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and the
RISE OF
CHRISTIANITY
Essential Question:
What impact did the rise
and spread of Christianity
have on the Classical World?
What was religion like in Rome?
Religion in the Roman Empire
Jesus preached a
religion based on the
Jewish belief in a single
God (monotheism)
Jesus taught that he was God’s son and that God
would rid the world of evil
He taught about
God’s love, mercy,
and forgiveness
towards people
Jesus
proclaimed
there would
be eternal
life in
Heaven for
those who
repent their
sins
The spread of
Judaism and
Christianity was
seen as a problem
by the Roman
emperors:
Persecution of Jews and Christians
Jews and
Christians
refused to
worship the
Roman gods or
recognize the
emperors as
more
important
than God
Persecution of Jews and Christians
Christians and Jews were persecuted by the Romans;
many were crucified, exiled, or killed during gladiator
events (such as by being fed to lions)
Persecution of Jews and Christians
Christians who
were executed
were honored
by other
Christians as
martyrs, those
who sacrifice
their lives for
their beliefs
This only
helped spread
Christianity
ORGANIZATION OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
ORGANIZATION OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
The early Christians
organized a hierarchy
of leadership
Priests were supervised
by regional bishops; the
overall head of the
Church was the Pope
Popes later operated
from the city of Rome
(and still do to this day)
ORGANIZATION OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH