Early Christianity

1. Early Christianity Life after Jesus

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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”

9. 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

10. Controversies in Christianity Church 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

11. 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 againaccording 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.

12. 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!

13. 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

14. 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 (missidominici)

15. 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

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17. Hagia Sofia

18. Reasons for Success of East • Strong military • Greek fire • Strategic position of capital • Natural and man-made defenses

19. Byzantine and Sassanid Empires c. 600

20. 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…)