Transcript 1 - Berea College

Christian Traditions
Jeffrey L. Richey, Ph.D.
GSTR 220-B
Western Traditions I
Berea College
Fall 2004
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THE IMPERIAL CONTEXT OF
EARLY CHRISTIANITY
Following assassination of
Julius Caesar (100-44 BCE),
“dictator for life,” Rome
becomes an empire ruled by
Octavian (63 BCE-14 CE)
and his successors
As Augustus (Revered One),
Octavian is regarded as Son
of God (Apollo)
Under early emperors, Pax
Romana (Roman Peace)
quiets conflicts, brings
prosperity, and expands
Roman power throughout
world
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Greatest Extent of Roman Empire, c. 117 CE
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LIFE UNDER THE EMPERORS
Unlike the Republican era,
women enjoy many economic
freedoms, but are forbidden to
hold office, can be killed by
their husbands if adulterous,
and usually do not receive
educations
Politicians are exiled or
executed at whim of
emperors, leading to decline
of interest in public service
Slaves work at all levels of
society and represent
approximately 1/3 of Roman
subjects
Dominant value: pietas
(dutiful performance of social
and spiritual obligations)
Roman religion:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Polytheistic – Greek and Roman
deities seen as interchangeable;
amalgamated into one pantheon
Pluralistic – religious diversity
generally tolerated, unless seen
as threat to stability of state
Patriotic – religious activity
intended to secure blessings of
gods for the state
Patriarchal – organized around
male authorities (pontiff, priest;
paterfamilias, male head of
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household)
NEW RELIGIONS IN
AN OLD WORLD
As empire grows less stable
after 200 CE, more Romans
question traditional religion
“Mystery religions” become
popular:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Feature miracle-performing
founders
Offer secret knowledge
Promise individual salvation and
eternal life
Develop religious activities
independent of family and state
Focus on savior deities who die
and come back to life
Often connected with “exotic”
cultures of Near East
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JESUS OF NAZARETH
(4 BCE-29 CE?)
Born poor in Romanoccupied Palestine
Becomes a wandering rabbi
who heals and teaches
Hebrew scriptures
Teaches necessity of moral
perfection, casual attitude
toward ritual purity,
“blessedness” of society’s
outcasts, and nonviolence as
best means of resolving social
conflicts
Executed by Romans
Identified as resurrected
Messiah (Greek translation:
Christos) by his followers
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WHO IS JESUS?
… God’s “suffering servant”
who bears the sins of Israel
(Isaiah 55:6) …
… God himself, incarnated
“in the form of a slave”
(Philippians 2:6-7) …
… “Raised from the dead” (1
Corinthians 15:20) and
“ascended” to God (John
20:17) …
These images of Jesus
gradually become known as
“orthodox” (right-believing)
Other early Christians hold
different views of Jesus as…
… Teacher of secret
knowledge (Greek gnosis)
that only the initiated can
understand (Gospel of
Thomas 70)…
… The new god who has
come to sweep away Jewish
tradition, including the
Hebrew Bible and the Jewish
God who made this corrupt
material world (Gospel of
Marcion 6:17-42) …
Such“heterodox” (differentlybelieving) views compete
with “orthodox” views for
several centuries
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THE GROWTH OF
CHRISTIAN INSTITUTIONS
Within three hundred years of
Jesus’ execution, Christianity’s
status changes from obscure
Jewish sect to persecuted
Gentile faith to official Roman
religion:
313: Emperor Constantine (274?337) ends persecution of
Christianity and embraces faith
395: Emperor Theodosius I (346395) establishes orthodox
Christianity as empire’s sole faith
Christian institutions model
themselves on imperial
structures, complete with
Pontifex Maximus (High Priest)
based in Rome
Collapse of Western Roman
Empire in 476 leaves Western
Europe sparsely populated,
poor, and vulnerable to
invasions
Eastern Roman (Byzantine)
Empire, ruled from
Constantinople (modern
Istanbul), endures in spite of
territorial losses to Islamic
forces
“Christendom” (Christian West)
loosely unified by rule of
Germanic kings and
increasingly powerful Pope
(Bishop of Rome)
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WHY DID CHRISTIANITY
SUCCEED?
Roman persecution was
sporadic, allowing
Christianity to become
publicly acceptable in some
areas
Unlike paganism, Christianity
encouraged prosyletization
and conversion, and seemed
simpler and more unified
Christianity offered strong,
egalitarian, humane
community in a mass society
driven by class distinctions
and peppered with cruelty and
violence
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