Christianity: Origins and Popularization in the Roman Empire

*Jesus of Nazareth, ca. 4 BCE-ca. 30 CE

Galilee

*Gospels "Good News"

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

New Testament

Charismatic Reinterpretation of Judaism

Miracles

Baptism

Forgiveness

Equality

*Messiah

Christ "Anointed One"

Death and Resurrection

Pontius Pilote

Apostles

Slow Spread of Christianity in Roman Empire, ca. 30-300 CE

Internal debates among Christians

Ethnic Religion vs. Universal Religion

Was Christianity a Jewish sect?

Hostility of Roman government

Prohibited, 60 CE

Transportation networks

Latin and Greek as official languages

*Paul of Tarsus (ca. 3 BCE-64 CE)

Jew

Roman citizen

Wrote in Greek

Adaptability

Early organization of underground church

Rites

Baptism

Common meal (Last Supper)

Prayers, hymns, and readings

Organization

Priests

Bishops

*Patriarchs:

Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Rome, Constantinople (4th c.)

Popularization of Christianity in Roman Empire, ca. 300-500 CE

Number of Christians

5 million, ca. 300 CE

Under 10% of empire's population

60 million, ca. 500 CE

Most of the population

Spiritual appeal?

Imperial support

Conversion of *Constantine (r. 306/324-337)

State religion under Theodosius I (r. 379-395)

Christians favored

Polytheism persecuted

Imperial Patronage

Building projects

Church of Holy Sepulcher

Doctrine established

Nicaea (near Constantinople), 325

Arians expelled

*“Heresy”

*"Orthodox" Bible defined, 2nd-4th c.

Old Testament (Hebrew Bible)

Gospels

Letters of Paul and other apostles

Latin translation of Jerome (ca. 340-420 CE)

Doctrinal Divisions

*“Orthodoxy”

Gospel of St. Matthew, “Sermon on the Mount”

Composed around 90 CE

*“Heresy”

Gospel of St. Thomas

Composed in 2nd c. CE

Lecture Study Questions

1. How did Jesus reinterpret the teachings of the Hebrew Bible? How are his early life and teachings similar and different from the Buddha?

2. How did the religious organization and doctrines of Christianity develop from the lifetime of Jesus to the late Roman Empire?

3. Why was Christianity's spread in the Roman empire relatively slow until 300 CE?  How did imperial support enable Christianity to become the majority religion of the Roman Empire by 500 CE? Compare with the spread of Buddhism in South Asia.

Reading Study Question

Hansen, et al., 146-148, 159-167, 170

1. What is known of the early life of Jesus? What were his religious teachings? After the death of Jesus, what roles did his disciples and the early convert, Paul, play in spreading the message of Jesus?
 
2. What do we know about early Christian beliefs and religious practices while the religion was prohibited in the Roman Empire? Think particularly about the letter of "Pliny the Younger to Emperor Trajan" (p. 162-63) and the painting from a house church (p. 164).
 
3. According to Hansen and Curtis, the Roman Emperor Constantine "issued the Edict of Milan, which officially allowed the practice of Christianity [in 313]. Like Ashoka's...decision to support Buddhism (Chapter 3), this decision proved crucial to the spread of Christianity" (p. 164). Why do the authors believe that the actions of these two rulers were crucial to the spread of Buddhism and Christianity? Do you agree with their thesis?

Supplementary Reading on D2L>Content:

17a) "The Gospel of St. Matthew"; 17b) "The Gospel of St. Thomas"

1.  What is similar and different about the messages of the two gospels? Do any passages in "The Gospel of St. Thomas" remind you of Buddhist ideas?

2.  Compare "The Gospel of St. Matthew" (p. 199) with "The Gospel of St. Thomas" sayings 49, 54, 58, 68, and 69. What might explain the similarities and differences?

3. Why do you think that "The Gospel of St. Thomas" was labeled heretical?