Early Christianity
Why the Appeal of
Christianity?
Little spiritual aspect to Roman state religion: cult
of the Emperor
Resemblance to existing mystery religions: dying
and reborn or resurrected god
 Cult of Isis
 Mysteries of Dionysus/Bacchus
 Cult of Mithras
Cult
of
Isis
 Egyptian
origin
 Promise of
immortality
 Strong ethical code
 Celebrated by
Apuleius in The
Golden Ass, 2nd c. ce
Greek origins
 Promise of
immortality -- as the
grapevine
regenerates each
year, so will the soul
 Bacchanalia, secret
rites of initiation into
the mysteries,
sometimes
degenerated into
drunken orgies
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Mysteries of
Dionysus/Bacchus
Mithraism:
Similarities to
Christianity
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Mithras referred to as “the Light
of the World;” Sol invictus by
Romans
Mediator between Heaven and
Earth
Birth celebrated on December 25;
Celibate god who valued selfcontrol, renunciation and ascetism
in followers
Belief in heaven, hell and day of
judgement
Ritualistic baptism (in blood) as
purification
Strong ethical code
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Worship limited to
men,initiated into mysteries
Mithraism became a military
religion in Rome: emphasized
victory, strength, security in
next world, and absolute
loyalty to authority and fellow
soldiers
Promotion through ranks of
ritual initiations corresponded
to heavenly journey of soul
Strong astrological influences
Animal sacrifice: bulls and
birds
Mithraism:
Differences with
Christianity
Jews in the Roman World
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After the death of Alexander the
Great in 323 bce, Palestine was part
of the Hellenized Ptolemaic and
Seleucid kingdoms
The Maccabean Revolt in 167 bce
led to Jewish independence.
In 67 bce, a dispute arose about the
succession of the kingship. Each
side courted Roman support.
Pompey marched in and
conquered Jerusalem in 63 bce,
marking the end of an independent
Jewish state.
Judah Maccabee
Brief Historical
Background to the
New Testament
Jews in the
Roman World
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Under Julius Caesar,
Antipater, an Idumean,
ruled in Jerusalem until his
murder in 40 bce
His son, Herod, fled to
Rome, and the Senate
named him King of the
Jews
In 37 bce he captured
Jerusalem with Roman help
and ruled until his death in
4 bce.
Jews in the
Roman World
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Herod Antipas was
appointed tetrarch of
Palestine in 4 bc.
Ruled until 37ce
Herod Agrippa,
37- 44 ce.
Roman procurators:
44-50 ce
Herod Agrippa II:
50-92 ce
66 ce: Jewish Zealot
riot and rebellion
70 ce: Roman
destruction of the
Temple and sacking of
Jerusalem
Christianity’s Appeal
Promise of eternal life
 Strong ethical code
 Message of Peace
 Offered salvation to all believers -- gave
hope to slaves and women
 Martyrdom of early Christians
 Evangelicalism
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Evangelicalism
“...and ye shall be witnesses
unto me both in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea, and in
Samaria, and unto the
uttermost part of the earth.”
Jesus, Acts 1:8
Three major early
Christian movements:
Nazorene
Pauline
Gnostic
Nazorene
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Jewish
Christians: first
followers in
Jerusalem, led
by James and
Peter
Advocated
preservation of
Jewish rituals
Peter founded
church in
Rome
Caravaggio, The Crucifixion of
St. Peter, Chiesa di Santa Maria
del Popolo, Rome
Pauline
 Saul’s conversion  Paul
 Greek Jew
 Roman citizen
 Classically educated
 Gentiles: Establishment of
Churches throughout the
Mediterranean world:
Epistles
Massaccio,
St. Paul
 Corinth
 Ephesus
 Galatia
 Phillipi
 Thessalonica
Paul’s Missionary Activities
Gnostic
Carlo Dolci, Magdalene
 Redemption achieved through
gnosis: knowledge. One
attains salvation by learning
secret knowledge of one’s
spiritual essence: the creative
experience of revelation, a
rushing progression of
understanding, and not a
static creed
 Sexually egalitarian
Many Gnostic texts written
by women
Importance of Mary
Magdalene – second only to
Jesus
Male and female images
used to represent Supreme
God
Nag Hammadi texts with
Gnostic Gospels discovered in 1945
"In the name of the Father unknown to all, in the Truth, Mother of All, in the One
who came down upon Jesus, in the union, redemption and communion of powers."
