1. The Spread of Christianity

2. Constructive Response Question
Describe the origin and core beliefs of Christianity.

3. Quick Class Discussion: What was religion like in Rome?

4. Religion in the Roman Empire
Religion in Rome was polytheistic & based upon the Greek gods
The religion of the ancient Romans was polytheistic (ideas borrowed from the Greek gods)
Rulers were mostly tolerant of other religions; but they expected everyone who lived in the empire to respect the Roman gods as a sign of loyalty

5. Quick Class Discussion: How do you think the Romans treated people they conquered who had different religions?

6. Religion in the Roman Empire
Emperors were mostly tolerant of other religions, but expected everyone who lived in the empire to respect the Roman gods as a sign of loyalty

7. Religion in the Roman Empire
In 63 B.C., the Romans conquered the Hebrew kingdom of Judea & allowed “Romanized Jews” (who showed respect & obeyed Roman laws) to govern Judea
But, the Hebrews were monotheistic & many refused to pay respect to the Roman gods

8. Jewish idea of Messiah
a. Jews believed in the prophecy of a Messiah, which means anointed one or king.
b. The Jews believed that this Messiah would redeem the people and free them from the rule of the Greeks, then the Romans

9. Religion in the Roman Empire
Many Hebrews began to resist Roman rule & believed that God would send the Messiah to restore the kingdom to the Jews

10. Quick Class Discussion: What happened in Judea during the Roman Empire?

11. The Birth of Jesus & Beginning of Christianity
Sometime between 6 & 4 B.C. in Judea, a Jew named Jesus was born;
According to Christian tradition, Jesus was the Messiah.
The Life and Teachings of Jesus
Roman power spread to Judea, the home of the Jews, around 63 B.C. At first the Jewish kingdom remained independent, at least in name. Rome then took control of the Jewish kingdom in A.D. 6 and made it a province of the empire. A number of Jews, however, believed that they would once again be free. According to biblical tradition, God had promised that a savior known as the Messiah would arrive and restore the kingdom of the Jews. Roughly two decades after the beginning of Roman rule, many believed that such a savior had arrived.
Jesus of Nazareth Although the exact date is uncertain, historians believe that sometime around 6 to 4 B.C., a Jew named Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea. Jesus was raised in the village of Nazareth in northern Palestine. He was baptized by a prophet known as John the Baptist. As a young man, he took up the trade of carpentry. At the age of 30, Jesus began his public ministry. For the next three years, he preached, taught, did good works, and reportedly performed miracles. His teachings contained many ideas from Jewish tradition, such as monotheism, or belief in only one god, and the principles of the Ten Commandments. Jesus emphasized God’s personal relationship to each human being. He stressed the importance of people’s love for God, their neighbors, their enemies, and even themselves. He also taught that God would end wickedness in the world and would establish an eternal kingdom after death for people who sincerely repented their sins. (Refer to pages 286–287 for more about Christianity.)
A Growing Movement Historical records of the time mention very little about Jesus. The main source of information about his teachings are the Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament of the Bible. Some of the Gospels are thought to have been written by one or more of Jesus’ disciples, or pupils. These 12 men later came to be called apostles. As Jesus preached from town to town, his fame grew. He attracted large crowds, and many people were touched by his message. Because Jesus ignored wealth and status, his message had special appeal to the poor. “

12. Quick Class Discussion: What were the basic teachings of Jesus?

13. The Teaching of Jesus, according to the Bible
Jesus did good works, performed miracles, & delivered his religious teachings
Jesus preached a faith based on the Jewish belief in one god (monotheism)
Jesus taught that he was God’s son & that God would rid the world of evil
He taught of God’s love, mercy and forgiveness towards others, & eternal life in heaven for those who repent their sins and follow him.

14. Exclusivity of Jesus’ teaching (Compare to other faiths)
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (Words attributed to Jesus. Gospel of John, Chapter 14, verses 6 and 7)

15. Quick Class Discussion: What kind of person in the Roman Empire would Christianity appeal to?

16. Jesus’ followers were known as disciples
Jesus & the Disciples
Jesus’ message of eternal life in heaven appealed to many people, especially the poor
Jesus’ followers were known as disciples

17. Quick Class Discussion: How & for what reasons did Jesus die?

18. The Crucifixion of Jesus
a. Many Jews did not accept the idea that Jesus was the Messiah & accused him of blasphemy (contempt for God)
b. Roman leaders feared Jesus’ growing popularity
c. In approximately 29 A.D., Jesus was arrested for defying Roman authority & was crucified

19. The Crucifixion of Jesus
d. According to the Bible, Jesus purposely allowed the authorities to arrest and crucify him, because his crucifixion would allow him to take the punishment for the sin of mankind.

20. Resurrection
According to the Bible and Christian tradition, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, proving that he was who he said he was and proving victory over death.

21. Difference between Jewish and Christian Messiah
Jewish Messiah was an earthly king who would restore the Kingdom of Israel, achieving redemption through earthly freedom.
Jesus, the Messiah of Christianity, had a purpose to restore mankind’s standing before God, achieving redemption through forgiveness of sin. That forgiveness allowed people to go to heaven and live an eternal life with God.

