Persecution

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Persecution

• 2nd and 3rd Century Christianity

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• The Roman empire allowed its people to believe
  whatever they wanted to believe as long as they
  observed the State Religion
• The Romans took very seriously the public
  sacrifices
• Believed that if you do not offer sacrifices to
  the gods, they get angry and abandon you
• Keeping the gods pacified was the top priority

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Exceptions

• Jews were the only ones exempt from performing
  the State Religion
• The earliest Christians were exempted from
  performing sacrifices
• As Christianity separated from Judaism, Romans no
  longer felt obligated to grant them the exclusion
• Religions needed official approval to operate
  legally
• Judaism had this status
• Christians didnt
• It did not help that Christians were followers of
  someone the Romans had executed as a political
  threat

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Background of Jesus followers

• Slaves
• Atheists
• People saw the gods and their powers as a regular
  part of daily life
• since Christians refused to acknowledge these
  gods, they seemed to be denying the very
  foundation of the spiritual belief
• Christians were also accused of
• Cannibalism
• Practicing black magic
• treason

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What started the persecutions?

• Christians refused to offer sacrifices
• violating Roman law
• if a group of people refused to offer
  sacrifices, this was seen as a flat rejection of
  Roman rule
• Especially if they did this because they were
  worshiping what the Romans viewed as a competing
  god
• It meant you were politically opposed to the
  empire and would revolt if only you got the change

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The Emperor

• The people were also expected to pay homage to
  the genius of the Roman emperor.
• Genius refers to the divine spirit of the emperor
• Most emperors claimed to be divine
• Making a sacrifice to the emperors genius was
  really a patriotic duty - today Pledge of
  Allegiance to the flag today
• Christians saw it as sacrificing to a pagan idol
• If only a few people had resisted, it would not
  have been a problem but as the number of
  Christians grew, authorities faced the prospect
  of widespread resistance to the roman rule - an
  intolerable situation

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Situation

• Rome was defensive because it was falling apart
• From inside corrupt leaders
• From outside Barbarian invaders gained
  territory
• Needed more military
• Christians would not join the military, they were
  pacifists (love your enemies)
• Rome demanded religious conformity for strength
  (Diocletian)
• People had to
• Worship Roman Emperor
• Christians would not sacrifice treason
  (violating the civic duty and not honoring the
  State Religion)
• if you dont keep the gods happy, Rome will not
  succeed
• sacrifice to the gods carry a certificate of
  sacrifice

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Christians fault persecution

• Many believed that the empire almost collapsed
  due to the direct result of the gods disapproval
  of Christians
• The empires survival depended on suppressing
  Christianity and getting people to turn back to
  traditional customs and religion
• Christians were persecuted

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Catacombs
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• Christians were executed by facing fire, wild
  animals, or gladiators in huge arenas.
• This was a form of public entertainment as well
  as political propaganda that communicated a clear
  message about the danger of disloyalty to the
  empire.
• Those Christians who refused to sacrifice to
  Roman gods and goddesses were often murdered.
• These Christians are called martyrs
• The word martyr means witness
• It refers to those who choose to die rather than
  renounce their beliefs

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Facing the test

• Not all Christians were able to face up the
  prospect of torture and death
• Some failed to stand up for their faith and were
  called lapsi
• Lapsi means lapsed or failed
• Included laypeople, priests, bishops, and even a
  pope
• Pope Marcellinus handed over copies of the sacred
  books and offered incense to the gods
• He was called a traditor traitor
• Means one who hands over

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Reforming the lapsi

• Some Christians said the lapsi should be
  readmitted
• Others believed they should be excommunicated for
  life
• The Church as a whole came to a decision that
  those who lapsed needed to do penance but
  afterwards could once more join the Christian
  community
• Not everyone agreed with the churchs decision

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Martyrdom in the ancient world

• Martyrdom was uncommon in the ancient world
• Earliest account of martyrdom appears in 2nd
  Maccabees
• The mother and her seven sons
• This kind of faithfulness was unheard of in the
  ancient world
• No ones lord required absolute fidelity

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martyrologies

• A body of literature that related the heroic and
  horrifying tales of honor, torture, death, and
  glory.
• The format included
• A first person narrative by the martyr -
  explaining his or her desire to share in Christs
  suffering or leave this life for the greater one
  awaiting
• An account of the execution written by an
  observer of the events