The Origins of Christianity
After Judaism, Christianity is the second major monotheistic religion. It originates in Palestine, where Judaism developed. It emerges from Judaism but separates itself in the 1st century AD to the point of becoming a new religion that gradually establishes itself as a Church.
How and why does Christianity separate from Judaism? How does it develop within the Roman Empire?
The Birth of Christianity
A Time of Controversy
In the 1st century BC, Palestine is a Roman province known as Judea. The Roman governor resides in Caesarea, located in the northwest of the territory, while Jerusalem remains the religious capital of Judaism.
The Jews are increasingly struggling to accept the Roman occupation, which imposes taxes and controls their way of life. They eagerly await the Messiah, foretold in the Hebrew Bible, who is supposed to liberate them and restore the kingdom of Israel.
Jesus is a Jew from Galilee, a region controlled by the Romans, located north of Judea. This figure is mentioned in a few historical texts, such as those by Flavius Josephus. He is one of the preachers traveling through Palestine, where he gains significant popularity. Many of those who listen to him become his disciples; they see in him the long-awaited Messiah, a term translated as “Christos” in Greek.
Jesus considerably irritates the Jewish religious authorities, and to the Romans, he is just another agitator. Around 30 AD, the priests of the Temple ask the Romans to put an end to his activities. Jesus is arrested, and Governor Pontius Pilate condemns him to crucifixion.
Christianity Becomes a Religion
The closest disciples of Jesus, the apostles, proclaim that he has risen from the dead and now sits at the right hand of God. They try to spread this message among the Jews. Paul of Tarsus, converted around 40 AD, claims that Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus, and he decides that it is also necessary to reach out to the Gentiles. He does not require them to undergo circumcision or to adhere to Jewish dietary laws. Thus, Christianity gradually separates from Judaism and becomes a new religion.
In the second half of the 1st century, Christians begin to write down the oral traditions about the life and teachings of Jesus: these are the Gospels. The New Testament, which forms the foundation of the Christian religion, consists of the Gospels written by Jesus’ disciples after his death: Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John, who write between 65 and 100 AD. The New Testament also includes other texts written by early Christians, such as the Epistles of Paul, James, Peter, and Jude, composed between 50 and 90 AD.
Christians in the Roman Empire
The Persecution of Christians
Born in the Eastern Roman Empire, the new religion gradually spreads throughout the Empire. It particularly attracts the lower classes of Roman society because there is a genuine sense of brotherhood among Christian communities. Furthermore, this new religion promises its followers eternal life after death.
Romans who reject Christian rites accuse them of various evils, believing they anger the gods. Because Christians refuse to submit to imperial worship and the Roman pantheon, they are persecuted by many emperors who see this as a convenient way to address the demands of certain segments of the population. Arrested Christians who remain steadfast in their faith are crucified or thrown to wild beasts, becoming martyrs, like the first among them: Stephen, who was stoned in 47 AD by Jews.
To practice their faith, Christians hide, meeting in private homes, and sometimes in the catacombs in major cities like Naples and Rome. They use symbols to recognize one another, such as the cross and the fish, as well as the chrisme.
Christianity Establishes Itself in Rome
Persecutions against Christians were particularly significant in the 3rd century. However, in 313 AD, Emperor Constantine adopts a much more tolerant policy with the Edict of Milan. He ends the persecutions and allows Christians to practice their religion. He himself converts to Christianity.
After Constantine, Roman emperors become Christians, and many Roman citizens convert as well. In 392 AD, Emperor Theodosius bans polytheism, and pagan temples are closed. Christianity becomes the only authorized religion in the Roman Empire.
The Christian Church
Christian Rites
A person is considered a Christian when they receive baptism. Through this sacrament, they enter into the Christian community in a ceremony that serves to purify the recipient.
Prayer is a common way to gather; on Sundays, Christians meet to pray, read the Bible, and sing. In memory of the Last Supper, the final meal of Christ with the apostles, Christians partake in communion: they share the bread and wine consecrated by the bishop or priest.
The calendar year is marked by religious festivals that recall key moments in the life of Jesus. The most important are Easter (the resurrection of Christ) and Christmas (the birth of Jesus).
An Organized Church
The Church is the assembly of the faithful, but it also refers to the governing structures that compose it. At the head of each Christian community is a bishop, elected by the Christians. He appoints a priest to oversee worship. Some bishops hold greater significance due to the prominence of their city or the antiquity of their Christian community, such as those in Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria, and in the West, Rome. It is believed that the relics of Saint Peter are located there, where Paul was executed. These bishops are referred to as patriarchs.
Bishops also seek to spread Christianity while clarifying and defining Christian beliefs. This is the purpose of the Council of Nicaea, which convened in 325 at the initiative of Emperor Constantine. Christian beliefs are outlined in a Latin text, the language of the Church: The Creed.
Starting in the 3rd century, some Christians wish to withdraw from the world to dedicate themselves entirely to God through a life of prayer; these are the monks. The first appear in the East, and then from the 4th century in the West. When they live alone, they are called hermits or anchorites; when they live together in a community in a monastery, they are referred to as cenobites.
Conclusion
Emerging from Judaism, Christianity is born in the East. It gradually spreads around the Mediterranean basin and becomes another major monotheistic religion. The message of Jesus, the central figure of this religion, is conveyed by a Church that begins to structure and organize itself progressively from the 3rd century after his death.