22. Quick Class Discussion: What role did the apostle Paul play in Christianity?

23. The Spread of Christianity
a. The Apostles, Jesus’ 12 disciples and Paul, molded Jesus’ teachings into a new religion called Christianity based upon the idea that Jesus was God’s son & that he died for man’s sins
Paul’s Mission One man, the apostle Paul, had enormous influence on Christianity’s development. Paul was a Jew who had never met Jesus and at first was an enemy of Christianity. While traveling to Damascus in Syria, he reportedly had a vision of Christ. He spent the rest of his life spreading and interpreting
Christ’s teachings. The Pax Romana, which made travel and the exchange of ideas fairly safe, provided the ideal conditions for Christianity to spread. Common languages—Latin and Greek—allowed the message to be easily understood. Paul wrote influential letters, called Epistles, to groups of believers. In his teaching, Paul stressed that Jesus was the son of God who died for people’s sins. He also declared that Christianity should welcome all converts, Jew or Gentile (non-Jew). It was this universality that enabled Christianity to become more than just a local religion.
b. The Apostles taught that Jews & non-Jews were welcome as Christians

24. The Spread of Christianity
c. The stories about Jesus life, teaching, death, and resurrection were written down and called the Gospels [(1) Matthew, (2) Mark, (3) Luke, and (4) John]
Paul’s Mission One man, the apostle Paul, had enormous influence on Christianity’s development. Paul was a Jew who had never met Jesus and at first was an enemy of Christianity. While traveling to Damascus in Syria, he reportedly had a vision of Christ. He spent the rest of his life spreading and interpreting
Christ’s teachings. The Pax Romana, which made travel and the exchange of ideas fairly safe, provided the ideal conditions for Christianity to spread. Common languages—Latin and Greek—allowed the message to be easily understood. Paul wrote influential letters, called Epistles, to groups of believers. In his teaching, Paul stressed that Jesus was the son of God who died for people’s sins. He also declared that Christianity should welcome all converts, Jew or Gentile (non-Jew). It was this universality that enabled Christianity to become more than just a local religion.

25. After Jesus’ death, Paul helped spread Jesus teachings throughout the Roman Empire
Christianity spread quickly due to roads, numerous trade routes, & common language throughout the Roman Empire

26. Quick Class Discussion: How did the Romans treat Hebrews & Christians?

27. Persecution of Jews & Christians
Spread of Judaism & Christianity were seen as problems for the Roman emperors:
Jews & Christians refused to worship the Roman gods or recognize the emperor as more important than God
Many Christians & Jews were persecuted by Romans; Many were crucified, exiled, or executed during gladiator events
Christians who died became martyrs (people who sacrifice their lives for their beliefs) which helped spread the faith
By the second century, as the Pax Romana began to
crumble, persecution of the Christians intensified. Romans
exiled, imprisoned, or executed Christians for refusing to
worship Roman deities. Thousands were crucified, burned,
or killed by wild animals in the circus arenas. Other
Christians and even some non-Christians regarded persecuted
Christians as martyrs. Martyrs were people willing to
sacrifice their lives for the sake of a belief or a cause.

28. Quick Class Discussion: What was unique about Emperor Constantine?

29. Christianity Becomes Recognized
Christianity spread throughout Roman Empire & gained popularity
In 312 A.D., Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity & issued the Edict of Milan which gave freedoms & equality to Christians
In 395 A.D., Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire

30. Constantine moves capital

31. Church of the Holy Sepulchre

32. The Bible
The Christian Holy book is called the Bible. It is a collection of the Jewish Scriptures (Old Testament) and letters written in the first century AD (New Testament).

33. Nicene Creed
In the 300s AD, there was disagreement about what the church believed. The Nicene Creed was created to affirm what the church believed.

34. Nicene Creed
A Christian profession of faith that states that (1) Jesus was eternal and helped create the world, (2) Jesus was God in the flesh (“incarnate”), (3) Jesus was crucified, (4) Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, (4) God will judge the living and the dead, and (5) there is baptism for forgiveness of sin.

35. DIVISION IN THE CHURCH

36. DIVISION IN THE CHURCH
The Roman Empire was split into two even before Constantine’s time, so with that division came a divide in the church.

37. DIVISION IN THE CHURCH
In the West, the Bishop of Rome gained prominence, and was viewed as the leader of the church. His title would later be changed to the Pope.

38. DIVISION IN THE CHURCH
In the East, the Bishop of Constantinople rose to leadership as the “first among equals.” The title would later be changed to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.

39. Meanwhile… The Fall of Rome
(West) The Fall of the Roman Empire
(East) The Fall of the Byzantine Empire

40. The Great Schism
In 1054AD, the Western and Eastern church disagreed about a few theological topics, including who was the head of the church.
The church split in two in 1054 when Pope Leo IX excommunicates the Ecumenical Patriarch, Michael Cærularius.
Patriarch Michael responds by excommunicating the pope.
The Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church were officially divided into two separate churches after this point.

42. Constructive Response Question
Describe the origin and core beliefs of Christianity.