1. Christianity & Roman Empire
The Spread of Christianity

2. Roman Empire at the Time of Jesus

3. Byzantine image of Jesus Christ
Christianity Briefly
Christianity is the world's biggest religion, with about 2.2 billion followers worldwide.
Christianity is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ who lived in the Holy Land 2,000 years ago.
Holy Land - The lands that make up ancient Palestine. Modern day Israeli and Palestinian lands (Israel, the Gaza Strip, & the West Bank).
Byzantine image of Jesus Christ

4. Origins: The Rise of Christianity
Jesus:
Born to a Jewish family in
present day Israel & the
Palestinian territories
Becomes an itinerant teacher as an adult
Teaches ethical concepts – humility, charity, love towards others
Shapes value system for Western Civilization
Gathers a following of disciples
Eventually claims to be the Messiah (the promised savior of the Jewish people) and claims to be the “Son of God”
Was very popular with the poor, common people, & slaves

5. Jesus’ preaching brings controversy
It threatened the power of the Jewish establishment
He was seen by some as a revolutionary who might lead a rebellion against Rome
Jewish authorities persuaded Roman leaders to arrest Jesus
Jesus was tried for blasphemy & treason
He was convicted and put to death by crucifixion

6. Central Ideas of Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion that believes:
God created the world.
Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God
God sent his Son to earth to save humanity from the consequences of its sins
Resurrection: Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his Crucifixion.

7. The Spread of Christianity
Spread by followers of Jesus known as apostles
Peter
Leader of the apostles
Paul
Took the message of Jesus to Gentiles (non-Jews)
Why do you think Paul decided to take the message to Gentiles? What effect did this have?
This greatly increased the spread of Christianity
Spread was eased by the favorable conditions of the “Pax Romana” in the empire.
Why would this make the spread of Christianity easier?
New roads & bridges made travel easier
Roads connected numerous Roman cities
Common language

8. The Spread of Christianity
Roman Persecution
At first, the Romans just saw Christianity as just another sect of Judaism
They were tolerant of other religions as long as it did not threaten the public order
Eventually Romans see Christians as a threat to the empire
Christians refused to worship Roman Gods & emperors
This is an act of treason punishable by death
Official persecution begins under Nero CE
Christians were subjected to arrest, torture, & execution

9. The Spread of Christianity
The Spread of Christianity
Despite persecution Christianity
continues to grow throughout the Roman Empire
The religion appeals to the poor & powerless
Constantine-Emperor from CE
First Christian Emperor
Edict of Milan, 313 CE
Official tolerance of Christianity in the empire
Christianity soon becomes the official religion of the Roman Empire
Turn & talk: If the Romans persecuted Christians into the 4th century why do you think Constantine ended the persecution?

10. Spread of Christianity 325-600 CE