1. Christianity’s Take Off
The emergence of a small Judaic
religious sect into the official religion
of the Roman Empire constitutes a
quite remarkable story. No one living
in the early empire could have
anticipated this turn of events, and
even looking back from hindsight this
evolution is difficult to explain
The ascension of Christianity as the Roman
Empire‟s official religion took several centuries
and it never erased all its rivals, yet this
remarkable ascent would raise one of the main
pillars of medieval Christendom.

2. Christianity’s Take Off
Just as the Romans influenced the people they conquered, the conquered
people influenced Romans.
What exactly is Christianity, what is it based on?
 Christianity is based on the life and teachings of Jesus, who lived in
Palestine during the reign of Augustus (27 B.C.-14 A.D.) followed by
Tiberius (14 A.D- 37A.D.).
 At first, most Romans ignored or ridiculed Christianity.
 Jesus refused to worship statues of Roman Gods and the Roman
emperor.
 He preached that God created all humans and loved them like
a father loved his children, particularly people who had sinned.
 Jesus promised eternal life (life after death) to people who
were truly sorry and who placed their trust in God, they
would be forgiven.
Augustus

3. Christianity’s Take Off
 In the beginning, political conditions did not favour the spread of Christianity.
 Although all people in the Roman Empire were allowed to worship freely, Romans
expected everyone to honour the emperor as a god. Christians and Jews refused to do
this.
 Christians did not want to serve in the army or hold public office.
 They often criticized Roman festivals and games. Christians taught that all people
would be equal in heaven if they followed Jesus‟ teachings. Thus, the Romans blamed
and punished Christians for all kinds of disasters such as plagues and famines.
 In 64 A.D., they accused the Christians of starting a fire which burned down much of
Rome. Christianity was then made illegal and many were killed.
 In Rome, Christians were forbidden to use regular burial places, they had to bury their
dead in crowded catacombs.
 The rich elite did not want anything to do with a religion whose founder had died by
crucifixion.
Diocletian (245- 313A.D.) was the last Roman
emperor to persecute Christians in large numbers. In
311 Galerius (308- 312A.D.), ruler of the eastern
Roman Empire, permitted freedom of worship.

4. Christianity’s Take Off
Mystery Religions: The late empire was full of local
cults. The rise of various Eastern mystery religions must be
seen as corresponding to changes in the Late Empire.
Why were people attracted to Christianity?
 The appeal of mystery religion lay in speaking about an after
life (life after death (resurrection)) in a society where many were
miserable, where life was extremely uncertain.
 It provided people with something to look forward to, it
provided hope in a world filled with hopelessness for many.
 It attracted people who for various reasons felt left out of full
Roman identity.
 Christianity appealed more to the poor workers and slaves.
 The persecution of Christians expressed a real Roman fear that
Roman citizens were losing their patriotic attachment to the
state.

5. The Spread of Christianity
How did it spread?
 Christianity‟s initial roots were in the Near East: Anatolia and Greece.
 It spread following the trade routes from the East to Rome.
 Slowly, Christianity spread westward and northward. It attracted people who
for various reasons felt left out of full Roman identity.
 After the recognition of the Church missionaries were dispatched further
north, especially to convert the Barbarian kings and their peoples.
 Following the establishment of Christianity as the official religion, the faith
attracted a new age of converts, people from the upper classes, educated,
influential and ambitious people who sought advancement inside the empire.
The Barbarian invasions that brought about an
economic decline in Western Europe also
diminished the Church and its learning. During
the fifth century Ireland and the British Isles
emerged as a leading Christian center having
largely escaped the ravages of the „barbarians‟,
while Christianity came under pressure in North
Africa and the Near East from other groups,
particularly Muslims.

6. The Spread of Christianity
Saint Paul A.D. 3-
67), the greatest
missionary of
Christianity and
its first
theologian, called
Apostle to the
Gentiles (non
Jewish people).
St. Paul of Tarsus travel routes

7. Ascension to Official Religion
In 312 A.D., Christianity gained the support of
Constantine (Constantine’s “Conversion” at
Milvian Bridge).
Legend says that as he was about to go into battle,
Constantine saw a flaming cross in the sky.
Written beneath the cross were the words “ In this
sign thou shalt conquer.” Constantine won the
battle and with it the throne of the Roman
Empire.
Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_P0FZfPlSA
Historians question the story of Constantine's conversion
at Milvian Bridge 312 A.D.., it makes for an interesting
story. Constantine did not give up his Roman practices and
was not baptized until on his death bed.

8. Constantine
 The following year (313), Constantine issued The Edict of Milan. This
imperial edict ordered toleration for all religions (it granted religious
freedom to all) and made Christianity legal (that had been targeted by the
Diocletian persecutions). This set the stage for Christianity‟s rapid growth
inside the Roman Empire.
 Constantine had churches built in Rome and Jerusalem.
 He allowed the use of government money to support Christian churches.
 He permitted church leaders to enter government service and excused
them from paying taxes.
 In 330, for religious and strategic reasons, Constantine dedicated a new
capital, called Constantinople (modern İstanbul Turkey), on the site of
the ancient Greek city of Byzantium.
Constantine

9. Theodosius I
In 391 A.D., Emperor Theodosius establishes Christianity as
Rome‟s State Religion (Rome‟s official religion).
Theodosius was a strong champion of Christianity.
He banned the practice of the old Roman pagan religion
(pantheistic cults).
Pantheistic: Believing in a God that is synonymous with
nature, life and the universe- that is, finding God in all things.
Theodosius I (346-395 A.D.) was the last Roman Emperor to
rule a united Roman Empire. At his death in 395, he left the
eastern portion of the empire to his 18-year-old son, Arcadius,
and the western portion to his 10-year-old son, Honorius. A
succession of child emperors weakened the throne, and no
emperor ever again successfully controlled both east and west.