1. Chapter 5, Section 4 The Rise and Spread of Christianity

2. I. Background: Roman Religion  Augustus brought back traditional Roman religious festivals  The Romans worshiped many Gods like Jupiter, Juno, Minerva, and Mars  All of the Roman Gods were based on Greek Olympic Gods

3.  Romans believed that if they observed the right rituals, they would be guaranteed peace and prosperity  Romans also believed that if their empire was successful, it meant the Gods favored them  Romans allowed all different religions to exist

4. II The Jewish Background and the Rise of Christianity  By A.D. 6, Judea was a Roman province under the direction of a procurator  Judea-The Jewish Kingdom of Judah, now Israel  Procurator-A Roman official in charge of a province

5.  There were many divisions of Jews living in Judea  Sadducees- cooperated with the Romans  Pharisees- Urged Jews to follow Jewish law to protect the Jewish identity  Essenes- Were waiting for God to come to Earth to save the Jewish people  Zealots- Told Jews to violently overthrow the Romans

6.  In 66, there was a revolt by the Jews against the Romans  The Romans defeated the Jews and destroyed their temple in Jerusalem The temple was the center of Jewish worship

7.  During this time, Jesus, a Jew began to preach of the love of God  Jesus taught people to love one another, treating all as neighbors  Jesus’ teachings became the foundation of Western civilization: humility, charity, and love of others

8.  Jesus frightened the Romans because they thought he might tell the Jews to revolt against Rome  Pontius Pilate (the procurator) ordered Jesus’ crucifixion  Many people believed Jesus rose from the dead and Jews began to worship him as their Messiah

9.  Paul was one of the most important early Christians  Paul spread the message of Christ to both Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) around the Roman World  Paul wrote many letters to Christian churches in the Roman world which eventually became part of the New Testament

10.  Romans were fearful of Christians because they refused to worship Roman Gods  Many Romans felt that Christians would ruin public order and morals  It was seen as a crime in early Rome to be a Christian

11.  People still worshiped in hiding and Christianity grew during the period of Pax Romana

12. III. The Triumph of Christianity  Because the Romans persecuted Christianity, it strengthened and became more organized  The early Christian church organized people into clergy and laity Clergy- church leaders Laity- everyday church members

13.  Finally in the 4 th century, the emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in the year 313  In the Edict of Milan, Christianity became one of the official religions of Rome  Theodosius the Great later made Christianity the official religion of Rome