History 323 The Middle Ages

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History 323The Middle Ages

• Early Christianity in the Roman Empire

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Historical Questions Related to Early Christianity

• In a search to find the historic Jesus and the
  rise of Christianity, several important questions
  emerge
• Who was Jesus and what was his ministry?
• What culture did Jesus and his followers emerge
  from?
• How did Christianity spread and who were the
  earliest Christian converts?
• How did Christianity become such a successful
  religious movement by the 4th century A.D. ?

The Hebrew Y'Shua or Yeshua (Yahweh is
Salvation), as it was written in documents
during the time of Jesus. (Jesus is the Greek
way of writing Joshua.)
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Historic Developments in Judaism

• By the First Century A.D. there were four major
  groups of significance in Judaism in and around
  Jerusalem
• SadduceesJewish temple priests who were closely
  allied with the political authorities. No belief
  in the afterlife
• PhariseesJewish teachers of the law. They
  believed in eternal life and a system of
  punishment and rewards in the afterlife
• ZealotsArmed Jews who wanted to overthrow Roman
  rule by military force and violence
• Essenesspiritual ascetics who withdrew from
  society to avoid its evils and to contemplate
  God. They awaited the coming of the messiah
  intensely, purified themselves through baptismal
  washing, focused on a call to repentance, and a
  mystical reunion with God

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Sources to find the historic Jesus

• The Christian Gospels in the New Testament are
  primary sources for the historian. They were
  written between 65 A.D. and 110 A.D. and give
  important information about the life of Jesus and
  how different Christian communities were
  understanding him
• In the end, many of the issues in these Gospels
  require a personal faith commitmentthere are
  things that an historian cannot prove or
  disprove. These are the case in all
  religionsyou must decide if you think what Jesus
  said makes sense. As Jesus asks his disciple
  Peter himselfWho do you think I am, Peter?
• The Bible is a religious document that is about
  deep ultimate questions. The kind of questions
  that Gilgamesh asked, the kind of questions that
  Plato and Socrates asked. The kind of problems
  that Odysseus faced.

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Sources to find the historic Jesus

• Gospels in the New TestamentMatthew, Mark, Luke,
  and John
• Example The Book of Matthew was written for Jews
  who were becoming Christians in an area of strong
  Pharisaic influence.
• In the First Century, such communities were in
  Tiberius and Sephoras in Galilee (Israel) or
  Antioch. The setting is clearly after the 70
  A.D. destruction of the Temple, and the community
  is clearly divided.
• Matthew is speaking to a people who are
  struggling with religious changewhat do we do
  now? How do we continue to be authentic Jews in
  a time of persecution?
• Matthews example is that Jesus is the promised
  messiahthe Christ foretold in the Old Testament.
  He begins his gospel, uniquely, with a long
  genealogy to link Jesus up to David through
  Joseph.
• The Jesus that appears in this Gospel has strong
  words to say to Sadducees and Phariseeshe
  complains that they are following the letter over
  the spirit of the law.

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Sources to find the historic Jesus

• Other gospels were for different communitiesJohn
  was for Greeks, not Jews
• The gospels Matthew, Mark (65 A.D.), and Luke
  seem to rely on an earlier source which has never
  been discovered. This Q Gospelthe Sayings of
  Jesusmay have been oral (like Homer) or written,
  and was not narrative but a collection of sayings
• Q may have been Greek or Aramaic. We can tell
  this was there because of the similarity of words
  used in the Gospels
• But the format of Q would probably have been like
  the Gospel of Thomas, another ancient text not
  included in the Bible but useful for historians
  and scholars

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Divine Origins of Jesus in Art
15th century Italian painting of the Annunciation
of Mary depicts the moment when the Holy Spirit
enters Marys womb
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The Baptism of Jesus in Art
Mosaic Baptism of Jesus shown in a Ravenna church
(500s) in Italy. Jesus is baptized by John in
the River Jordan and begins his ministry about
the age of 30. God the Father and the Holy
Spirit bless Jesus.
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Jesus Seder meal or Last Supper
Coptic art of the early Christian church
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Jesus death via crucifixion
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The Apostle Paul

