1. Announcements
First blog response due on Wednesday, January 25th (that’s TODAY) by MIDNIGHT (11:59pm)- The Roman Context, Lynch Ch. 3 + Ehrman Ch. 3
See list on WordPress for Ehrman chapter titles (under “supplementary”)
Paper assignment discussion on Monday, January 30th

2. The Greco-Roman Context: Religious Diversity + Competing Ideologies
RELS 3300: Early Christianity
Wednesday, January 25, 2017

3. Realities of the Greco-Roman World
Greco-Roman World: Lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea from the time of Alexander the Great to the first three centuries of the Roman Empire
No middle class (mostly)- few upper class, majority lower class/poor
Estimates up to 1/3 of the population were slaves
Limited social mobility
Disease
Lack of education
Travel was dangerous
Polytheism vs. Religious skepticism
This is the world in which Christianity first develops…and it had many rivals.

4. Discussion Question
How would you explain the varying waves of religiosity and skepticism that characterized Greco-Roman culture?

5. Religious Landscape of the G-R World
In the Greco-Roman world, religious life was dynamic, and a wide variety of religiosity + criticism flourished!
Polytheistic vs. Monotheistic
Present life vs. Afterlife
Cultic devotion vs. Doctrine
Church + State
Tolerance vs. Intolerance

6. The Greco-Roman World: A Hierarchy
GOD
GREAT GODS
DEMONS, LOCAL GODS
DEMIGODS, HEROES, OTHER DIVINE BEINGS
HUMANS

7. Cults and Cultic Devotion
Cult/Cultic: “Care of the gods”; Correct worship of the gods (primarily through prayer and sacrifice) in return for divine favor.
Proper worship was more important than doctrine.
Daily rituals + Festival celebrations
Augurs + Extispicy
Official and voluntary cults

8. Official Cults Religious practice to benefit the society as a whole.
Supported and funded by the government.
Cult practice carried out by government officials + lore experts.
Laypeople did not play a large role, other than as spectators.
Festivals were held across the Empire to worship state gods.

9. Voluntary Cults
Cultic worship that focused on the development of the individual in relation to a particular deity.
Promises: rebirth, purification, immortality
Components: location, myth, ritual, explanation/personal revelation
Emotional connection and response
Examples:
Eleusinian mysteries
Mithras
Isis
The Great Mother
Dionysus

10. “Religious Entrepreneurs”
astrology- daimonia in the stars
oracles: mouthpiece of the gods
magic: the “dark” side of religion

11. Philosophy: “What is really real?”
Reflection on existence, morals + ethics, outside of the cultic
Different concerns than the popular religious practice
Focus on doctrines
Valued education and discipline
Discussion of individual well-being in the world
Writings for educated (literate), public proclamations more typical of the time
Less tolerance
Goals of conversion
Stoics, Epicureans, Platonists

12. Roman Religious Tolerance…And Its Limits
YAY!
Understanding of different gods
Avoid rebellion
Wanted support of conquered peoples’ deities
NAY!
Early debates about inclusion of foreign gods in Rome itself
No anti-Roman sentiments
Rituals thought too barbaric
Groups meeting in secret

13. Bringing It All Together
Judaism in the Greco-Roman Context
Differences
God of Israelites specifically- covenant
Worship distant homeland god, rather than local
The Temple was the only temple
No images
Similarities
Ancient form of cultic devotion
Hierarchy of less powerful immortal beings
Divine beings could appear in human form
Christianity emerges as a movement that shares several characteristics with other rival movements at the time.

14. The Emergence of Christianity: Critical Analysis of Sources
The first written accounts of the life of Jesus emerged years after his death.
There is no mention of Jesus in any of the pagan literature from the first century CE.
What were the benefits of following Jesus? Observable results.
Spreading the message- a massive game of telephone
People who had never seen Jesus passing on the story of his life and works
“Truth” not based in observable historical fact.

15. Discussion Question: Moral Truth vs. Historical Fact
How can something be “true” but not factual or historically accurate? Can you think of any examples where this is the case?

16. NEXT WEEK: Monday, January 30th Paper assignment discussion
Introducing… Jesus! The man, the mystery.
Wednesday, February 1st
Jesus in Context- speculations about how his contemporaries understood his message. (Blog response due)