Transcript Christian - ejchsapworldhistory

"One person of
integrity can
make a
difference."
Elie Wiesel
THE RISE OF MONOTHEISM
The movement towards a distinctive monotheistic
religious tradition with a distinct emphasis on
ethical values emerged in the Middle East
 It found expression in Zoroastrianism and in
Judaism
 While these religions did not spread widely, the
principle of monotheism influenced the
development of Christianity and Islam

ZOROASTRIANISM
Arose during the height of the Persian Empire
 A Persian prophet, Zarathustra (Zoroaster to the
Greeks), in possibly the sixth or seventh century
BCE preached a new religion
 His ideas received state support during the
Achaemenid dynasty (558-330 BCE)
 Zarathustra had been appalled by the violence of
recurring cattle raids
 He offered a new worldview

According to Zarathustra, a single, unique god,
Ahura Mazda, ruled the world and was the
source of all truth, light, and goodness
-But Ahura Mazda was in a cosmic struggle with
the forces of evil
-Evil was embodied in the supernatural figure of
Angra Mainyu
-Ahura Mazda would eventually triumph when a
final Savior would arrive and restore the world to
its earlier purity and peace
-At the day of judgment, those who had joined
with Ahura Mazda would be granted new
resurrected bodies and eternal life in Paradise
-Those who sided with evil were condemned to
everlasting punishment

Zoroastrianism was accepted within the Persian
heartland and found some followers in Egypt,
Mesopotamia, and Anatolia
 But it was never a missionary religion
 The faith was weakened by Alexander the Great’s
invasion of Persia but it survived and flourished
again during the Parthian (247 BCE-224 CE) and
Sassanid (224-651 CE) dynasties
 However, the arrival of Islam led to the final
decline of Zoroastrianism in Persia
 A few believers fled to India where they became
known as Parsis (Persians) and continue to
practice their faith to the present times

Like Buddhism, Zoroastrianism vanished from
its place of origin but unlike Buddhism, it did not
spread in a recognizable form
 But the presence of Jews in the Persian Empire
led to an exposure to Zoroastrian ideas
-Conflict between good and evil
-Idea of a last judgment and resurrected bodies
-Belief in the final defeat of evil
-The arrival of a savior (Messiah)
-The remaking of the world at the end of time

JUDAISM
Judaism developed among the Hebrews
 According to Hebrew tradition, the prophet
Abraham, led his people from Mesopotamia to
Palestine
 Over time, a portion of the Hebrews moved to
Egypt where they were enslaved but then
miraculously escaped to rejoin their kin in
Palestine
 By around 1000 BCE, the Hebrews established a
small state that soon split into a northern
kingdom called Israel and a southern state of
Judah.

Israel was conquered by Assyria in 722 BCE and
many of its inhabitants were deported to other
regions
 In 586 BCE, the kingdom of Judah came under
Babylonian control and its elite class was
shipped off to exile
 In Babylon, these exiles, now calling themselves
Jews, retained their cultural identity and later
were able to return to their homeland
-Identity lay in unique religious ideas
-Through religion as opposed to empire-building,
the Jewish people influenced world history

Jews believed their god, called Yahweh, was a
powerful and jealous god who demanded
exclusive loyalty
(“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” –
The First of the Ten Commandments, moral and
ethical rules of Judaism)
 A difficult commandment because as Jews turned
from pastoralism to agriculture were attracted to
the fertility gods of neighboring peoples
 But over time, monotheism triumphed
 Came to believe in a covenant with Yahweh
-In return for sole devotion and obedience,
Yahweh would consider the Jews his chosen
people, favoring them in battle, causing them to
grow in numbers, and bringing them prosperity
and blessings

Increasingly Yahweh was seen as a lofty,
transcendent deity of utter holiness and purity,
set far above the world of nature, which he
created
 But people could communicate actively with
Yahweh unlike the ultimate reality found in
Daoism or Hinduism
 In addition, Yahweh was transformed from a god
of war to a god of social justice and compassion
for the poor and marginalized, especially in the
pronouncements of the Jewish prophets such as
Amos and Isaiah

The Jews had developed a distinctive conception
of the divine – singular, transcendent, personal,
separate from nature, engaged in history, and
demanding social justice and moral righteousness
above sacrifices and rituals
 These ideas sustained a separate Jewish identity
in both ancient and modern times
 This understanding of God provided the
foundation on which both Christianity and Islam
were built

STRAYER QUESTIONS
What aspects of Zoroastrianism and Judaism
subsequently found a place in Christianity and
Islam?
 What was distinctive about the Jewish religious
tradition?

THE RISE OF CHRISTIANITY
The Greatest Extent of the
Roman Empire – 14 CE
The Spread of Christianity
THE LIFE AND TEACHING OF JESUS

Romans Conquer Judea
Rome conquers Judea, home of the Jews; makes it
part of the empire in A.D. 6
 Many Jews believe in a coming Messiah (meaning
anointed one), or savior, who will eventually free
them.

THE LIFE AND TEACHING OF JESUS
 Jesus
Jesus was born in
Bethlehem
sometime around 6
to 4 B.C.
 He was raised in
Nazareth in the
province of Galilee.
 He is a carpenter
until about the age
30 when he begins
preaching.