• The earliest New Testament books were written by
  Paul, a Jewish convert to Christianity who went
  of several missionary voyages from about 30 A.D.
  to 64 A.D.
• Paul at first persecuted early Christians, and
  participated in the stoning of Stephen
• Pauls conversion on the road to Damascus
  becomes the model for Christians who leave their
  past life behind and become new creations in
  Christ
• Paul participates in a major apostolic conference
  in Jerusalem in the 40s that is recorded in Acts.
  Differences about the significance and ministry
  of Jesus are discussed
• Begins missionary trips. NT Book First
  Thessalonians probably a letter related to the
  second voyage, c. 49 A.D. and is therefore the
  Bibles oldest book
• No one knows where or when Paul died, but it may
  have been in Rome around 64 A.D.

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The Apostle Peter

• Peter was an important disciple of Jesus who
  (with eleven other men) were the helpers and
  first followers of Jesus
• Peter is identified by Jesus as an important
  leader of the Jesus Movement
• And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock
  I will build my church, and the gates of Hades
  will not prevail against it.
• -- Matthew 1618-19
• Peter speaks to Jews gathered from around the
  Roman Empire in Jerusalem after Jesus death and
  resurrectionthe Pentecost story.
• Peter and Paul have differences about the
  missionary strategy of the young Christian Church
• Peter writes letters to Christian groups that can
  be found in the New Testament
• Roman Catholics see Peter as the first pope
• Peter dies in Rome as a martyr

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Early representations of Peter and Paul
A tomb inscription from the hidden catacombs
beneath Rome. This Christian tomb shows Peter
(Petrus) and Paul (Paulus) on the left and a
Latin inscription which reads Asellus who had
lived 5 years, 8 months and 23 days.
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Early Christian Art in Rome
Tomb, Roman catacombs Here Christian parents
have dedicated an epitaph to their 20-year old
son who lives in peace. The figure to the left
represents the resurrection of Lazarus, the most
common image found in the catacombs, reflecting
the belief of early Christians in Jesus as the
author of eternal life.
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The Roman Empire at its height
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The missionary journeys of Paul
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Ancient building site in Corinth
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The Spread of Christianity

• Important questions for early Christian leaders
• Who was Jesus? Human, divine, or some
  combination?
• Must all new Christians come from a Jewish
  background?
• Must all Christians follow Jewish Law (the
  Torah)? Dietary laws, circumcision, etc.
• To what extent can non-Jews become Christians?

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The Spread of Christianity

• According to Rodney Stark, early Christianity
  probably grew at a 40 growth rate. Thus a table
  of Christian growth would probably look like
  this

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The Spread of Christianity (Stark)

• People would have been attracted to Christianity
  because early Christianity
• Had a superior theology, which offered a
  compelling explanation for lifes difficulties
  and promised eternal life
• Emphasized charity and good works, which made
  life much better for Christianitys adherents and
  those in surrounding communities
• Was especially favorable to women, who were
  extremely marginalized in Roman society
• Appealed to many Hellenistic Jews and these Jews
  represented most early converts
• Appealed to middle and upper class Romans in the
  cities, where most conversions took place
• Had higher costs and benefits than competing
  pagan religions and Judaism (no ethnic
  requirement, fewer free riders)

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The Spread of Christianity

• It is also important to note how diverse early
  Christianity was.
• As an underground movement, worship took place
  primarily in homes, and Christians were not
  typically high-level officials before the 4th
  century
• Thus Christianity became diverse in the Roman
  Empire and different ideas about Jesus and
  appropriate worship and theology emerged
• Consider the communities of Jerusalem, Antioch,
  Egypt, Greece, Italy, etc.
• Consider the office of bishop as it developed in
  various locations as well