World History Ch. 6 Section 4 Notes

1. Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
The Rise of Christianity
Preview
• Main Idea / Reading Focus
• Christianity and Judaism
• Jesus of Nazareth
• The Spread of Christianity
• Map: The Spread of Christianity
• The Early Christian Church

2. Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
The Rise of Christianity
Main Idea
1. A new religion called Christianity developed within the Roman
Empire and gradually spread throughout the Roman world.
Reading Focus
• How was Christianity rooted in the teachings of Judaism?
• What were the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth?
• How did Christianity spread throughout the Roman world?
• What was the early Christian Church like?

3. Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Christianity and Judaism
Roman Compromise
• Jews had to pay tribute to
Romans but unwilling to
abandon religion for polytheistic
religion of Romans
• Roman leaders allowed Jews to
practice religion as long as they
paid tribute, maintained civic
order
Judaism in the Roman World
• Teachings of Jesus of Nazareth
developed into new religion—
Christianity
• Many of teachings rooted in
beliefs, customs of Judaism
• 63 BC, Romans conquered
Judaea, chose new ruler for
region, installed him as king

4. Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Judaism in the Roman World
Reactions to Roman Rule
• Judaism had different branches, varying ideas on cooperation with Romans
• Zealots called on fellow Jews to drive Romans from Judaea, reestablish
Kingdom of Israel
Zealots
• Zealots formed pockets of resistance against Romans of Judaea
• After mass uprising AD 66–70, Romans sacked Jerusalem, killed thousands
of Jews, destroyed Second Temple
Messianic Prophecies
• After revolt in 130s, all Jews banned from Jerusalem
• Not all Jews willing to take up arms; others waited coming of Messiah—
spiritual leader prophesied to restore ancient kingdom, bring peace to world

5. Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Make Generalizations
What were two Jewish reactions to Roman
rule?
Answer(s): refused to give up religion; Zealots
wanted to rise up against Roman rule

6. Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Jesus of Nazareth
Against this background, a spiritual leader named Jesus of Nazareth
emerged, teaching people to prepare for God’s Judgment Day.
Life
• Nearly all knowledge of Jesus
comes from Gospels—first four
books of New Testament
• New Testament and books of
Hebrew Bible make up today’s
Christian Bible
• Jesus born in Bethlehem, near
Jerusalem
• Learned carpentry, studied
writings of Jewish prophets
Preaching
• Jesus preached message of
renewal and warning
• Gathered group of disciples
• Created excitement by
performing miracles of
healing; defending poor,
oppressed
• Instructed people to repent of
sins, seek God’s forgiveness
• Must love God above all, love
others as much as self

7. Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Death and Resurrection
Jesus’s popularity, crowds alarmed authorities who
feared political uprisings
• Jesus arrested, tried, sentenced to death
• According to New Testament, after crucifixion
– Jesus rose from dead
– Spent 40 days teaching disciples
– Ascended into heaven
• Followers believed Resurrection, Ascension revealed
Jesus as the Messiah

8. Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Summarize
What was the main message of Jesus’s
teaching?
Answer(s): Followers must love God above all
else, and love others as they loved themselves.

9. Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
The Spread of Christianity
2. After Jesus’s death, his disciples began teaching that all people
could achieve salvation—the forgiveness of sins and the promise of
everlasting life.
Apostles
• Jesus’s 12
disciples worked
to spread message
• Earliest Christian
missionaries
• Apostles traveled
widely, teaching
mostly in Jewish
communities
Paul of Tarsus
• Paul, originally
known as Saul,
born in Tarsus, in
Asia Minor
• Had actively
opposed those
teaching that Jesus
was the Messiah
Conversion
• Paul had
conversion on way
to Damascus,
became Christian
• If not for his work,
Christianity might
have remained a
branch of Judaism

10. Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Converting the Gentiles
• Paul believed God sent him to convert non-Jews, or Gentiles
• Paul helped make Christianity broader religion, attracted many new followers
• Helped establish Christian churches throughout eastern Mediterranean
• Paul’s epistles, or letters, to those churches later became part of the New
Testament
Roman Christianity
• Paul found some Jewish customs hindered missionary work among non-
Jews, dispensed with those requirements for Christians
• Paul emphasized new doctrines that helped distinguish Christianity from
Judaism
• Christianity spread; message of love, eternal life after death found appealing
• By AD 300, some 10 percent of Roman people were Christian

11. Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Persecution
Results
• As Christianity spread through Roman world, some local officials feared
Christians conspiring against them; arrested, killed many Christians
• Those killed seen by Christians as martyrs, people who die for their faith
Threat
• Christians persecuted at local level, but large-scale persecution rare during
first two centuries after Jesus’s life
• Large-scale persecution by Romans grew as rulers saw Christianity as threat
Imperial Approval
• Spread of Christianity hastened by conversion of emperor Constantine
• AD 313, Constantine made Christianity legal within empire, Edict of Milan
• By late 300s, polytheism gradually disappeared from empire

12. Rome and Early Christianity Section 4

13. Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Find the Main Idea
What helped spread Christianity through the
Roman world?
Answer(s): Paul of Tarsus and other disciples;
Constantine’s conversion; outlawing of public non-
Christian sacrifices by Theodosius

14. Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
The Early Christian Church
Communities
• Earliest Christian churches not
only spiritual organizations but
close-knit communities
• Provided all kinds of support for
members
Deepening Faith
• Ceremonies developed to
inspire people’s faith, make
them feel closer to Jesus
• One ceremony was Eucharist
Complex
• Support included burial
services, food, shelter
• Christianity grew; organization
became more complex
Ceremonies
• During Eucharist, people eat
bread, drink wine in memory of
Jesus’s death, resurrection
• With baptism, people are
admitted to the faith

15. Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Expansion of the Church
3. By about 100, priests who were trained in these ceremonies became
prominent within Christianity. The authority of the priests was based on
the authority Jesus gave the Apostles. This spiritual authority
distinguished the priests from the general congregation of the church.
Administrative Structure
• Church expanded, developed
administrative structure
• Bishop oversaw church affairs, had
authority over other priests
• 300s, heads of oldest
congregations, patriarchs, had
authority over other bishops
Peter the Apostle
• Many believed Peter founded
Roman Church, was first bishop
• Later bishops of Rome, popes,
Peter’s spiritual heirs
• Gospel of Matthew: Jesus gives
Peter keys to kingdom of heaven
• Therefore future popes inherit keys
Patriarchs did not recognize the popes’ supremacy claims at first, but
over time popes gained more influence within the Christian Church.

16. Rome and Early Christianity Section 4
Summarize
How did the Christian Church change as it
grew?
Answer(s): Special ceremonies and rituals
developed; priests became a special class within
Christianity; bishops had authority over priests;
the bishop of Rome became a pope.