persecution of early Christians under the Roman Empire is a matter of great interest and intrigue to many, even today; as is the matter of distinction and distrust between early Jews and Christians. Furthermore, the ironically similar behavior of or Continue Reading...
The Meaning of PersecutionFor Christians in the early Church, persecution was a kind of blessing or exaltation: it was the highest form of renunciationi.e., the brightest and biggest way an early Christian could renounce the world, all its pomps, and Continue Reading...
Roman Empire and the Athenian Empire were alike in many ways. Both developed a culture based on the same mythology in order to unite their people in belief (the Romans Latinized the Greek gods and goddesses but the narratives remained largely the sam Continue Reading...
Christianity: The Origin, Purpose, and Destiny of a Christian Just as the gospels present the account of the life and ministry of Jesus, the book of Acts presents the creation and growth of Christianity. Whereas in the gospels the apostles were con Continue Reading...
Roman view of Christianity Early Christianity did not develop in isolation, but within a complex landscape already occupied by belief systems, social networks, systems of identity, and political institutions, and it is essential not to regard it 'a Continue Reading...
Under the ruling of their new king, Alaric, the Visigoths decided that they deserved gold in order to live in decency. Since the Roman government refused to support the Germanic tribe, the Visigoths marched on Rome, defeating the numerous forces gat Continue Reading...
Paul's Early Life (birth, Upbringing, And Early Education) Paul's early life can be dated back from 1-33 A.D. His upbringing comprised of being born in Tarsus of Cilicia, where he was raised under another name, Saul. He was raised in a Jewish, stric Continue Reading...
Decius had come to the throne at a particularly crucial time. Rome had just celebrated its one thousandth year of rule in 247, but the Goths had attacked Rome in 248. Decius had forced the Goths out of the Danube provinces and in return had been hai Continue Reading...
Jesus' Teachings, Prayer, & Christian Life "He (Jesus) Took the Bread. Giving Thanks Broke it. And gave it to his Disciples, saying, 'This is my Body, which is given to you.'" At Elevation time, during Catholic Mass, the pr Continue Reading...
Haas, Christopher. "Imperial Religious Policy and Valerian's Persecution of the Church, 257-260." Church History, vol. 52, no. 2 (June 1983): 133-144. In this article, Haas discusses the persecutions of the Early Church under the emperor Valerian a Continue Reading...
Abstract This paper looks at the organizational structure of the early Christian communities and highlights the ways in which mission and vision played central guiding roles in the maintenance of these communities. It also shows how these communities Continue Reading...
Council of Arles During the early history of the Christian Church, the ancient Roman city of Arles, now in France, hosted a number of synods (councils) that would have a profound effect on the evolution and development of Christianity. We must remem Continue Reading...
fall of the Roman Empire? The decline and eventual fall of the Roman Empire happened in the third century. Rome had made many enemies and grew from a revered unchallenged leader of the Mediterranean to a rather weary empire surrounded by a myriad o Continue Reading...
The Transitions of Roman Culture (Romanitas) As It Interacted with Christian Culture (Christianitas) And Barbarian Cultures (Germanitas) Christianity in late antiquity runs from the Christian Roman Empire when Christianity rose under the Emperor Cons Continue Reading...
His followers claimed He had risen as He said He would, bodily appeared to them and then bodily ascended into Heaven, as Elijah prophesied. This experience emboldened them to come out of hiding and they gathered at the upper room of the Cenacle on t Continue Reading...
Hope Leslie: Or, Early Times in the Massachusetts by Catharine Maria Sedgwick. Specifically, it will contain a critical analysis of the text. "Hope Leslie" is a romantic novel that sheds light on Puritanical views of the time, and involves two young Continue Reading...
high degree of misinformation I had received from traditional teachings about the church and the beginning of Christianity. Moreover, I was struck by the notion that most other people in the Western world receive this same degree of intentional misi Continue Reading...
Rome vs. Christianity In order to understand the importance of Jesus' claim as the King of the Jews, it is important to understand Judaism at the time of the New Testament. This can be done by looking at the New Testament, but also by looking at con Continue Reading...
Religion Christianity started as a literary faith, one firmly rooted in Scripture. Scriptural adherence grew out of the Jewish appreciation for sacred text. Therefore, it is no wonder that Christianity evolved as a literary and literate faith. The e Continue Reading...
