Today, Christianity is the world’s most prevalent religion. Yet how did that come to be? Contrary to popular belief, the rise of Christianity was not an inevitable occurrence. Instead the rise of Christianity was due to the amalgamation of radical ideas and unexpected events. The radical ideas, of religious tolerance, conversion, the philosopher’s freedom to question, and missionaries, created the foundation for a new age of religion to rise.
Unbeknownst to many, Rome had a religious tolerance that was rare in the ancient world. Some might even call it radical. This tolerance allowed small cults and sects, including Christianity, to cultivate (de Ste Croix, 1963). Unfortunately, the Christian’s refusal to worship pagan gods caused the Romans
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Rome was comparable to the United States in that Rome was a melding of cultures and ideas. So long as the Roman gods were their primary deities, people could worship and deities they wished (Fierro, 2015). Unlike Roman religion, which offered no answer to life after death, these religions offered promises of retribution in death and eternal life (Fierro, 2015). Among them, was Christianity, which would eventually become the staple religion in Rome. As well as allowing sects and cults to grow, Rome’s religious tolerance allowed philosophers to question the very essence of a soul. A new school of philosophy, called Neoplatonism, arose, centred around the idea of the union between the soul and the Ultimate Being (Fierro, 2015). This freedom to question the state religion resulted in a radical change in Roman ideas. Harnack adds that the fall of polytheism was not due to the rise of Christianity, but rather, to the Roman philosophers, ethicists, and rationalists who realized the ruthlessness of polytheism and openly attacked it (Harnack, 1904).
Constantine's conversion and the subsequent fall of polytheism would have been useless if not for Paul the Apostle. Prior to Paul, Christianity was a hereditary religion, and conversion was uncommon. Paul was unique in that he preached to Gentiles and Christians alike (Fierro, 2015). For this, Paul became the first Apostle, or missionary, of Christianity (Fierro, 2015). His preachings allowed Romans to hear his message, and learn about the minority of people who practiced Christianity (Fierro, 2015). As more people converted, Christianity
PBS, "The Roman empire in the first century." Last modified 2006. Accessed February 2, 2014. http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/christians.html.
The Romans, originally called the Latins after the volcanic plain were they lived, were founded around 753BCE after the battle across the seven hills on the Tiber. The battle was fought between twin brothers Romulus and Remus, ending in the defeat of Remus (Duiker). Religion played a huge role in the daily life of Rome, the state religion lasting between 200BCE-250CE (“Roman Religion”). Temples to worship the gods were built throughout the Roman Empire and family houses would also have a small altar and shrine. The Roman religion was a mixture of fragmented rituals, taboos, superstitions, and traditions that they collected over the years from a number of sources. The Roman gods and goddess were a blend of several religious influences. Many of the gods and goddess were introduced through the Greek colonies of southern Italy; others had roots in old religions of the Etruscans or Latin tribes (“Roman Religion”). Roman authorities were generally tolerant of the dietes and religious practices of Empire subjects and tried to foster loyalty to the empire by merging these gods and goddess into the Roman Pantheon (Overfield). Normally all the Romans would require was that the various cults not threaten public order or morality. Cults like Bacchism, Celts Druid and Christianity were seen as violating all norms of social behavior and threatened the stability of Roman rule (Overfield). It was not until the rule of Constantine that Christianity was accepted. This Essay will explore the two religious practices, Vestal Virgins and Roman devotees of the cult of Isis, describing their religious life before Constantine’s conversion.
―"Religion in “Brave New World“." Religion in Brave New World. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
As can be seen, the strength of the Roman Empire may have had a great
Paul the Apostle, was a famous preacher of first century Christianity and was God’s tool used to spread the light of the gospel to the Gentiles. Paul is credited fir having written many books in the New Testament of the Bible. He was born an Israelite to a clan of the tribe of Benjamin, speaking the Aramaic and Hebrew tongues from infancy. He was an enthusiastic student and a stringent devotee of the Torah. He was the man that later had a peculiar meeting with the Lord Jesus Christ while on the road to Damascus. His life and duty were considerably altered and in turn eventually changed the course of the development of Western Civilization and culture.
