How did Christianity impact the Roman World?

Period Two

NY State Standard 2Common Core RS 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and WS 1, 2

Did You Know Christianity Evolved from Judaism?

Ancient civilizations worshipped spirits in nature (animism) or many gods (polytheism).

1800 BCE Abraham (from Mesopotamia) made a covenant with God to worship only him, founding Judaism, the first accepted monotheistic religion.

The Jewish Bible is written, consisting of the Torah (the first 5 Books) through Chronicles. The Torah speaks of a messiah who

will bring peace and greater forgiveness to the Jewish people.

Jesus, a carpenter and Jewish preacher spreads his message for 3 years; is crucified by the Romans 33 CE.

The followers of Jesus believe he is the messiah and will return to bring peace to earth. They also

wrote The Gospels, which became part of the New Testament. They call the Jewish Bible the Old

Testament.

I Judaism at the time of JesusA) Jesus, the apostles, and the earliest converts to Christianity were Jews. B) There were several main sects of Judaism at the time of the birth of Jesus. 1. The Sadducees were the most conservative group. They rejected the Oral Torah (the Talmud and other Jewish tradition and commentary), and much of the beliefs about angels and demons. They focused on the temple rituals, and tended to be on friendly terms with Roman authorities. 2. The Pharisees acknowledged the authority of both the Written and Oral Torah and focused on personal obedience of the Law over temple ritual. 3. The Essenes were a much smaller sect, but they have become well known since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls that they are believed to have authored. The Essenes were an apocalyptic group that emphasized extreme personal purity and remained separate from the rest of the Jewish community.

C) Despite this diversity, however, the Judaism of Jesus' time was essentially unified by a devotion to one God, adherence to the Bible, emphasis on both Temple and Law, and the hope of a messiah. –religionfacts.com

II Paganism at the time of JesusA) With the exception of Judaism, religion in the Greco-Roman world was marked by syncretism - the easy exchange and borrowing of ideas and rituals between religious groups - so many of the pagan religions in existence in the time of Jesus shared common characteristics with one another. B) Nevertheless, distinct threads of pagan religious thought are clearly identifiable, the most prominent being the cults of the Roman state, the mystery religions, and the schools of Greek philosophy. 1. The Roman state cults were adopted from the Eastern pattern of deifying emperors and honoring the gods of individual cities. The cult of the emperor, which began with Augustus, was organized by the state and used primarily to reinforce and test political loyalty. Statues of Augustus were erected and rituals were developed to honor him, but the cult generated little religious feeling or personal belief. The primary significance of the state cult for early Christianity was in its political uses, for many Christians (and Jews) refused to offer a sacrifice in honor Caesar and were persecuted heavily for it. Although actual personal belief in the divinity of Caesar was of little to no importance to Roman authorities, the unwillingness of monotheists to go through the ritual motions was taken as evidence of disloyalty to the Roman Empire.

Paganism at the Time of Jesus Continued…2. The pagan mystery cults, named for their focus on secret knowledge and rituals available only to initiates, met the need for personal religious devotion that the state cult could not. Most of them held in common a heavy element of secrecy, the use of syncretism in their belief and practice, and a focus on the death and resurrection of a savior-god. 3. As Christianity expanded beyond Palestine, it also came into contact with Greek philosophy. Hellenistic thinking would become a significant influence on Christian thought, for most of the early church fathers were Greek-speaking gentiles (non-Jews) who had been trained in classical philosophy. Like the Hellenistic Jews before them, they believed classical philosophy to be compatible with the ancient teachings of Semitic monotheism, and even more with the teachings of Christianity.

III How did Christianity begin?A) Christians believe that Jesus was born to Mary (a virgin) in Bethlehem (a Roman territory). He was the son of God. Most historians believe he was born between 6 and 4 BCE. B) The Magi (wise men) saw a star in the sky and knew the messiah had been born. They traveled to Bethlehem and gave gold, frankincense, and myrrh as gifts. C) Jesus was raised in the Jewish faith in Nazareth by Mary and Joseph.D) As an adult, in Jesus preached in the Holy Land. *He was still Jewish* His followers were known as the 12 disciples.

