Download The Rise of Christianity

The Rise of
Christianity
1st Century BCE
Europe/Asia Minor (Turkey)/Asia
 Secular – not bound to religious law
 BC = BCE and AD=CE
 Pax Romana (27BCE to 180CE)
 Rome controlled
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the Mediterranean
Western Europe
Britain (Hadrian’s Wall)
western Middle East (Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Jordan,
Libya, northern Saudi Arabia
 CE6 Jews allowed to control their own religious matters
through a court system
 Faction – a group within a larger group
 Two factions grew within Jewish community
 Zealots – fought against Romans to control Judea
 Those faithful the messiah would restore kingdom
 Jesus
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Born in Bethlehem
Roman citizen
Jewish
Carpenter by trade
Northern Palestine (Nazareth)
 Began his public ministry @ 30
 Monotheism
 10 Commandments
 Personal relationship with God
 Love of God, neighbor, enemy and self
 Promise of salvation/Heaven
 Popularity grew
 Large crowds
 Gentiles – people not of the Jewish faith
 Blasphemy – contempt of God (action/speech)
 Pontius Pilate – Roman governor
 Jesus
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Challenging Roman authority
Mockingly called him “the King of the Jews”
Arrested and sentenced to death
Crucifixion – nailed to a cross like structure, common
method of death
 According to scripture he rose from the dead, reappeared
and ascended (rose) to Heaven
 Disciples – those who follow
 A very small sect began to spread the teachings
• Gospels – 1st four disciples to spread teachings
• Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
• 1st four books of the New Testament
• Jesus Christ (Cristos – Greek for messiah)
Roman Empire
 Excellent roads
 Common language (Latin)
 Open trade
 Fairly safe travel
 Ships protected from piracy by Roman Navy
 The Pax Romana set the stage for the spread of ideas
 Peter
 Spread teachings throughout Palestine and Syria
 The Cross became the symbol of their beliefs
 Saul (Hebrew name for Paul)
 Single most influential person in spreading C
 Originally Jewish, saw a vision, converted
 Small sect (division) largely ignored by Romans
 Nero (Roman Emperor)
 Blames Christians for a fire in Rome
 Begins 1st persecution of Christians
 Punished for not worshipping Roman gods
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Lost property
Imprisoned
Executed
Sent into the coliseums against animals
 Martyr – one willing to die or suffer for a cause
 CE70
 Jewish rebellion crushed by Romans
 Jerusalem destroyed
 CE132
 Romans drove the majority of Jews from homeland
 Diaspora – dispersal of Jews (Europe)
 Invasions and unrest caused millions to convert
Downfall of Roman Empire
 CE235-285
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26 Emperors, all but 1 assassinated
Plagues spread
Crime went unpunished
Wars drained the treasury
Food supplies ran out
Prices were inflated
• Anarchy – total chaos
 CE284
 Diocletian was named emperor by army
 Moved capital to Asia Minor
 He controlled the eastern empire
 CE306-337
 Constantine reunited the empire under 1 ruler
 Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) new capital
 CE330
 the eastern ½ of the Roman Empire would become
known as the BYZANTINE EMPIRE lasting until 1453
when the Ottoman Turks sacked the city
 Heresy – any act that does not adhere to the teachings
of a religion
 Heretic – a person who does not adhere to the
teachings of a religion
 The Edict (a law) of Milan (city in Italy) declared
Christianity an accepted religion
 The Nicene (Nicaea, Anatolia) Creed (belief) –
Christian leaders agreed on the basic beliefs and wrote
them down