THE CHRISTIANIZATION OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE

6.12 | CHRISTIANITY’S RISE AND OCCUPATION OF ROME

ROMAN PAGANISM

• ROMANS BELIEVED IN MANY GODS, WHO FAVORED ROME

• ADDING GODS TO THEIR LIST OF GODS WAS COMMON

• ADOPTING LOCAL GODS [GREEKS]

• DEIFICATION OF EMPERORS

“We have overcome all the nations of the world, because we have realized that the world is directed and governed by the gods”

CHRISTIANITY

• JESUS CHRIST BORN C. 0 ANNO DOMINI

• ROMAN ISSUE OF JEWISH REVOLTS

• JESUS CLAIMS TO BE KING OF THE JEWS [DEATH]

• 3 MAJOR JEWISH REVOLTS

• SACK OF JERUSALEM 70 AD

• SIEGE OF MASADA 71 AD

• LATER [SAINT] PETER [JEW] TRAVELS TO ROME

• LATER [SAINT] PAUL [JEW]

• PERSECUTOR OF CHRISTIANS – THEIR FANATICISM

• CONVERTS: OPENS CHRISTIANITY TO GENTILES C. 50 AD

• CHRISTIAN/JEWISH CONTEMPT

ORIGINS OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

• LIKE MANY RELIGIONS, CHRISTIANITY SHARED COMMON ROOTS

• HINDU GODDESS KRISHNA: C. 1000 B.C.

• A CARPENTER, BORN OF A VIRGIN AND BAPTIZED IN A RIVER

• ZOROASTRIAN GOD MITHRA: C. 600 B.C.

• BORN ON DECEMBER 25; PERFORMED MIRACLES; RESURRECTED 3 DAYS AFTER HIS DEATH

• A.K.A. “THE LAMB”, “THE WAY”, “THE TRUTH”, “THE LIGHT”, “THE MESSIAH”

• THE GREEKS DRANK WINE TO REMEMBER THE SON OF THE GOD DIONYSIUS

• WHO DIED AND RETURNED FROM THE GRAVE

THE GREEK EAST

• THE GREEK GOD PROMETHEUS, SEEN AS A SAVIOR WHO DIED FOR THE SINS OF MAN

• ALSO SEEN AS A LUCIFER “BRINGER OF LIGHT” BECAUSE HE BROUGHT LIGHT (FIRE) TO MANKIND, DECEIVING ZEUS

• FOR TAKING THIS GIFT; MEN WERE PUNISHED BY ZEUS

• PROMETHEUS WAS PUNISHED FOR ETERNITY FOR THIS: LIKE LUCIFER

• MONOTHEISTIC CHRISTIANITY TAKES ON A POLYTHEISTIC HIERARCHY

God

Archangels

Saints

Zeus

Pantheon

Demi Gods

THE STORY OF HORUS AND JESUS

• WRITTEN IN 1280 B.C., THE EGYPTIAN BOOK OF THE DEAD DESCRIBES HORUS

• HE WAS THE SON OF THE GOD OSIRIS

• BORN OF A VIRGIN MOTHER

• BAPTIZED IN A RIVER BY ANUP, KNOWN AS THE BAPTIZER (J.T.B.)

• ANUP WAS LATER BEHEADED

• HORUS WAS TEMPTED WHILE ALONE IN THE DESERT

• HORUS HEALED THE SICK, THE BLIND, AND CAST OUT DEMONS

• HORUS WALKED ON WATER

• HORUS RAISED A MAN FROM THE DEAD NAMED ASAR, WHICH TRANSLATES TO “LAZARUS”

• HORUS HAD 12 DISCIPLES

• HORUS WAS CRUCIFIED, AND AFTER 3 DAYS TWO WOMEN ANNOUNCED THAT HORUS HAD BEEN RESURRECTED

WHY THEY WERE PERSECUTED

• CHRISTIANITY WAS TOLERATED UNTIL IT BEGAN TO THREATEN PUBLIC STABILITY

• THE CRISIS OF THE THIRD CENTURY

• POLITICAL INSTABILITY LED TO SOCIAL REFORMS [PLEASE THE GODS!]

• CHRISTIAN REFUSAL TO PARTICIPATE – NOW THERE IS SOCIAL INSTABILITY

• PERSECUTIONS BEGAN UNDER DIOCLETIAN TO END INSTABILITY

• MARTYRDOM BECAME EXPECTED TO BE A “TRUE” CHRISTIAN

• ST. AUGUSTINE: “THE MANIA FOR SELF-DESTRUCTION”

• ONLY THE FANATICAL REMAINED IN CHRISTIANITY

• ISOLATION AND DIVISION OF SECTS

• STYLITES

“We have overcome all the nations of the world, because we have realized that the world is directed and governed by the gods”

THE APPEAL OF CHRISTIANITY

• PERSECUTIONS COULD NOT REMOVE CHRISTIANITY

• PAGAN V. CHRISTIAN PROMISES OF AFTERLIFE

• HINDUISM V. BUDDHISM PROMISES OF AFTERLIFE

• CHRISTIANS IN THE MILITARY AND PCSING

• CHRISTIAN CULTS IN THE INFANTRY

• MITHRAIC CULTS WITH THE GENERALS

CIVIL WARS AFTER DIOCLETIAN

• USED THE POPULARITY OF CHRISTIANITY IN THE ARMIES TO PULL SUPPORT [CIVIL WAR]

• BATTLE OF MILVIAN BRIDGE 312: EDICT OF MILAN 313

• POLITICAL MOTIVES

• MONOTHEISTIC MOVEMENTS: SOL INVICTUS

• COUNCIL OF NICAEA 325

• RELIGION IN POLITICS

• JULIAN THE APOSTATE

• THEODOSIUS THE GREAT: CHRISTIANITY 385

• POLITICAL FRAGMENTATION

• EASTERN AND WESTERN EMPIRES 395