Socio-cultural Impact of Christianity to Roman Civilization

I. Introduction
The introduction of Christianity to the Roman Empire had a significant impact on
the development and evolution of Roman civilization. Prior to the spread of Christianity,
the Roman Empire was primarily polytheistic, with a pantheon of gods and goddesses
who were believed to control various aspects of life and the natural world. The
introduction of Christianity brought with it a monotheistic belief system that challenged
the traditional Roman religious beliefs and practices.
The fact that Christianity was a missionary religion with followers eager to
convert others to their faith enabled its spread. As more people became Christians,
Christianity gained political and social power. This was especially true as the Roman
elite, including emperors and other government officials, converted to Christianity.

1.1 Problem and Background

The majority of Roman Empire citizens practiced polytheistic religion, therefore the
transition to monotheism provided a considerable challenge to their ability to change
their beliefs and behaviors. The alteration of the empire's social and cultural ideals was
one of the most important influences on Roman culture. The Roman Empire was
concerned with material wealth and power before Christianity arrived. However,
Christian teachings urged people to give greater importance to their spiritual beliefs and
charitable efforts. Christianity's growth was a factor in the fall of the Roman Empire. The
empire's isolation from the outside world increased as it adopted Christianity, making it
more open to outside attacks. It is incorrect to claim that Christianity caused issues for
Roman culture. In fact, Christianity eventually took over as the main religion in the
Roman Empire, and it significantly influenced the development of the Roman Empire's
culture and society. Although Roman authorities at first persecuted Christians, this soon
came to an end, and Christianity came to be tolerated and later embraced inside
Roman culture. Although it is not accurate to state that the expansion of Christianity
throughout the Roman Empire was a problem for civilization as a whole, it had a
significant impact on the culture and society of the time.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
What are the impacts of Romans adopting Christianity as their religion?
1. What became the status of people in the Roman Empire when they converted
into Christianity?
2. What are the changes happened in the government of the Roman Empire when
they were converted to Christianity?
3. What are the ways and means of Government to solve the issue?
4. How did Christianity become dominant religion in the Roman Empire?
1.3 Purpose of the Study
 The purpose of the study is to understand on how the Romans became
Christian;
 To make the people aware of the possibilities in changing the religion of a
particular country or people;
 To establish a depth knowledge about the influence of Christianity in the
Roman Empire.

1.4 Definition of Terms

Christianity – faith tradition that focuses on the figure of Jesus Christ
Missionary – a ministering agent selected by the God and His Church to communicate
the gospel message across any and all cultural boundaries for the purpose of leading
people to Christ.
Roman Empire – a stage of Roman civilization during which power fell mainly on the
figure of an emperor.
Persecute – to treat continually in a way to be cruel or harmful to people, especially
because of their ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, or sexual orientation.
Polytheistic – believing in or worshiping multiple gods
Monotheistic - relating to, or characterized by the doctrine or belief that there is only
one God
II. Presentation of Data

Status of people vary Bishops and Church leaders

depending in timeline of become powerful in
Christianity in Roman politics
Empire

Status of Changes in
people in Government
Roman of Roman
Civilization Empire

Government
Conversion
means and
of Roman
ways to
Empire into
solve the
Christianity
Declaration of Christianity
issue Edict of Milan
to be the official state Imperial Decree
religion Coucil and synods
Coercion
Promoting the Christianity

III. Result
a. Summary of Findings

This section summarizes the main research findings of the study. The main
question is: What are the impacts of Romans adopting Christianity as their
religion? The study sought to provide answers to this basic question by
answering the following sub-questions:

1. What became the status of people in the Roman Empire when they
converted into Christianity?

When people in the Roman Empire converted to Christianity, their status

varied depending on the time period and the specific circumstances of their
 conversion. During the period of Roman persecution of Christians in the early
days of Christianity, converts were frequently considered outsiders and faced
persecution, imprisonment, and even execution for their beliefs. This changed
under Emperor Constantine I, who issued the Edict of Milan in 313 CE,
granting Christians legal rights and protection.