 4th c. papyrus manuscripts discovered in Egypt –
written in Coptic – the language of the Egyptian
Christian Church
 45 titles including the Gnostic Gospels and writings
attributed to Jesus’s followers including:
 The Gospel of Thomas
 The Gospel of Phillip
 The Gospel of Mary
 The Gospel of Truth
 The Gospel of the Egyptians
 The Apocalypses of Paul, James, and Peter
The Nag Hammadi Library
Christian Canon
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Adoption of Jewish Bible as Old Testament
Many early Gospels
367: Canonization of New Testament:
 Gospels, 70-100 ce:
 Synoptic Gospels: Matthew (Jewish audience), Mark
(Gentile/Roman audience), Luke (Greek audience)
 John (integrates Platonic philosophy and mysticism)
 Acts of the Apostles (attributed to Luke)
 21 Epistles: 14 ascribed to Paul: Emphasis on Christ’s
Incarnation and Atonement
 Revelation, c. 75-95 ce
Patristic Writings: early Church fathers
393-405:
Vulgate Bible
Latin Translation
by St. Jerome
Dürer, St Jerome in the Wilderness
Establishment of Christian Church
In Hoc Signo Vinces
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First Christian Roman
Emperor
313: Constantine issued
Edict of Milan: toleration of
Christians
325: Convened Council of
Nicaea: Nicene Creed
Christianity incorporated
pre-existing pagan customs
and motifs
330: capital of Empire
moved to Constantinople
Constantine
ca. 280-337
Holy Roman Empire
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361-363: Emperor Julian the Apostate tries to reinstate
paganism, but mostly allows religious liberty to the
Christians
375-383: Emperor Gratian confiscates temples,
abolishes privileges for pagan priests, etc.
379-395: Emperor Theodosius I prohibits pagan
religious observances
402: Emperor Honorius moved capital of Western
Empire to Ravenna
410: Rome sacked by Visigoths
455: Rome sacked by Vandals
Christian Iconography
Chi Rho
Christogram
Ihs :abbreviated name of
Jesus in greek (Iasous)
Alpha and Omega
Icthys: Fish
Acrostic for Jesus Christ
Son of God Saviour
Anchor/Cross
Hebrews 6:19, ‘Which hope we
have as an anchor of the soul,
both sure and steadfast.’
Dove
the soul that reached
divine peace
The
Good
Shepherd
and
Agnus Dei
(lamb of God)
A marble statue of
the Good Shepherd
found in al-Mina Gaza
Catacomb Fresco
Catacombs
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The Catacombs of Saint
Callixtus
Ancient underground cemeteries,
used by the Christian and the
Jewish communities, at Rome.
The Christian catacombs, which
are the most numerous, date from
the 2nd-5th c.
Christians gathered to celebrate
their funeral rites, the
anniversaries of the martyrs and
of the dead.
After the persecutions, especially
in the time of pope Saint
Damasus (366 - 384) they became
real shrines of the martyrs,
centres of devotion and of
pilgrimage for Christians from
every part of the empire.
Cubicles of the Sacraments: family
tombs noted for their frescoes
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Incorporation of
Roman Law and
Hierarchy
Pope
Cardinals
Bishops
Priests
Latin as the language
of the Church
Bishop of Rome
appointed as first
Pope: Pope Leo 440461
Roman Catholic
Church
Christian Crosses
Tau Cross
Russian Orthodox
Greek Cross
Latin Cross
Papal Cross
Crucifix
Celtic Cross
Baptismal Cross
Early Christian Architecture
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Earliest churches built under
the direction of Constantine
were based on the Roman
basilica
Roman basilicas served as
places for public gatherings:
law courts, financial centers,
army drill halls, a center of
public power.
The basilica contained an apse,
a semi-circular projection
usually off the short wall of the
rectangular building.
Early Christian Basilicas
5th c Roman basilica
of Sta. Sabina
Old St. Peter's, reconstruction view of the exterior
and plan, Rome, first half of the 4th c
Exterior of Sta. Sabina
St. Peters, Rome
St. Augustine
354-430
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Claudio Coello: The Triumph of St. Augustine
Bishop of Hippo
(Northern Africa)
Countered Arian, Pelagian
and Donatist heresies
Confessions -- first
spiritual autobiography
City of God -- response to
fall of Rome
Synthesized Christian
doctrine with classical
philosophy
 Neo-Platonism
 Aristotle’s Unmoved
Mover
Pope Gregory the Great
540-604
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Born to an aristocratic
Roman family, he abandoned
politics to become a monk
Became Pope in 590 against
his will
Reformed ecclesiastical
discipline and the Liturgy
Sent Augustine of Canterbury
to England to convert the
Anglo-Saxons
Instituted the Schola
Cantorum in Rome:
Gregorian Chant
Byzantine Empire
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435: Theodosius II commanded that pagan
temples be destroyed or turned into churches
527-567: Emperor Justinian prohibited
paganism upon pain of death.
529: Justinian abolished the 900 year-old School
at Athens
532: Justinian and Theodora saved
Constantinople and ordered the construction of
the Hagia Sophia
Justinian, mosaic, San Vitale, Ravenna
Theodora, mosaic, San Vitale, Ravenna
Christ enthroned
between angels
and Saints, apse
mosaic, San
Vitale
Isidoros and Anthemios
Hagia Sophia, Istanbul
Schism:
Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox
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Latin as Church
Language
Church governed by local
bishops headed by elected
Pope
Mandatory celibacy for
priests
Iconography: Reverence
for sacred images and
relics
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Greek as Church
Language
Church governed by
Patriarch appointed by
Emperor
Clergy allowed to marry
Iconoclastic controversy