How did Christianity begin? Continued…D)The Romans feared Jesus would lead a revolt against Rome due to some of his followers calling him the “King of the Jews”. BUT The Romans had appointed King Herod as King of Judea in 37 BC. He was Jewish. The Romans gave Herod the title 'King of the Jews' because of the Jewish population he ruled. This helps explain why the Romans felt threatened by Jesus being called “King of the Jews”. Jesus was arrested and crucified (hung on a cross and tortured to death).E) The Gospels say Jesus rose from the dead 3 days after his death, remained on Earth for 40 days, then rose to heaven.F) The followers of Jesus (disciples) became known as the apostles. Their goal was to spread the message that Jesus was the messiah.

Crucifixion was a common and painful form of Roman public execution.

Does the Shroud of Turin Show What Jesus Looked Like?

The Shroud of Turin first appeared in the 14th century. It allegedly is the shroud that covered the body of Jesus after his death.Most scientists believe it was a hoax, but many Christians believe that it shows the face of Jesus.

IV Christian BeliefsA) Christianity is monotheistic.B) God takes on three forms; the father, the son, and the

holy spirit. This is known as the Holy Trinity.C) Jesus is the messiah and will return to Earth to bring peace.

The earliest Christians were still Jews! They prayed in

synagogue and kept kosher. However, St. Paul (5 – 67 CE)

argued that because Jesus died for our sins, followers of Jesus no longer need to obey

all 613 laws of the Torah. *This is when historians

believe Christianity became a separate religion from

Judaism.

Christian Beliefs Continued…D) Christians believe in heaven and hell. The devil (Satan) was

an angel who rebelled against god.E) When Jesus returns to earth, there will be a final day of

judgment.

V Christian PracticesA) Jews observe the Sabbath (day of rest) on Friday nights and

Saturdays, while most Christians observe it on Sundays.B) Instead of prayer in a synagogue, Christians pray in church.C) Baptism: Babies are given Holy Water to wash away original sin.

(Belief every person is born with sin because we are children of Eve who disobeyed God.)

D) Holy Communion/Eucharist: Christians drink wine (a symbol of Jesus' blood) and eat a wafer (a symbol of Jesus' body) in Church.

Christian Practices Continued…E) Christian Monks and Nuns devote their entire lives to God.

They take a vow of poverty and chastity, and often live in a monastery (isolated religious community). Today many do charity work.

Mother Theresa was an Albanian born Christian monk. She won a Nobel Peace prize for her charity work with orphans in India and

other poor nations.

VI Christian Sacred TextsA) Christians refer to the Torah and the Jewish Bible as the

Old Testament (Genesis through Chronicles).B) Christians also read the New Testament. Originally

written in Greek, the New Testament contains the Gospels (stories about the life and death of Jesus, written after his death), and ends with the Book of Revelation (about the Day of Judgment).

Unlike Christians, Jews do not refer to the Torah as the Old Testament, as they do not believe that anything comes

after it.

VII Christian HolidaysA) Christmas celebrates the birthday of Jesus.B) Easter celebrates his resurrection. It follows the 40 days of

Lent (a time of repentance, when you ask for forgiveness).

DID YOU KNOW? December 25 is not Jesus’ actual birthday! In order to increase converts to Christianity, the church changed the date to coincide with

Saturnalia, a Roman holiday. Santa Claus was not always fat! The image of him as “jolly” became popular due to a Coca Cola advertisement in the 1930s.

Finally, bunnies and eggs are symbols of spring and fertility that go back to ancient pagan rituals.

VIII Sacred Christian PlacesA) ChurchB) Jerusalem: where Jesus was crucifiedC) Bethlehem: where Jesus was bornD) Nazareth: Where Jesus was raised

Via Della Rosa Procession: Worshippers

Carry a cross along the path Jesus may have

walked to his crucifixion.

