Early Christianity

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Early Christianity
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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
• Mithraism

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Cult of Isis

• Egyptian origin
• Promise of immortality
• Strong ethical code
• Celebrated by Apuleius in The Golden Ass, 2nd c.
  ce

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Mysteries of Dionysus/Bacchus

• 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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Mithraism Similarities to Christianity

• Mithras referred to as the Light of the World
  Sol invictus by Romans
• Mediator between Heaven and Earth
• Born of a human virgin birth celebrated on
  December 25 born in a cave, visited by wisemen
• Celibate god who valued self-control,
  renunciation and ascetism in followers
• Belief in heaven, hell and day of judgement
• Ritualistic baptism (in blood) as purification
• Strong ethical code

• Persian origin

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Mithraism Differences with Christianity

• Worship limited to men,initiated into mysteries
  (women worshipped his mother, Anahita, in
  separate 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

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Jews in the Roman World
Judah Maccabee

• 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 and the reign of the Hasmonean
  monarchs and High Priests
• 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.

Brief Historical Background to the New Testament
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Jews in the Roman World

• 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. After his
  death his kingdom was divided.

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Jews in the Roman World

• Herod Antipas was appointed tetrarch of Palestine
  and Peraea in 4 bc. Ruled until 37ce
• Herod Agrippa, ruled Palestine from 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

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Christianitys 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 18

• Three major early Christian movements
• Nazorene
• Pauline
• Gnostic

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Nazorene

• Jewish Christians first followers in Jerusalem,
  led by James and Peter
• Advocated preservation of Jewish rituals
• Peter founded church in Rome

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Pauline

• Sauls conversion ? Paul
• Greek Jew
• Roman citizen
• Classically educated
• Establishment of Churches throughout the
  Mediterranean world Epistles
• Corinth
• Ephesus
• Galatia
• Phillipi
• Thessalonica

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Gnostic

• The image of God as a diad or duality. While
  affirming the ultimate unity and integrity of the
  Divine, Gnosticism noted in its experiential
  encounter with the numinous, dualistic,
  contrasting manifestations and qualities.
• 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
• Redemption achieved through gnosis knowledge.
  One attains salvation by learning secret
  knowledge of ones spiritual essence the
  creative experience of revelation, a rushing
  progression of understanding, and not a static
  creed

Carlo Dolci, Magdalene
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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 Jesuss 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
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Gnostic

• Highly dualistic good vs. evil
• Good spiritual and divine
• Evil material
• Did not believe in Incarnation of Savior
• Sexually egalitarian
• Belief in reincarnation
• Redemption achieved through gnosis secret
  knowledge reserved to those who pursued ascetism,
  followed strict dietary rules, and removed
  themselves from temptation
• Nag Hammadi texts with Gnostic Gospels discovered
  in 1945

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Christian Texts

• Adoption of Jewish Bible as Old Testament
• Many early Gospels
• 367 Canonization of New Testament
• Gospels, 70-100 ad Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
• Acts of the Apostles
• 21 Epistles 14 ascribed to Paul Incarnation
  and Atonement
• Revelation, c. 75-95 ad
• Patristic Writings early Church fathers
• 393-405 Vulgate Bible Latin Translation by St.
  Jerome

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Establishment of Christian Church
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Constantineca. 280-337
In Hoc Signo Vinces

• First Christian Roman Emperor
• 313 Constantine issued Edict of Milan
  toleration
• 325 Convened Council of Nicaea Nicene Creed
• Christianity incorporated pre-existing pagan
  customs and motifs
• 330 capital of Empire moved to Constantinople

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Holy Roman Empire

• 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 heathen priests, etc.
• 379-395 Emperor Theodosius I prohibits heathen
  religious observances
• 402 Emperor Honorius moved capital of Western
  Empire to Ravenna
• 410 Rome sacked by Visigoths
• 455 Rome sacked by Vandals

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Christian Iconography
Chi RhoChristogram
Ihs abbreviated name of Jesus in greek (Iasous)
Alpha and Omega
Icthys Fish Acrostic for Jesus Christ Son of
God Saviour
Anchor/CrossHebrews 619, Which hope we have as
an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.
Dovethe soul that reached divine peace
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TheGoodShepherdand Agnus Dei(lamb of God)
A marble statue of the Good Shepherdfound in
al-Mina - Gaza
Catacomb Fresco
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Catacombs

• Ancient underground cemeteries, used by the
  Christian and the Jewish communities, at Rome.
• The Christian catacombs, which are the most
  numerous, began in the second century and the
  excavating continued until the first half of the
  fifth.
• 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.

The Catacombs of Saint Callixtus
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Roman Catholic Church

• Incorporation of Roman Law and Hierarchy
• Pope
• Cardinals
• Bishops
• Priests
• Latin as the language of the Church
• Pope Leo 440-461

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Christian Crosses
Tau Cross Greek Cross Latin
Cross Celtic Cross
Russian Orthodox Papal Cross
Crucifix Baptismal Cross
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Early Christian Architecture

• 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.

5th c Roman basilica of Sta. Sabina
Early Christian Basilicas
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St. Augustine354-430

• Countered Pelagian and Donatist heresies
• Author of Confessions and City of God (response
  to fall of Rome)
• Synthesized Christian doctrine with classical
  philosophy
• Neo-Platonism
• Aristotles Unmoved Mover

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Pope Gregory the Great540-604

• 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

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Gregorian Chant

• Chants plainsong, plainchant sung during the
  Mass
• Kyrie eleison
• Gloria
• Credo
• Sanctus and Benedictus
• Agnus Dei
• Monophonic a single line of melody
• Sung a capella -- without accompaniment by the
  clergy and/or choirs of monks
• Free rhythms that create hypnotic effects

http//www.christdesert.org/noframes/chant/chant.h
tml
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Byzantine Empire

• 435 Theodosius II commands that pagan temples be
  destroyed or turned into churches
• 527-567 Emperor Justinian prohibits heathenism
  upon pain of death.
• 529 Justinian abolishes the 900 year-old School
  at Athens
• 532 Justinian and Theodora save Constantinople
  and order the construction of the Hagia Sophia

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Christ enthroned between angels and Saints, apse
mosaic, San Vitale
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SchismRoman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox

• Latin as Church Language
• Church governed by local bishops headed by
  elected Pope
• Mandatory celibacy for priests
• Reverence for sacred images and relics

• Greek as Church Language
• Church governed by Patriarch appointed by Emperor
• Clergy allowed to marry
• Iconoclastic controversy

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