2. What are the changes happened in the government of the Roman

Empire when they were converted to Christianity?

Conversion to Christianity had a significant impact on the Roman Empire's

government, both in terms of organizational structure and ideologies. The rise
of the Christian Church as a powerful institution within the empire was one of
the most important changes. As Christianity gained popularity, the Church
began to play a larger role in empire governance. Bishops and other church
leaders became influential in their communities, and the Church gained
significant authority in imperial policy. Another massive change was the ruling
elite's adoption of Christian values and beliefs. As more members of the
imperial elite converted to Christianity, the empire's traditional pagan beliefs
and practices began to be replaced by Christian ones. This change in
ideology had a significant impact on the empire's laws, values, and
institutions. Laws began to be based on Christian principles of justice and
morality, and the empire's political and social institutions began to reflect
Christian values.

3. What are the ways and means of Roman Government to solve the
challenges of adopting Christianity as their religion?

Legal means: The Roman government's initial action was to provide

Christians legal rights and protection. This was done by Emperor
Constantine's Edict of Milan, which legalized Christianity and put a stop to
Christian persecution, in 313 CE.

Imperial decree: To address the challenges of converting to Christianity, the

Roman authorities also employed imperial decrees. Emperor Theodosius I,
for instance, made Christianity the official state religion of the empire and
outlawed old pagan customs through a series of decrees in the latter part of
the fourth century CE.

Councils and synods: To settle theological disagreements and influence the

growth of Christianity, the Roman government utilized councils and synods.
The Nicene Creed, which is still accepted as a statement of faith by many
Christian denominations today, was formulated by the Council of Nicaea, the
 first Ecumenical Council in Christian history, which Constantine convened in
325 CE.

The Roman authorities also employed coercion to coerce people to adopt

Christianity. This contained a range of penalties for anyone who refused to
convert, including fines, jail, and execution.

The Roman government also promoted Christian groups and helped to

disseminate the faith among the populace by building churches, cathedrals,
and monasteries. These actions contributed to the growth of Christianity.

4. How did Christianity become dominant religion in the Roman Empire?

Many people, especially the poor, enslaved, and oppressed, connected with
Christianity's promise of hope, salvation, and eternal life. Christianity also had
a strong feeling of community, which attracted lots of people looking for a
sense of belonging and social support. Emperor Constantine the Great, who
issued the Edict of Milan in 313 CE, which gave Christians legal rights and
protection, was a major political supporter of Christianity. This support made
Christianity more respectable and helped to shield it from persecution. Later,
through laws and decrees, Emperor Theodosius I declared Christianity to be
the official state religion of the empire and forbade the use of ancient pagan
rituals.

b. Conclusion
Romans' lifestyles have changed, particularly in how it impacts their religious beliefs,
as a result of the earlier expansion of Christianity in the Roman Empire. Additionally,
how it impacts Roman sociocultural ideals, how they conflict with Roman beliefs, and
how it creates conflict are all factors. Christianity has a tremendous impact on how
the Roman Empire has changed over time, whether those changes be positive or
negative. It cannot be denied that Christianity has continued to hold sway even after
the decline and fall of the Roman Empire

c. Recommendation
 In accordance with the study, Christianity played a significant role in changing
Roman Civilization in terms of culture, standard of living, social values, and politics.
For the future researchers:
 This study can be used by future researchers to increase their understanding
of how Christianity affected Roman civilization in terms of social values,
cultures, politics, and standard of living.
 The paper can be used to identify the aspects of Christianity that changed
Roman civilization's way of life.
 According to the study, changing one's religion significantly affects a person's
life. Future researchers should investigate how much religion can alter a
person's life in perspective of this.

Prepared by: _________________________

Aaron Nephi Bautista
Student, BSED – 2nd year Social Studies

Submitted to: _________________________

Mr. Cristian Villafuerte, LPT.
Professor, College of Education