Discovering Our Past: Ancient Civilizations

Chapter 11: The Rise of Christianity

Chapter Overview

The Romans took control of Judah and turned it into a Roman province called Judaea. Many Jews hoped that a messiah would help them win back their freedom from the Romans. Jesus of Nazareth preached of God's love and forgiveness. Roman authorities thought Jesus was a political rebel. According to Christian scripture they crucified him. Jesus' teaching and the belief in his resurrection led to a new religion called Christianity. Christian ideas were spread by Jesus’ followers, known as disciples. One important disciple was Paul, a Jewish Christian who traveled throughout the Roman Empire helping to spread Christianity to non-Jews. Many of his letters, or epistles, helped explain Christian beliefs and were included in the New Testament–a collection of writings about Jesus and Christianity that Christians made part of the Christian Bible.

The Roman government persecuted Christians. People who were willing to die rather than give up their religion became martyrs. Eventually, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Early Christians set up a church organization ruled by a hierarchy. Under this organization, church leaders became known as the clergy. The regular church members became known as the laity. A power struggle developed between the pope in the West and the patriarch of Constantinople in the East. The two leaders excommunicated each other. This led to a break between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church that still exists. As the Catholic Church grew, the religious leader of Rome was given the title of pope.

Church and government worked closely together in the Byzantine Empire. The people believed their emperor represented Jesus on Earth. They also believed that God wanted them to preserve and spread Christianity.

Monks and nuns played important roles in the spread of Christianity. They established monasteries and convents and served as missionaries, teaching their religion to nonbelievers. As Christianity continued to spread, Christians founded new communities and spread their faith to various parts of Europe.