CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS Roman Governor Pontius Pilate allowed Jesus to be crucified

1)BLASPHEMY

2)PLOTTING TO BECOME KING

3)FEAR OF INCITING REVOLT

DAY 2

CORE REASONS FOR CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS

POWERJesus would weaken

Judaism and power of High Priest, Pharisees,

and Temple

MONEYRome wanted to keep its steady stream of TAX $$

RESURRECTION OF JESUS Jesus arose 3 days laterEASTERChristians believe in resurrection of

JesusJesus = Messiah

“12 APOSTLES”“a person sent forth”

MARTYRDOM OF PETERPeter traveled to Rome

crucified upside down by Nero

Peter viewed as 1st “Bishop” or Pope of the Christian Churchtoday all Popes are believed to be

descendants of St. Peter“Apostolic Succession”

Early Christian church was called the “Catholic” ChurchCatholic means “Universal”

ST. PETER’S BASILICA in VATICAN CITY

THE VATICAN

SAUL to PAUL•Persecuted Christians•blinded by God on road to Damascus – Jesus asked “why are you persecuting me?”•converts to Christianity•Paul was a Roman citizen, so he could travel freely throughout the empire•spread to Gentiles

CHANGES NAME TO PAUL

Saul was his Hebrew

name….Paul was his Roman name by his father…it

was also not attached to his Jewish past, but

his Gentile future

REASONS FOR GROWTH OF CHRISTIANITY IN THE ROMAN

EMPIREHow can Christianity grow in an empire that is trying to end it?

1. Security of the Roman Empire allowed citizens and ideas to freely move around

2. Common Language of Greek throughout Empire (Alexander the Great)

3. Road System throughout the empire4. Fatalism of Roman Religion

when you die there is nothing else People liked the “Hope” of Christianity

belief in an afterlife5. Persecution of Christians

“blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christianity”

CHRISTIANITY BECOMES ONLY

RELIGION312 Constantine becomes 1st Christian EmperorBattle of Milvian Bridge

“in this sign conquer”Edict of Milan

380 Theodosius makes Christianity the official religion

476 Western Roman Empire fallsChristian Church will become the main

uniting and stabilizing force in W. Europe

Christianity after fall of Rome during “Dark

Ages”POLITICALLY structure itself like a “government”

Stability Education morality

RELIGIOUSLY Ensure uniformity in making decisions over:

o beliefso practices and rituals

Prevent priests or bishops from acting independently

Provide orderly way to settle conflicts over doctrine or practices

Helped bring an

end to the DARK AGES