1. Rise of the Church

2. Origins of Christianity
Hebrew Old Testament
Jesus of Nazareth (2 B.C.-30 A.D.)
Jewish man who claimed to be the Son of God
Preached ethical concepts- humility, charity, and love toward others

3. Spread of Christianity
Paul of Tarsus (3- 66 AD) traveled and wrote letters spreading Jesus’ message
Spread quickly
Personal
Offered salvation and eternal life
Gave meaning and purpose to life
Created community

4. Persecution Roman Authority threatened
Christians refused to worship the state gods or emperors
Persecuted from Nero (37-68 A.D.) to Diocletian ( A.D.)

5. End of Persecution Constantine Theodosius the Great
First Christian emperor
Edict of Milan (313) - official tolerance of Christianity
Theodosius the Great
Christianity becomes official Roman state religion (391)

6. Church Role in Middle Ages
After Rome falls, the Church takes on many gov’t functions
Justice system
Tax collection
Road and aqueduct repairs
Hospitals
Care for the poor
The Church grows incredibly rich, powerful, and corrupt

7. Popes Considered the head of the Catholic Church
Christ’s representative on earth
Infallible (incapable of making mistakes; perfect)

8. Just for fun… (Don’t write this down)
In Salem, Massachusetts, the Chadwick family found this Dorito shaped like the Pope’s Mitre or the Pope’s Hat. It sold on Ebay for $1209.
This is Jesus’ face on a piece of toast
This grilled cheese has the Virgin Mary’s face on it. It sold for $28,000 on Ebay.

9. Catholic Church Hierarchy
God
Pope
Clergy- people
appointed for
religious
service
Cardinals
Bishops
Priests and Monks
Laity- not in clergy

10. Pros/Cons Preserved classical knowledge Offered order in chaotic times
Instilled moral values in society
Corrupt
Abused power

11. Naughty Popes! Assignment:
Read the “10 Worst Popes of All Time” packet
Decide who were the worst Popes and which ones weren’t so bad
On your paper, rank the Popes from worst to best (1 being worst, 10 being best of the ten) and explain why you chose to rank them that way in 1-2 sentences