Early ChristianityLife after Jesus

Early Spread of Christianity Jesus’ teachings oral (like Buddha,

Socrates) Early worshipers: Word of mouth Meetings in houses; no churches yet Popular among Jewish people Expected Jesus’ return…any day now! Roman roads (like Silk Road) facilitate

spread

Paul of Tarsus Jewish Conversion on way to Damascus Letters of advice to groups: started to

formalize Jesus’ moral teachings Call for conversion of “gentiles” (non-

Jews) or pagans Impact

Christianity’s Appeal Immortality possible Broad appeal across social classes Forgiveness for sins Call for action (spread the good word) Sense of community (brother, sister) Early inclusion of women Support for widows, orphans, poor

Growing Acceptance Early rejection/persecution

Misunderstandings Exaggerations Fear threat to state

Thawing of tensions Hostilities decrease Trajan (r. 98-117) forbids persecution

Christians build structure Permanent institutions (vs. “house churches”) Bishops: determine jurisdiction Scholars(theologians) establishing “official”

scripture, moderate anti-Roman parts

Diocletian and the Crisis of the 3rd Century

Emperor 284-305• Factions/power

struggles=civil war; instability from within

• Outside invaders• Barbarians from

north• Sassanid from East

Division of the Roman World under Diocletian (293)

• Division of the Empire• Tetrarchy• Emperor or Augustus of

each plus two assistants (Caesars)

• Tetrarchy failed; division permanent

• East becomes Byzantine Empire, West sees decline of Roman government; rise of barbarian kingdoms

Constantine and Christianity

Legalizes Christianity in 312

Makes Sunday public holiday

Later baptized himself Endows building of

churches Frees clergy from taxes

(in return for loyalty) “You scratch my back,

I’ll scratch yours”

Istanbul was Constantinople (was Byzantium) New capital est. by

(guess who!?) “New Rome” Bosporus Strait:

Europe/Asia boundary Why?

Eastern capital Less devastated Wealthy, strategic Center of thriving

Christianity

Controversies in ChristianityChurch vs. State “It is written, God’s

to God and Caesar’s to Caesar. The palace is the Emperor’s, the churches are the Bishop’s.”--Bishop Ambrose

Iconoclastic controversy

Nature of Jesus (Christological debate) Arianism vs.

Trinitarianism Council in Nicaea

in 325 (Creed) Nestorian Schism

of 430

I believe in one God:the Father Almighty,maker of heaven and earth,and of all things visible and invisible;

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,the only begotten Son of God:begotten of his Father before all worlds,God of God, Light of Light,very God of very God,begotten, not made,being of one substance with the Father,through whom all things were made;who for us men and for our salvation   came down from heaven,and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost   of the Virgin Mary,   and was made man;and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;he suffered and was buried,and the third day he rose again   according to the Scriptures,and ascended into heaven,

and sitteth on the right hand of the Father;and he shall come again, with glory,   to judge both the quick and the dead;whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord, and Giver of Life,who proceedeth from the Father and the Son;who with the Father and the Son together   is worshipped and glorified,who spake by the Prophets.

And I believe in one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins.And I look for the resurrection of the dead,   and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Emperor Theodosius finishes the job… 380, makes Christianity official religion

of the Roman Empire “Canon law” allowed (church gets own

courts, own body of law) Christians begin persecuting pagans…

history comes full circle!

Christianity: East vs. West Eastern Orthodox Emperor is supreme,

appoints patriarch, church is gov’t dep’t

Patriarch head of church in Constantinople

Monasteries: more autonomous; not schools

Greek, not Latin, dominant language

Priests: beards, not celibate Use leavened bread in

ceremonies

Roman Catholic Bishop of Rome comes to hold

greatest power (Pope) and claims sole and final authority over Christians everywhere

State has varying degree of power

Monasteries: uniform Rule of St. Benedict; schools, medicine

Priests: shaved, celibate (after 1050)

Use unleavened bread

In the West…. The Franks=most successful Barbarians Clovis and Clotild and the Merovingian Dynasty

(Franks) Charles Martel (The Hammer) defeats Muslims in

France (732: Battle of Poitiers) Charles the Great (Charlemagne) and the

Carolingians 800: crowned emperor Builds churches, promotes scholarship, allies with Pope Renovatio Romani Imperi Regains much of earlier empire Builds administrative infrastructure (missi dominici)

In the East…Justinian (6th century) Code, Digest, Institutes: corpus juris civilis

Sorted out best of Roman law and recorded it Written in Latin; Translated into Greek

Preserved Greek and Roman learning Architectural advances: Hagia Sofia Atmosphere of learning, literature, history Recovers some territory of earlier Roman

Empire

Ju

Hagia Sofia

Reasons for Success of East Strong military Greek fire Strategic position

of capital Natural and man-

made defenses

Byzantine and Sassanid Empires c. 600

Christendom in 800 CE Transformation (vs. Fall) of the Roman Empire Strength in the East vs. West

Distinctly different civilization (Third Wave) Thriving trade

Western cities declined; became largely rural Charlemagne’s Frankish Kingdom = highpoint

of the era in West Treaty of Verdun 843: Splits W. Europe for good “Dark Ages” (perhaps overstated…)