The Rise of Christianity

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The Rise of Christianity
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Where and When

• In 6 AD, Rome took control of the formerly
  independent kingdom of Judea (Judah)

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The Savior

• God had promised the Jewish people a savior or
  Messiah who would restore the kingdom of Israel
  
• In the first two decades of the first millennium
  (0-20 AD), many though that he had come

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Jesus of Nazareth

• Born between 6-4 BC
• Born in Bethlehem (in Judea)
• Raised in Nazareth
• Carpenter
• Began preaching at age 30
• Taught
• Performed miracles
• Did good works
• Many of his beliefs held true to Jewish teachings

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• Similarities to Judaism
• Monotheism
• 10 Commandments
• Descended from Abraham

• Major Differences
• - Jesus is the Messiah
• - Eternal kingdom after death (not kingdom on
  earth like the Jewish belief)

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Where does this information come from?

• Gospels first four books of the New Testament of
  the Bible (Christian holy text)
• Thought to have been
• written by one or more
• of Jesus' pupils
• the apostles

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Jesus Death

• Popularity concerned both Jewish and Roman
  leaders
• Jewish Leaders
• Denied that he was the Messiah
• Said his teachings were blasphemy
• (contempt for god)
• Roman Leaders
• Defied authority of Rome

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Spread of Christianity

• First followers were Jews
• Jesus teachings did not contradict Jewish law
• Soon became its own faith

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Paul

• An apostle and Jew who never met Jesus
• Converted in Syria
• Stressed that Jesus was the son of God
• Pax Romana made travel and the spread of ideas
  easy
• Common languages (Greek and Latin) allowed
  teachings to be spread
• Paul invited all Gentiles (non-Jews) to convert
  universality of the religion not just a local
  religion

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Persecution

• Christians refused to worship Roman gods
• This was seen as opposition to Roman rule
• Christians used as scapegoats for problems
• When the Pax Romana was in decline, Christians
  were persecuted in large numbers
• Exiled
• Imprisoned
• Executed
• Crucified, burned, killed by wild animals

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Christianitys Appeal

• Embraced all people
• Jesus ignored wealth and status
• Gave hope to the powerless
• Appealed to those who didnt like the
  extravagances of the Romans
• Offered a personal relationship with God
• Promised eternal life after death

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Constantine

• 312 AD Emperor Constantine was fighting a great
  battle saw image of a cross troops were
  victorious
• 313 AD Edict of Milan declared Christianity to
  be one of the religions approved by the emperor

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Church Hierarchy

• Pope father or head of church
• Bishop supervises several churches
• Priest led small groups of Christians
• Peter Rock on which the
• Christian Church was built
• First Roman bishop
• All priests and bishops traced their
• authority to him

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Unifying the Faith

• Arguments over beliefs developed
• Heresy a belief that appeared to contradict a
  church belief
• New Testament single, official standard of
  belief
• Gospels (1st 4 books of NT)
• Letters of Paul
• Other documents