IX Constantine and the Council of Nicea“When Emperor Constantine became the first Christian leader of the Roman Empire in the 4th century, there was dissent within Christianity, with one major question threatening to cleave the popular cult into warring factions: Was Jesus divine, and how? In June of 325 CE, 318 bishops from across the empire were invited to the Turkish town of Nicea, where Constantine had a vacation house, in an attempt to find common ground on what historians now refer to as the Arian Controversy. It was the first ever worldwide gathering of the Church. The Christianity we know today is a result of what those men agreed upon over that sticky month, including the timing of the religion's most important holiday, Easter, which celebrates Jesus rising from the dead. Jesus was as eternally divine as the Father, said one camp led by the Archbishop Alexander of Alexandria. The Arians saw Jesus as a remarkable leader, but inferior to the Father and lacking in absolute divinity. This was Constantine’s compromise: Jesus and God were of the same "substance," he concluded. A majority of the bishops agreed on the compromise and voted to pass the language into doctrine. Their statement of compromise, which would come to be known as "The Nicene Creed," formed the basis for modern Christian ideology. The bishops also decided upon a date for the holiest of Christian celebrations, Easter, which was being observed at different times around the empire. Previously linked with the timing of Passover, the council settled on a day that would never coincide again with the Jewish holiday — the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox.” Heather Whipps, 2008

Council of Nicea Continued…“The holy Synod cried out: So we all believe, we all are so minded, we all give our consent and have signed. This is the faith of the Apostles, this is the faith of the orthodox, this is the faith which hath made firm the whole world. Believing in one God, to be celebrated in Trinity, we salute the honorable images ! Those who do not so hold, let them be anathema. Those who do not thus think, let them be driven far away from the Church.” Medieval Sourcebook: Decree of Second Council of Nicea, 787

X Gnostic Christianity: an Example of Diversity in early ChristianityA) “Gnosticism” is derived from the Greek word “gnosis” (knowledge). Gnostics believed that they alone truly understood Christ's message, and that other streams of thought within Christianity had misinterpreted Jesus' mission and sayings. B) The Supreme Father God is unknowable and undetectable by human senses. She/he created a series of supernatural but finite beings called Aeons. One of these was Sophia, a virgin, who in turn gave birth to an defective, inferior Creator-God. This lower God is Jehovah, the God of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). He is portrayed as the creator of the earth and its life forms. He is viewed by Gnostics as fundamentally evil, jealous, rigid, lacking in compassion, and prone to genocide. "His pride and incompetence have resulted in the sorry state of the world as we know it, and in the blind and ignorant condition of most of mankind.“C) Spirit is of divine origin and good; the body is inherently earthly and evil. Gnostics were hostile to the physical world, to matter and the human body. But they believed that trapped within some people's bodies were the sparks of divinity or seeds of light that were supplied to humanity by Sophia. A person attains salvation by learning secret knowledge of their spiritual essence: a divine spark of light or spirit. They then have the opportunity to escape from the prison of their bodies at death.

Gnosticism Continued…D) Gnostics divided humanity into three groups: The spiritual, who would be saved irrespective of their behavior while on earth. The Soulish, who could be saved if they followed the Gnostic path. The carnal who are hopelessly lost. E) Gnostics did not look upon the world as having been created perfectly and then having degenerated as a result of the sin of Adam and Eve. Rather the world was seen as being evil at the time of its origin, because it had been created by an inferior God. They did not view the snake as a seducer who led the first couple into sinful behavior. Rather, they saw him/it as a liberator who brought knowledge to Adam and Eve by convincing them to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and thus to become fully human. F) The purpose of Jesus was to spread knowledge which would free individuals from Jehova’s control and allow them to return to their spiritual home with the Supreme God at death.

XI All Catholics Are Christian, But Not All Christians are Catholic

Focus Questions1. Fill in your Period 2 religion chart for Nicean Christianity and

Gnosticism.2. Why/how did Christianity become a separate religion from

Judaism? Is it more similar or different?3. Why did the Romans prior to Constantine persecute Christians? Do

you think Christianity would have spread to the extent that it did had it not been under persecution?

4. Does Christianity “borrow” any beliefs or practices from other religions or philosophies?

Key Vocabulary