Mr Ermer World History Miami Beach Senior High

Mr. Ermer World History Miami Beach Senior High THE RISE OF CHRISTIANITY

THE ROMAN RELIGION � Caesar Augustus restores Roman religion � Religion had declined during the late Republic Greek gods worshiped with Roman names � Emperors worshiped as gods � Observation of rituals brought humans into better relationship with gods � � Success comes from pleasing the gods Romans tolerant of others’ faiths; worship of native gods allowed in provinces � Religions of the East were considered trendy, became popular among Romans looking for a more emotional religion/faith �

JEWISH BACKGROUND � In Hellenistic times, Jews given much more independence than other cultures � A. D. 6: Roman province of Judaea covers land of the Israelites, ruled by a procurator � Unrest, difference of opinion about Rome � Sadducees: cooperate with Rome � Pharisees: observe religious law to keep Jewish identity � Essenes: lived as hermits waiting for God to save them from Roman oppression � Zelots: called for open revolt against Rome

RISE OF CHRISTIANITY � A. D. 30: Jewish prophet named Jesus begins preaching in Judaea and Galilee � Jesus’ Mission: complete salvation God promised to the people of Israel “Messiah” � Taught people to look for inner peace by practicing humility, charity and love toward others � Put to death for “revolutionary” ideas � Followers days later said he rose from the dead three

WORDS OF JESUS: � “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfill them” � “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” � “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. ”

SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY � Began as a movement with Judaism � Prominent leaders include: � Simon � First Peter: Jesus’ friend, Jewish fisherman leader of the Christian religion � Paul: educated Jewish citizen of Rome, who took the message of Jesus to Gentiles � Paul believed that Jesus was the Son of God, and humanity can be saved from sin by accepting the teachings of Jesus � Paul wrote letters outlining his beliefs

SPREADING THE WORD OF JESUS � Followers wrote down Jesus’ sayings, and stories from his life � A. D. 40 -100: Christians use these stories, sayings to create Gospels (good news) � Together with the letters of Paul and others, they form New Testament � By 100, churches found in most cities in Eastern empire, and some in West

THE CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION � Christian values vs. Greco-Roman values � Christians refuse to worship emperors � Romans think of this as treason � Christians believe in only one God, and worshiping another endangers soul � Nero begins persecution (harassing to cause suffering), blaming them for fire � By the end of the rule of the five “Good Emperors”, persecution mostly stopped

CHRISTIAN TRIUMPH � Even with persecution, Christianity grows � Persecution seen as strengthening faith � Persecution forces organization � Bishops lead whole communities in prayer � System of organization gives specific jobs to clergy (church leaders) and laity (followers) � Christianity grew quickly in the 1 st Century A. D. , took root in the 2 nd, and spread widely in the 3 rd Century

REASONS FOR GROWTH � Christian message appealed to Romans � Christianity gives purpose to life � Roman religion was impersonal and existed for the benefit of the Roman Republic/Empire � Christianity=personal, eternal life, salvation � Christianity seemed familiar, shared qualities with other trendy faiths from East � Christianity offered sense of belonging � Churches=close community with common goals, help one another; inclusive (rich/poor)

CHRISTIANITY: RELIGION OF THE PEOPLE � “You have put on the new self…Here there is no Greek nor Jew, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. ”~ Paul’s Letter to the Colossians � Christianity preached of spiritual equality � Rich, � Last poor, free, slave all could be saved persecution was in 4 th Century, under Emperor Diocletian, who admitted the strength of Christianity was too much

CHRISTIANITY: OFFICIAL RELIGION OF ROME � A. D. 313: Emperor Constantine issues Edict of Milan, giving freedom of religion � Constantine becomes first Christian emperor of Rome, baptized at the end of his life � Theodosius the Great establishes Christianity as the official state religion of Rome

CHAPTER 2, LESSON 1 REVIEW: � On page 26, write and answer questions 1 -5