goddesses were symbols of the state. Romans had to honor the deities at shrines in their homes and ceremonies at temples. Over time, worship of the emperor also became part of the official religion.

4. Roman Religion ~ 63 BCE - Roman power spread to Judea, the home of the Jews  Judea was eventually made a province of the Empire According to the Bible, God had promised that the Messiah would restore the kingdom of the Jews, so many Jews began to think the Messiah was coming soon…

5. Jesus of Nazareth ~ 6 – 4 BCE, Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea. Jesus was born a Jew, and a Roman subject. He was raised in Nazareth and became a carpenter.

6. Basic Beliefs of Early Christians Monotheism (belief in ONE god) Jesus as both son and incarnation of God Life after death

7. Jesus’ Popularity Grows Followers of Jesus believed that he was the Messiah, the son of God. Since Jesus ignored wealth and status, the poor responded to his message. “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth”

8. “Jesus Christ” After Jesus’ death and resurrection, he began to be referred to as Jesus Christ. Christos means “messiah” or “savior” in Greek and the name Christianity comes from “Christ.”

9. Spreading Christianity Peter, Paul, and other apostles spread Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. As Christianity expanded, it began to differ more from Judaism.

10. Christianity and Judaism Separate Where do you think each belief goes?  Jesus is the Messiah  Belief in one God  Jews are the chosen people of God  Acceptance of Gentiles (non-Jews) and Jews  Adherence to Jewish law ChristiansJews

11. Spreading Christianity The excellent Roman road system and the Pax Romana helped spread Christianity. Paul wanted Christianity to be open to everyone – Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews).

12. Conflicts Between Religion in the Roman Empire and Christianity Polytheistic Priests connected people to the deities Required to worship Roman deities and emperors Monotheistic Personal relationship with God Refused to worship Roman deities and emperors Roman ReligionChristianity

13. Do-Now What were some of the main differences between Christianity and Judaism? How was Christianity able to spread across the Roman Empire? Why did people accept and follow Jesus’s teachings and beliefs?

14. Christian Persecution Some Roman emperors used Christians as a scapegoat for their problems. Nero blamed Christians for the Great Fire of Rome and ordered them to be put to death.  Peter and Paul were both executed in Rome shortly thereafter

15. Christian Persecution Later, Christians weren’t persecuted for just being Christian, but they could be punished for refusing to worship Roman gods. Thousands were crucified, burned, or killed by animals in the Colosseum.

16. The Spread of Christianity continues… Persecution slowed the spread of Christianity, but didn’t stop it. By the 3rd century CE, there were millions of Christians in the Empire.

17. Early Christian Church Priest Bishop Pope Peter was the bishop of Rome and the first pope. This made Rome the center of the Church.

18. Trivia Break! Who is the current Pope? Pope Francis I

19. Christianity Becomes Accepted The emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and ended persecution of Christians in the Edict of Milan in 313 CE. Video

20. Christianity Becomes the Official Religion In 380 CE, the emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.

21. Christian Holy Book New Testament  Contains accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus, as well as writings of early Christians.

22. WWJD? As the religion grew, Christians fought over the official Christian beliefs. To end the conflict, church councils met and wrote the Nicene Creed, which defined the Christian doctrine. Doctrine = official beliefs and rituals

23. Early Church of Rome in the Late Roman Empire The church became an example of moral authority. Loyalty to the church became more important than loyalty to the Emperor. The church became the main unifying force of Western Europe.

24. Inside St. Peter’s Basilica

25. Christian Church Roman Empire As the Roman Empire declined in the West, the Church in Rome grew in importance, membership, and influence.