De Spectaculis Alexander's Typology in Tertullian's De Spectaculis In an attempt to classify the apologies of early Christian writers, scholar Loveday Alexander observed and defined five functions or "types" of apology, though multiple functions an Continue Reading...
Obviously, none of this could have happened if Christianity had not been legalized and if it had not been able to promote its politics to a more efficient manner than it had previously done. The same trend continues throughout the Middle Ages as we Continue Reading...
Early Middle AgesPart 1The success of Christianity in the first five centuries of its existence was significantly influenced by the Roman experience. Christianity emerged as a fringe Jewish sect in the Roman Empire that faced persecution and discrimi Continue Reading...
Donatist Heresy An Analysis of the Problems Posed by the Donatists in the Early Catholic Church Introduction Donatus Magnus represents a kind of Puritanism that has always existed in the Church. The Donatist movement of the early fourth century wa Continue Reading...
Western Religion In his book, "Western Ways of Being Religious," (Kessler, 1999) the author Gary E. Kessler identifies the theological, philosophical and societal ramifications of the evolution of religion in the West. Christianity, Judaism and Isla Continue Reading...
Gustavo Gutierrez did just that in Latin America, employing Marxist analysis to interpret the Jesus' teachings in the Gospel. Gutierrez founded Liberation Theology, which is, essentially, the twentieth century take on Violence and the Cross. Christ Continue Reading...
Jewish history was promoted by the scribes or the Levites in early Jewish history and later on the popular educator and teachers promoted learning of the scriptures within the Jewish people so that history would be preserved however, at the time Chri Continue Reading...
This he accomplished in part by donating lands and money for the foundations of abbeys such as Echternach. In the following decade Charles led the Frankish army against the eastern duchies. He dealt with the ongoing conflict with the Frisians and Continue Reading...
In his exegesis, Cullman associates what he deems an "exact" parallel between Matthew 16:17-19 and Luke 22:31-34. He finds that this is evidenced by Peter's solemn vow that he will go with Jesus to prison and onto death, the prediction of Peter's b Continue Reading...
Jesus warns not just Peter but all of "them" about not boasting about the messiah in Mark, Matthew, and Luke too. Jesus's warning comes immediately after the miraculous healing of the blind man (Mark 8:30; Matthew 16:20; Luke 9:21). Interestingly, Continue Reading...
Life of Paul Paul the Apostle is one of the most significant figures in early Christian history. He was born soon after Christ was, and Paul's conversation to Christianity remains one of the central allegories in all of scripture. Therefore, Pauline Continue Reading...
Ancient Art Art in the Ancient World Polykleitos, Doryphoros (early fourth century BC) As Paul Johnson (2003) notes, this ancient example of Greek classicalism "epitomizes a canon of male beauty embodied in mathematical proportions" (p. 63). Showi Continue Reading...
Adolescent Suicide Epidemiological Approach to the Study of Male Adolescent Suicide in Idaho Throughout history suicide has remained an enigma in cultures that are far and different from each other. The act of taking one's life has been a represent Continue Reading...
American Way of War The history of the American Way of War is a transitional one, as Weigley shows in his landmark work of the same name. The strategy of war went from, under Washington, a small scale, elude and survive set of tactics practiced by w Continue Reading...
(Deuteronomy 22:28-29). While these Biblical endorsements of unequal treatment may seem historical and antiquated to a modern, Western audience, the fact is that many parts of the world still treat women in a similar fashion, so that the Bible would Continue Reading...
James Joyce, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man It can be said that throughout his entire novel, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce does not believe that a lot of his revelations actually came from the spiritual realm, or at Continue Reading...
What Happened to Paul (How did He Die)? Apostle Paul is arguably one of the premier figures at the beginning of Christianity and the early Church. While Apostle Paul was not among the twelve disciples of Jesus, he played a crucial role in the formati Continue Reading...
Judaism is a religion of ethical monotheism, centered on the belief in an all-powerful and all-knowing God who created the universe and revealed his plan in the Tanakh (Bible), starting with the Torah (Pentateuch or first five books that are still at Continue Reading...
Madonna and Child by the Master of St. Cecilia Madonna and Child (1290-1295) by the Master of St. Cecilia is a tempera and gold leaf on panel depiction of the Mother of God and the Christ Child. Its iconic imagery perfectly represents and reflects t Continue Reading...
However these persecutions were different as the clergy and upper class would not renounce their faith. These persecutions created the notion of martyrs and helped strengthen Christianity in the empire. The 3rd persecution in 303 tried to force Chri Continue Reading...
