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Rise of Christianity Chapter 13. 1 & 13. 2

Judaism and Rome • Many Jews hoped that God would send a deliverer to rescue them from Roman rule. • They wanted the kingdom of Israel to be restored.

Controlled by Romans • Although the Romans had taken over Judah, they allowed Jewish kings to rule it. • Augustus made Judah a Roman province and called it by the Roman name of Judea.

Controlled by Romans • Judea became tightly controlled by the Roman Empire. • The Jews disagreed among themselves over how to deal with the Romans. Still, Jerusalem remained their holy city.

Jewish Revolts • The Zealots rebelled against Roman rule in A. D. 66 but the Romans brutally crushed the uprising. The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and thousands of Jews were killed. • After the fall of Jerusalem, the Jewish defenders overtook the Masada fortress. • The fortress is now recognized as a symbol of Jewish heroism.

Jewish Revolts • By A. D. 700, Jews had settled in regions as far west as Spain and as far east as Central Asia. Later, they settled throughout Europe and the Americas. • Although the Jews were scattered around the world, they kept their faith alive by studying and following their religious laws and traditions.

Jesus of Nazareth • A few decades before the first Jewish revolt, a Jew named Jesus grew up in a small town called Nazareth in Galilee. • Later, Jesus began to travel and preach to people about his ideas. • A group of 12 close followers called disciples traveled with Jesus.

What was the message of Jesus? • Jesus preached that God was coming soon to rule the world. • He urged people to turn from their selfish ways and welcome the kingdom of heaven. • The message of Jesus reinforced the Jewish teachings.

What Was the Message of Jesus? • Jesus told people they had to love God and forgive others from the heart. • He often preached using parables that helped people interpret the ideas Jesus taught.

How Did Christianity Begin? • Many believed that Jesus was the promised deliverer. • Some Jews, however, felt he was deceiving people and opposed him. • Roman rulers viewed Jesus as a threat to law and order.

How Did Christianity Begin? • In about A. D. 33, Jesus traveled to Jerusalem with his 12 disciples to celebrate the Jewish holy days of Passover. • When he arrived, he was greeted enthusiastically and took part in the Last Supper, where Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with his disciples.

Betrayal of Jesus • During the meal, Jesus said one of his closest followers would betray him. • After the meal, leaders arrested Jesus to prevent trouble. • He was questioned by the Roman governor and sentenced to death.

Betrayal of Jesus • According to Christian belief, Jesus rose from the dead three days after his death. • The message of Jesus’ resurrection led to the birth of Christianity.

Early Christian Leaders • The early Christian leaders who spread the message of Jesus were called apostles. • Those who accepted Jesus and his teachings became known as Christians.

Early Christian Leaders • Early Christians met in homes of men and women. • At these gatherings, Christians prayed and studied the Hebrew Bible and early Christian writings. • The “Hebrew Bible” is the old testament • The Torah refers to the first five books of the bible

Early Christian Leaders • Peter and Paul were two important apostles of the early Christian church. • According to Christian tradition, Peter helped set up a Christian church in Rome after the death of Jesus.

Paul • Paul was raised as a loyal Roman who distrusted Christians. According to tradition while traveling to Damascus, Paul saw a great light and heard the voice of Jesus. • As a result, Paul became a Christian and devoted his life to spreading the message of Jesus. • Paul traveled throughout the eastern Mediterranean region and founded numerous churches.

What Are Basic Christian Beliefs? • Early Christians believed in one God, and that Jesus was the Son of God. They believed he had come to save people. • By becoming Christians and by accepting Jesus and his teachings, people could gain salvation.

What Are Basic Christian Beliefs? • Because of their faith in Jesus, Christians began to believe in God in a new way. • They believed in the Christian Trinity, which refers to the three persons of God: The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. • These teaching became the basis of Christian faith.

What Are Basic Christian Beliefs? • During the 100 years after Jesus’ death, Christianity won followers throughout the world. • The peace and order established by the Roman Empire gave people the ability to spread the Christian religion.

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Rise of Christianity: 13. 2

Christianity and the Empire • As apostles spread the message of Jesus, many people in the Mediterranean world became Christians – the Roman Empire contributed to this growth.

Christianity Spreads • Well-constructed roads meant Christians could easily travel from one region to another, and most people in the empire spoke either Latin or Greek. • Also, Christianity provided comfort to people during difficult times.

Christianity Spreads • It also spread quickly because it provided followers with security. Christians lived in communities where each member was responsible for taking care of the needs of others.

Why Did Romans Mistreat Christians • As the number of Christians grew, some Romans believed they were dangerous and a threat to the empire. • Christians at this time were secretive, fearing persecution. This secrecy led to nasty rumors. • Ex. Eating the “body of Christ” led to rumors of cannibalism • Romans expected everyone to worship the emperor as a god. The Christians believed that only God could be worshipped.

Why Did Romans Mistreat Christians • Also, Christians did not support warfare as a way to resolve problems. • People who thought Christians were dangerous believed they should be punished. • Christians were often mistreated, arrested and beaten. • Some became martyrs – they were willing to die rather than give up their beliefs.

The Empire Accepts Christianity • In A. D. 312, Emperor Constantine ordered his soldiers to paint the Christian cross on their battle shields. • He won the battle and believed the Christian God helped him.

Empire Accepts Christianity • Constantine became a strong supporter of Christianity. He attended religious meetings of Christian leaders and gave government aid to Christians. • One of Constantine’s successors, Theodosius, banned Greek and Roman religions and made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.

Axum and Kush • While Christianity was flourishing, great trading kingdoms were rising in East Africa. • The empire of Ethiopia was powerful, and its city-state of Axum was a trading center for Mediterranean and East Asian worlds.

Axum and Kush • Around A. D. 300, Axum defeated neighboring Kush, another citystate. • In A. D. 334, King Ezana of Axum made Christianity the official religion of Axum.

Organizing the Church • After the time of the apostles, separate Christian communities began to practice Christianity differently.

Church Leadership • Like the Roman Empire, the church came to be ruled by a hierarchy – an organization with different levels of authority. • The clergy were the leaders of the church and the laity were regular church members.

Church Leadership • By A. D. 300, individual churches were headed by clergy called priests. These individuals led worship services and managed local church activities. • Bishops explained Christian beliefs and managed regional church affairs. Bishops met in councils to define the teachings of the Church. The decisions they made were accepted as doctrine, or official church teaching.

What Writings Shaped Christianity? • By A. D. 300, four accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus were widely known. Each account was called a gospel, which means “good news”. • The four gospels and the writings of Paul and other early Christian leaders became known as the New Testament.

What Writings Shaped Christianity? • The New Testament along with the Greek version of the Jewish sacred writings (Old Testament) formed the Christian Bible. • Christian thinkers who explained the church teachings became known as the Church Fathers.

What Writings Shaped Christianity? • One of the most important Church Fathers, Augustine, wrote “The City of God”. • This was one of the first history books written from the viewpoint of a Christian.

The Bishop of Rome • By A. D. 600, the bishop of Rome was called by a special title: Pope. • Christians in the western part of the empire accepted the pope as head of all churches. Latin churches became known as the Roman Catholic Church. • Greek-speaking Christians, however, would not accept the authority of the pope over them. • Their churches became known as the Eastern Orthodox Church.