Mosaic of Jesus at Church of San
Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, Italy.
of Nazareth
The Beginnings of Christianity
in Bethlehem
THE LIFE AND TEACHING OF JESUS

Jesus of Nazareth (continued)
According to the four Gospels (of Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John) Jesus is said to perform miracles.
 He stresses a personal relationship with God, love for
friends and enemies.

THE LIFE AND TEACHING OF JESUS
A
Growing
Movement


Sermon on the Mount by Danish
painter Carl Heinrich Bloch, 1890.
Apostles-from the
Greek word
“apostolos” means
literally “someone
sent out.” These are
twelve men who are
close disciples of
Jesus.
Jesus ignores
wealth and status;
his message appeals
to the poor.
THE LIFE AND TEACHING OF JESUS

Jesus Death
Many Jews view Jesus as the Messiah; others see him
as a false teacher.
 Roman governor Pontius Pilate sentences Jesus to be
crucified.
 Apostles believe Jesus resurrected from the dead and
ascended into heaven.
 Jesus comes to be called “Christos,” the Greek word for
“savior.” The word Christian and Christianity is
derived from that word.

The Resurrection:
The Church Triumphant
CHRISTIANITY SPREADS THROUGH THE
EMPIRE

Growth of Christianity
Followers spread Christianity—new religion based on
the teachings of Jesus.
 The term “Christian” to designate followers of
Christianity was first used in Antioch (see Acts 11:
26).

CHRISTIANITY SPREADS THROUGH THE
EMPIRE

Paul’s Mission


Was originally named
Saul, and was a member of
the strict Jewish sect of
Pharisees.
He persecutes Christians
at first, but on his way to
Damascus to arrest some
Christians he has an
experience where he
claimed Jesus appeared to
him calling him to be an
Apostle to the Gentiles.
Saint Paul, by El Greco, circa
1608-1614
CHRISTIANITY SPREADS THROUGH THE
EMPIRE
Paul spends his life preaching and interpreting Christianity.
 Paul stresses Jesus is the Son of God who died for people’s
sins.
 Paul declared that Christianity was open to all, Gentile as
well as Jew.
 The common languages of Latin and Greek, spoken
throughout the empire, helps the spread of the Christian
message. The New Testament is written entirely in common
(Koine) Greek spoken by most people who live in the eastern
Mediterranean region.

St. Paul: Apostle to the
Gentiles
The Spread of Christianity
CHRISTIANITY SPREADS THROUGH THE
EMPIRE

Paul is the author of epistles or
letters to the churches. All of
these letters existing were
included in the New Testament.
Romans
 1 and 2 Corinthians
 Galatians
 Ephesians
 Philippians
 Colossians
 1 and 2 Thessalonians
 The Pastoral Epistles to
Timothy and Titus
 Philemon

CHRISTIANITY SPREADS THROUGH THE
EMPIRE

Jewish Rebellion
Jews rebel against Rome in 66 A.D.
 Romans storm Jerusalem and destroy the Temple in 70
A.D.
 Another Jewish rebellion occurs in 132 A.D., which the
Romans crush. Jews and ethnically Jewish Christians
are barred from Jerusalem.
 Diaspora—centuries of Jewish exile—from the Greek
word for “dispersal”.

The Jewish Revolt
C. E.)
(66-70
The Essene Community at
Qumran
The Jewish
Diaspora
CHRISTIANITY SPREADS THROUGH THE
EMPIRE

Persecution of the Christians
Christians won’t worship the Roman gods or the
emperor. They are considered enemies of the State.
 Roman rulers use Christians as scapegoats for hard
times.
 As Pax Romana crumbles, Christians are crucified,
burned, and killed in the arena.

A WORLD RELIGION

Christianity’s Expansion

Christianity becomes a powerful force and appeals to
people because of these reasons:
embraces all people
 gives hope to the powerless
 appeals to those repelled by extravagance of Roman life
 offers a personal relationship with God
 promises eternal life after death

A WORLD RELIGION

Constantine Accepts Christianity
Constantine—Roman emperor battles for control of
Rome in A.D. 312.
 He has a vision of a cross—the Christian symbol—and
places it on soldiers’ shields.
 He believes Christian God helped him win the battle
and legalizes Christianity.
 In A.D. 380 the Emperor Theodosius makes
Christianity the religion of the empire.

A WORLD RELIGION

Early Christian Church




Priests direct a single church (parish).
Bishops supervise numerous churches (diocese)
Apostle Peter is considered the first bishop of Rome,
therefore, the clergy trace their authority to him.
Pope—means father or head of the Christian Church.
Rome becomes the center of the Church.
A WORLD RELIGION
A


Single Voice
Church leaders compile standard Christian
beliefs in the New Testament
The New Testament is added to the Hebrew
Bible (renamed the Old Testament)
 The


Fathers of the Church
Early writers and scholars of Christianity are
called Fathers of the Church
Augustine, bishop in North Africa, is one of the
most important Fathers
He stressed the importance of receiving the sacraments
to obtain God’s grace
 He wrote his most famous book, The City of God.

Person(s)
1. Jesus of Nazareth
2. apostles
3. Paul
4. Pontius Pilate
5. Constantine
6. Peter
7. Augustine
Role in the Rise and Spread of Christianity
ACTS 11:26
“and when he had found him, he brought him to
Antioch. For a whole year they met with the
church and taught a great many people. And in
Antioch the disciples were first called
Christians.” (ESV)

Compare/Contrast the development, appeal, and
spread of Christianity and Buddhism.