1. Aim: What was the appeal of Christianity to the people of Rome? Hand in Textbook HW (Achievements) Today we will: Take brief notes about the foundations of Christianity Access the reasons why Christianity would appeal to room (which was the biggest push/pull factor?)

2. What was the religious world of the Romans like? Polytheistic : Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Juno, Minerva – Through ceremonies and rituals, Romans worshipped their gods – Believed that their success in creating the empire confirmed the favor of the gods Tolerant of other religions (for the most part) – Sometimes, emperors were made gods by the Senate Afterlife for emperors; underworld for everyone else

3. CHRISTIANITY WHO?? Jesus of Nazareth WHERE?? Born in Bethlehem (Judea) and raised in Nazareth (northern Palestine) WHEN?? ~0 (exact date unknown)  BC vs BCE, AD vs ACE

4. Who feared the teachings of Jesus? Why? JEWS Didn’t believe he was the messiah…teachings blasphemous! Roman Govt Pontius Pilate accused Jesus of denying the authority of Rome The Death of Jesus Jesus crucified on a cross, body was missing from the tomb and people believed they saw Jesus on earth…he then ascended into heaven…this convinced his followers that he was in fact the messiah

5. MAJOR BELIEFS I.Monotheism and the 10 commandments II.God had a personal relationship w/ every human III.People should : God, their neighbors, their enemies + themselves IV.God would end wickedness in the world + establish an eternal kingdom (after people die) V.Jesus was the messiah b/c he rose from the dead + ascended into heaven

6. Major Texts POP QUIZ: What are some religious texts we learned about already? CHIRSTIANITY: The Gospels (1 st four books of the New Testament) -Written by the APOSTLES (12 disciples/students) of Jesus

8. The Religion Spreads… but why?! 1.The Apostle Paul ** -had a vision of Christ -devoted his life to interpreting and spreading the teachings of Christ 2. The Pax Romana -travel and the exchange of ideas was safe, allowing the new religion to spread 3. Common Language -Latin and Greek allowed the message to be easily understood

9. Judaism and Christianity under the Roman Empire In 66AD the Jews REBEL against Roman control… how do the Romans react?  Invaded Jerusalem & destroyed temples  The Western Wall is the only remains (holiest of Jewish shrines)  ½ million Jews killed

10. In 132, the Jews make another attempt to revolt…Roman reaction? More death…Another ½ million Jews die Jewish state doesn’t exist for 1800 years Religion survived BUT State did not  Diaspora (scattering of the Jewish population) =exile!

11. Because Christians refused to worship Roman gods, this was seen as opposing Roman rule…Roman reaction? Pax Romana, persecution Christians are exiled, imprisoned or executed by R’s

12. G R O W ? However, why does Christianity G R O W ? 1.Embraced all people (women/men, slaves, poor, nobles) 2.Gave hope to the powerless 3.Appealed to those who were repelled by the extravagance of Rome **poor** 4.offered a personal relationship with God 5.promised eternal life after death for everyone

13. Last but not least: Roman Emperors and Christianity In 313, Constantine announces an end to the persecution of Christians and in the Edict of Milan he declared Christianity to be one of the religions approved by the emperor. In 380, Theodosius makes it the official religion of the empire.

14. What are we doing today? If you haven’t already, answer Friday’s aim. Do now: Why do you think Christian persecution rose as the Pax Romana crumbled? (Think about what makes the Pax Romana a “golden age”) TODAY’S AIM: What led to the decline of Rome? Could it have been avoided? Take out HW#7 to be checked. Tonight work on Study guide!

15. If you lived in the times of Rome, how would you feel about Christianity? Each student will be given an index card with a different rank and gender on it Put yourself in the place of your person (pretend you’re them!) and ask yourself: WOULD CHRISTIANITY BE APPEALING TO YOU? WHY OR WHY NOT? Jot down 2-3 sentences in your notebook.

16. Recap from Friday… **Emperor Constantine became a Christian, ending the persecution of the Christians **Less than 100 years later, Emperor Theodosius made Christianity official, ensuring the religions survival and success

17. The dramatic phrase, “the fall of Rome,” is in fact, shorthand for a long, slow process of change that occurred over the decades preceding 476. For centuries, historians have debated the most significant causes of the fall and indeed id the fall even happened. Despite some disagreement, historians agree that many factors helped significantly weaken the empire. TAKE OUT “DECLINE OF ROME” HANDOUT

18. Visual Representations Students will work in pre-arranged groups (based on last night’s HW assignment) to create a visual representation of the cause they have been assigned They will be encouraged to be creative and use as few words as possible Presentations will take place during our next class.