How did Christianity Spread? The spread of Christianity is not linear Rather, it is very gradual,...
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Transcript of How did Christianity Spread? The spread of Christianity is not linear Rather, it is very gradual,...
The Birth and Spread of
ChristianityRoman Judaea
How did Christianity Spread?
The spread of Christianity is not linear
Rather, it is very gradual, and happens over a long period of time.
It starts from Jewish Synagogues and private homes
The initial enclaves expand with time
As it expands, it becomes more hierarchical
By the 4th century we have bishops (ἐπίσκοπος/episkopos), namely church officials overseeing entire regions
Rome in the New
Testament• Gospel of Matthew: the miracle
involving the son of the centurion
• The Role of Pontius Pilate and the Romans in the Crucifixion of Jesus
• Gospel of John: The reference is probably an anachronism, having in mind the outcome of the final destruction of the temple of Jerusalem
• The Pentecost
• Acts of the Apostles
• Letter to the Romans
• Rome is portrayed as the violent occupying force.
How the Roman world contributed to the Spread
of Christianity Pax Romana
The unification of the three sides of the Mediterranean, relative safety in the sea routes, and the Roman road network facilitated movement. Paul alone is believed to have covered 10,000 miles in terms of travel.
The widespread use of common languages (Greek in the East and Latin in the West) facilitated communication and the spread of the message
The religious and cultural syncretism of the Roman empire and the presence of so many religions allowed for the followers of Christianity to preach their message all around the Mediterranean.
While Islam had to conquer its way through the Near East, Christianity found a world unified, ready and receptive
The reasons why Christianity Spread so
Effectively Its message was egalitarian in many ways
(including women, slaves, and all socioeconomic classes)
It gave hope by promising a better life after death
It appealed to the masses of poor and destitute inhabitants of large cities, but also to members of the upper classes who felt spiritually empty
It promised equality and social justice, and offered a positive alternative to an uncertain and dangerous world
It appealed to tendencies of oriental mysticism
Early Centers of Christianity
Jerusalem
Antioch
Corinth
Ephesus
Thessalonike
Rome
Alexandria
North Africa (Carthage, Hippo)