1. Major Early Churches

3. Rome Roman Catholic Church Congregation at Rome soon highly respected 4 main reasons 1. First church to be persecuted (Nero – 64 AD and Domitian – 95 AD) 2. Peter and Paul Martyred there Started by Peter and Paul? 3. Reputation for charity/hospitality 4. Very Big Church 1 Bishop, 46 elders, 7 deacons, 42 acolytes, 52 readers, 15,000 poor and widows

4. Alexandria Very pluralistic (many truths) Many Christians there worshipped Serapis

5. Serapis Invention of Ptolemy I? Attempted to unite Greeks and Egyptians Built a huge temple in Alexandria

6. Alexandria Very pluralistic (many truths) Many Christians there worshipped Serapis Syncretism combination of different (often contradictory) types of thought Ptolemy had Hebrew scriptures translated to Greek Allegorical interpretation Hidden meanings Example – Logos=God’s creative principle, not Son of God

7. Alexandria Valentine influential there (ca 135 AD) Suggested all names of gods represented same God Jesus was savior in the sense that he brought knowledge Knowledge = gnosis: Gnosticism Alexandrian school one of the best Similar to a modern university