The Roman Empire is credited with many things due partially to their ability to share, spread, and adapt culture. Rome was successful because it both conquered and shared the fruits of conquest with the conquered. Religion was one part of the culture that demonstrated the tolerance of Romans. For example, at the time of Jesus’ birth, paganism could be divided into three spheres: the official state religion, the traditional cults of the hearth and countryside, and the new mystery religions from the East. Even though the official religion in the Roman Empire began as Pagan, it ended as Christianity when Emperor Theodosius declared it as the official religion in A.D. 380. The following examines two works of fiction that deal with religion during the Roman Empire.
Like the famous saying goes, Rome wasn 't built in a day, and that couldn 't be truer. There are many things that led to the founding of Rome, and those things ultimately led to the great Roman Empire that controlled Europe, Northern Africa, and Western Asia at its peak. The events that led up to the widely accepted founding date of 753 BC, can mostly be attributed to the geography of the area that became known as Rome, although there is a significant legend that includes a murderous twin. Overall, through Greek and Etruscan influences, the geography of Rome led to the founding of the republic as a trade depot.
The Roman Republic began in 509 B.C.E. with the overthrow of the Etruscan monarchy. In 27 B.C.E the Roman Empire began with Octavian Caesar becoming the emperor, this ended almost 500 years of republican self-government. There is much debate over why Rome became so powerful so quickly. Many think it had to do with Rome’s military strength. Others think that it was because Rome knew of and controlled most of the trade routes. Still others believed it had to do with the technology that was advanced during the Roman Republic. All of these factors played significant roles, but which one played the most important role?
It is difficult to discuss how Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, without looking at the relationship between Jews and Christians. Christianity is rooted in Judaism. Judaism is defined as the monotheistic religion of the Jews” (Duiker and Spielvogel 142). It is a
The Roman Empire was unparalleled in the ancient world. With strong a military, technological development, and widespread infrastructure, Rome easily became the undisputed superpower of the Mediterranean. Lurking underneath this greatness was a deadly secret that caused the eventual collapse of the empire. The secret that eroded Rome, as outlined by Francis Schaffer in How Should We Then Live?, was the civilization’s understanding of God.
In conclusion, it is important to realize that it was not one single factor which was responsible for the spread of Christianity, all these figures came together to give the perfect platform for a new religion to develop, " Never before in the history of the race had conditions been so ready for the adoption of a new faith by the majority of the peoples of so large an area" (K.S Latourette).
The rise of Christianity in western civilization is arguably among the most important memories in history. There is no denying what the spread of Christianity has done for the world, for better or worse. Its impact on western civilizations is unrivaled and unprecedented. Christianity slowly became something for many individuals to turn to; in times of hurt it provided comfort, in times of pleasure it gave thanks. The will and belief for salvation has driven individuals to be better, and to have a reference while in need.
“Christianity, along with all other theistic belief systems, is the fraud of the age. It serves to detach the species from the natural world, likewise, each other. It supports blind submission to authority[control of the masses].”(Zeitgeist 2007) In this essay, we will explore the different roots of religion and the plagiarism that Christianity and a number of different religions have committed.
Bryan Byerly Mrs. Wagner Western World 10 Seminar- 4 4 December, 2013 Christianity in Rome Essay Christianity became more prevalent in Roman society as time went on because it appealed to Rome and what Roman ideals were. In the beginning Romans were skeptical of changing religion, but as the years went by, the Romans adopted and changed. Christianity appealed to the Roman ideals, as it gave certain perks that their current polytheistic religion did not offer to them. The emperors of Rome had many different views on Christianity; some emperors encouraged change, and others were more traditional and wanted to stick to their current, polytheistic religion. Roman views on Christianity have changed drastically from the early years of the Roman
Christianity is the world’s most prominent religion, with more than six billion people practicing worldwide. Although Christianity has come to dominate the world of religion, it began as a small and mysterious cult in Ancient Rome. Small, and poorly understood, Christianity soon became an enemy of Rome, marked with persecution, martyrdom, and murder. By the end of the third century CE, tens of thousands of Christians had been arrested and killed for their beliefs.