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ROME & THE RISE OF CHRISTIANITY
The rise of Christianity marked an important break with the dominant values of the Greek and Roman worlds.
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Early Roman Religion Played an important role in Roman society
Beginning with Augustus, emperors were often declared gods Romans worship many gods & goddesses (polytheism) Roman Worship of Gods: Impersonal Practiced without a great deal of emotion
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Tolerance in Rome Romans were tolerant of other religions
Allowed worship of other gods and goddesses People desired a more emotional spiritual experience
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Roman Conquest of Judea
CA 63 BCE—Roman Empire extends to Judea (Home of the Jews) Jewish kingdom remained independent at first, 6 CE—Roman Empire took total control and made Judea a Roman province Jews believed the Messiah would arrive to restore kingdom of the Jews
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Jews in Rome Most Jews of the time lived in Judea which became part of the Roman empire in 6 A.D. Jews were monotheistic therefore they could not accept the emperor as being divine The Romans allowed them not to see the emperor as divine Many Jews wanted to be independent
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The Rise of Christianity
Although Christians were initially persecuted, Christianity grew in importance and spread throughout the empire.
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Jesus of Nazareth
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The Beginnings of Jesus
He was a carpenter and a student of the writings of earlier Jewish prophets Historians believe he was born between 6 to 4 BCE in town of Bethlehem, Judea Raised in the village of Nazareth in Northern Palestine Baptized by prophet John the Baptist Public Ministry—began at the age of 30
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Jesus of Nazareth Teachings:
Reportedly performed miracles, preached, did good works Teachings: Contained many ideas from Jewish tradition Monotheism—belief in one god Principles of the Ten Commandments His mission was to complete the salvation that God had promised
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Followers of Jesus He developed many followers
Of these he chose Twelve to help him preach his message
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Jesus Travels Messages:
Jesus became popular as he traveled from town to town Messages: appealed especially to the poor (he ignored wealth and status) Simple and direct—people touched by messages (easily understood)
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Controversy with Jesus
Many Jews believed Jesus was the divine messiah Other Jews thought he was just a revolutionary and they did not like him The Romans were scared that he would lead another uprising Thought of him as a Revolutionary Around 30 A.D. He was brought to trial before a Roman governor, Pontius Pilate
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Pilate’s Concerns Pontius Pilate—accused Jesus of defying authority of Rome Jesus was arrested, sentenced to death by crucifixion—the nailing of a person to a wooden cross to die
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Jesus’ Death Jesus’ body placed in a tomb following his death
According to the Gospels, 3 days later, his body was gone, & a living Jesus appeared to his followers.
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Christianity Spreads throughout the Empire
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Paul and the Disciples Jesus' followers, called disciples, spread the Christian message Paul emphasized that Christianity was not a sect of Judaism, but a religion of all people Universality enables Christianity to become more than a local religion
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The Romans and Christians
At first the Romans were tolerant of Christians the same way they were of Jews By the 100’s A.D. that had changed Many churches established throughout the empire Christians made good citizens because the religion taught them to respect government However they were more likely than Jews to convert people to their religion, which meant not worshipping the emperor This was seen as an attack on the Roman empire
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Persecution of Christians
Romans began to persecute, kidnap and kill Christians Many Christians refused to renounce their religion even in the face of death They are known as martyrs The Roman effort would not stop the spread of Christianity
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Persecution of the Christians
(Left) Picture of St. Ignatius being thrown to the Lions in Rome. (He was a Christian martyr)
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Christian Appeal Even with the persecution of the Christians by the 3rd Century A.D. there were millions of Christians in Rome Widespread Appeal due to: 1) embraced all people 2) gave hope to the powerless 3) appealed to those repelled by extravagances by Rome 4) Personal relationship with loving God 5) promised eternal life after death 6) Pax Romana
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Catacombs- a refuge for early Christians
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Martyr St. Sebastian St. Stephen
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The Spread of Christianity
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Roman Roads and Why they were important
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Constantine: Constantine was the 1st Christian Emperor
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Constantine and Christianity
312 A.D. Emperor Constantine was going to battle when he prayed for help…. He had a vision of a cross; symbol of Christianity He had a cross painted on his soldiers shields When he won the battle he gave credit to Christianity 313 A.D. Constantine ended Christian persecution and in the Edict of Milan made Christianity a religion of Rome 380 A.D. emperor Theodosius made it the official religion of Rome.
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Constantine Constantine died in 337 A.D. he was baptized on his death bed A 180 degree turn from the early days of Rome In about 400 years Christianity spread from little Judea throughout the entire Roman Empire
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Constantine Moves the Roman Capital
Constantine divides the Roman Empire into two: Rome = capital of west Constantinople = capital of east
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The Early Church As the Roman empire neared its end the Christian religion became very organized Priests had the churches and in each city there was a bishop
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The Pope The patriarch of Rome became known as Pope
Pope means father in Latin The pope claimed supremacy over the other patriarchs
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The Vatican
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Archdiocese/Archbishop
Pope Archdiocese/Archbishop Bishop/Diocese Priest/Parish
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