Transcript Chapter 5 Ancient Rome and the Rise of Christianity

Chapter 5
Ancient Rome and the Rise of
Christianity
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Christianity
-Early on in Pax Romana, a new
religion, Christianity emerged
in a distant corner of the
Empire
-Many different religions in the
empire
-By 63 B.C., Romans had
conquered Judea where most
Jewish people lived.
-Romans allowed Jewish people to worship their one god
-Many Jews reluctantly lived under Roman rule, however,
some wanted a revolt against Rome and believed a
messiah would come to lead their people to freedom
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Jesus
-born in 4 B.C. in Bethlehem
-worshipped God and followed Jewish law
-at 30 began preaching to villagers, used parables-short
stories to teach about the kingdom of heaven and
working miracles such as the feeding of the 5,000 and
raising Lazarus from the dead
-called 12 disciples to help him spread his ideas; they
were called apostles
-some Jews welcomed Jesus, but many of the priests
felt he threatened their leadership and their
relationship with Rome
-Roman authorities were convinced by the priests that
Jesus would lead the Jews in a revolt against their rule 3
Death of Jesus
-According to the gospels
(first 4 books of the New
Testament which chronicle
his life), Jesus was betrayed
by one of his disciples,
arrested by the Romans,
and killed by crucifixion-a
person was bound to a
cross and left to die
The Gospels relate that Jesus
had died but had risen from
the dead and commanded his
disciples to spread his
teachings throughout all the
world after which he
ascended into heaven.
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Christianity Spreads
-Followers of Jesus were called
Christians
-Disciples preached the
message of Christianity
throughout the Roman world
-Peter established Christianity
in Rome itself
-Paul played the most
influential role in spreading
Christianity
He spread Christianity throughout the Mediterranean
-His letters became part of the New Testament in the
Bible
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Christians Oppressed
-Romans were not tolerant towards Christians
because:
-they refused to honor the emperor with
sacrifices
-they refused to worship Roman gods to
protect the state
-Christians were used as scapegoats, blamed for
social and economic problems
-Many Christians became martyrs- or people who
suffer or die for their beliefs
-However, Christianity continued to spread due to
the fact that all people were welcome, it promised
a better life after death, and it taught people a
better way to live
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Early Christian Church
-Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in A.D. 313.
-The Edict granted
freedom of
worship to all
citizens of the
Roman empire
-By the end of the century, Emperor Theodosius made
Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire
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Structure of the Church
The Christian Clergy
Pope/Patriarch
Bishop
Diocese
Priest
+
Community
Bishop
Diocese
Priest
+
Community
Bishop
Diocese
Priest
+
Community
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