Christianity

Christianity

by Sandra Conley

​based on reading from Mr. Dowling.com

​A New Religion Begins during the Pax Romana

​ Christianity is now the religion of over two billion people on every populated continent, but the faith began as a small movement in the city of Jerusalem in the Roman province of Judea.  Jerusalem is a city on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the modern nation of Israel. 

Most of the people who lived in and near Jerusalem during the reign of Caesar Augustus were Jews who believed in one God.  This was unusual because at that time, most Romans were polytheists.  Polytheists are people who believe in many gods. 

The Romans allowed the Jews to practice their faith and did not force the Jews to worship Roman gods.  About 30CE, a holy man named Jesus began to attract a following in Jerusalem.  Jesus’ followers came to believe that Jesus was the son of the God of the Jews and that he performed miracles. 

Multiple Choice

In what way was the Jewish religion a change from the religious practices of the Ancient Greeks and Romans?

• The Jewish religion promoted the idea of reincarnation.

• Jews believed that a higher being was flawed just like humans.

• Jews taught that there was an afterlife.

• Jews believed there was only one God.

Multiple Choice

What are polytheists?

• People who believe there are many gods.

• People who believe there is only one God.

• People who believe we pass through many lives.

• People who believe every living thing contains a small part of a god.

Multiple Choice

What did the followers of Jesus believe about Him?

• They believed he was one of the Roman gods.

• They believed He was the Son of God (the one God of the Jews).

• They believed he was the god Zeus in human form.

• They believed he was the god Ares in human form.

Open Ended

Why do you think the Romans did not force the Jews to worship Roman gods?

​Christianity Begins

​ The followers of Jesus angered Roman authorities because they refused to follow either Jewish or Roman laws.  The authorities arrested and executed Jesus by nailing him to a cross.  This form of execution is known as crucifixion.  Three days after his execution, Jesus’ followers said they saw him risen from the dead. Christians believe that salvation is given to all people through the resurrection of Jesus.

The followers of Jesus called him Christ.  Christ is a Greek word that means “chosen one,” because his followers believed Jesus was chosen by God to be his messenger.  In time, the followers of Jesus became known as Christians.  The Christians taught that people’s sins would be forgiven if they became a Christian. Their message was not successful with many Jews, but countless pagans throughout the Roman Empire responded to the idea of Christian salvation.

Multiple Choice

In what way was Christianity a change from the religious practices of the Ancient Greeks and Romans?

• Christians were monotheistic.

• Christians taught that there was an afterlife.

• Christians promoted the idea of reincarnation.

• Christians believed that a higher being was flawed just like humans.

Multiple Choice

What is the fundamental belief of Christianity?

• All people must follow the Tenfold Path to improve their lives.

• The world is controlled by multiple gods who often fight with each other.

• Salvation is given to all people through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

• People can gain enlightenment through meditation and self-reflection.

​Christianity Spreads

​ Many passionate believers carried the message of Jesus throughout the Roman Empire.  One of the most successful was a Greek-speaking Jew named Saul of Tarsus, known to Christians as Saint Paul.  As a young man, Paul helped to persecute Christians, but one day, shortly after the crucifixion of Jesus, Paul had a vision in which he believed Jesus spoke to him from heaven.  Paul spent the rest of his life writing about Christianity and winning new converts to the faith.  Through the persistence of Paul and other Christian missionaries, small Christian communities developed throughout the Roman Empire.

The first Christians believed that Jesus would quickly return to earth, and so saw no need to create any written records of his life.  About fifty years after the crucifixion of Jesus, Christians combined the stories of the life and wisdom of Jesus into four books known as Gospels.  Gospel means “good news.” 

Multiple Choice

How did Christianity spread at first?

• Christians such as Paul spread the "good news" of salvation to others.

• It became the official religion of Rome.

• Christianity replaced Judaism as the religion of the Jews.

• Christianity was spread through newspapers.

​The Bible

​ The Bible is the holy book of Christianity; it consists of the Old Testament and the New Testament.  The Old Testament was written long before the time of Jesus; it contains the sacred writings of the Jewish people such as the Ten Commandments.  The New Testament includes the Gospels, along with letters written by Paul and other Christian writers.  The Bible has been translated into more than 1,500 languages and has been read by more people than any other book.

Multiple Choice

In what way are Judaism and Christianity similar?

• They both believe Jesus is the Messiah of the world.

• They both share a belief in multiple Gods.

• They both consider the New Testament to be the word of God.

• They both follow the Ten Commandments as a moral code.

​ At first, the Romans did not mind that Christians did not worship Roman gods.  The Roman Empire was prosperous, and there were not many Christians.  The Emperor Nero began persecuting Christians in 64ce.  Nero blamed Christians for causing a great fire that burned for more than five days and destroyed much of Rome.  Within the next two hundred years, barbarian warriors attacked the empire.  Many Romans suggested that the Roman Empire was experiencing bad times because a growing group of Christians did not worship the Roman gods.

Roman emperors became increasingly intolerant of Christianity.  In 202 CE, Emperor  banned any Roman citizen from converting to Christianity or Judaism.  Those who disobeyed the emperor were often tortured by soldiers or forced to fight wild animals at sporting events.  Despite the persecutions, Christianity continued to grow.

Multiple Choice

How did Roman emperors react to Christianity when it first began?

• Roman emperors converted the Christianity and made it the official religion.

• Roman emperors allowed Christianity because it made little difference to them.

• Roman emperors put all Christians in jail.

• Roman emperors used their messages to spread Christianity.

Multiple Choice

How did Roman emperors begin to treat Christians as the religion spread?

• Christians were seen as insignificant and allowed to practice their religion freely.

• Christians were commanded to spread their religion throughout the empire.

• Christians were made advisors to the emperor.

• Christians were often persecuted and killed for their beliefs.

​Christianity Becomes Official

​ Emperor Constantine ended persecution of Christians when he seized power in 306ce.  Four years later, Constantine made Christianity legal throughout the Roman Empire.  A legend says that on the eve of a battle, Constantine saw a Christian symbol in the sky with words that translate to “By this sign you shall conquer.”  Constantine never went so far as to establish Christianity as the official religion of the empire, but he did legalize the religion and encouraged its growth. 

While Constantine supported the Christian Church, he continued to worship Roman gods.  In 337ce, Constantine was dying.  Only then did the emperor call for a bishop so that he could be baptized into the Christian Church.  Fifty years after Constantine’s death, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. 

Multiple Choice

Prior to Constantine's conversion, how did the Roman leaders react to the spread of Christianity within the Roman Empire?

• They accepted Christianity and forced everyone to convert.

• They ignored Christians and allowed them to practice their religion without interference.

• They persecuted Christians and forced them into hiding.

• They adopted some aspects of Christianity and merged them with their own beliefs.

Multiple Choice

What effect did the spread of Christianity have on the Roman Empire?

• It was eventually adopted as the official religion of the Empire and became an important part of western culture.

• It caused non-Christian countries to stop trading with the Roman Empire in order to keep people from converting.

• It prevented the spread of other religious beliefs such as Islam.

• It led to decrease in wealth since Christians took vows to live in poverty.