1. Christianity and Islam The Early Christian Church and Islam

2. Rome clashes with Christianity The Romans are very open minded about religion BUT expect everyone in the empire to make observance to Roma the spirit of Rome as a sign of loyalty Christians and Jews are prohibited from worshiping idols and thus can’t. The Romans give the Jews a pass as theirs is an ancient religion and people But Christianity begins to convert Roman citizens who then refuse… Many question their loyalty.

3. Persecution of Christians Both Romans and Jews persecuted the Christians The Jews because they were a heresy The Romans because They refused to make sacrifice to Roma They would sometimes destroy idols They would refuse to fight in the army Once because they were blamed by Nero for setting fire to Rome

4. Persecution Backfires Roman persecution of Christians did not discourage the growth of Christianity but instead encouraged it. Christians were martyred, that is died for their faith, bravely for they believed they would be rewarded in the afterlife Witnesses of these tortures and executions were impressed and often convinced to convert.

5. Islam 612 The Angel Gabriel appeared to Mohammed and the “Voice of God” dictated the Koran. With it Mohammed was to correct the errors that Christians and Jews have made. He and his successors, the Caliph were both political and spiritual absolute rulers ca. 656 The religion split into two sects: Shia: followers of Ali, Mohammed’s cousin, now about 15 % of Muslims Sunni: followers of Mu'awiya Ummayad, the governor of Damascus, the majority By 733 Islamic Caliphates spread from Persia to Spain

6. Three Great Ideas Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all agree on three ideas that contributed to the development of Democracy in the West:  That each individual should be valued as a creation of God…and thus has rights  That all people are equal before God  That each individual has a duty to the community of man, and thus serves God