The Christian Emergence

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The Christian Emergence
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Questions to Consider

• Edward Gibbons 5 Reasons for Christianitys
  victories
• Inflexible and intolerant
• Promise of resurrection and future life
  juxtaposed with damnation for nonbelievers
• Assertion of Miracles
• Morals as the basis for life
• Non-political focus
• What regulated society prior to the emergence of
  Christianity? (religiously)

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Making Christianity for the People

• How did Augustine contribute to the emergence of
  Christianity?
• Added substance and intellectual respectability
• Encouraged thinking as a part of the religion
• Formation of monk communities
• Emphasized the original sin concept as
  important
• Emphasized that the Church was the authority
• There WAS a Church

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Christianity and Judaism

• How did Christianity compare to Judaism by the
  6th Century?
• More Christians than Jews
• Persecution of Jews
• Convert or leave

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Spreading Christianity

• Explain the following
• For several centuries, Christianity was
  dominated by thousands of dedicated unmarried men
  and Women
• How did this change?
• Why were monks and nuns so useful when
  Christianity first started spreading?
• They were the front lines
• Was Christianity initially focused or fragmented?
  How so?
• Fragmented
• The emphasis was on local bishops, churches, and
  monasteries
• What is the difference and significance of the
  pope and patriarch?

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Christianity Basics

• MONOTHEISTIC
• Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
• Mass Appeal
• Anyone can be a member and in good standing
• Ideals organized around the New Testament of the
  Christian Bible
• Small in its first three centuries of existence
• Divides into east and west (Great Schism)
• Pope vs. Patriarch
• Benefits from syncretism
• Allowing new faith to blend and benefit with/from
  old religions (Easter)
• State important but religion more important
• Monastic orders to spread religion (Benedict)