1. Section 2: The Roman Empire and Religion
Rome and Christianity
Section 2: The Roman Empire and Religion

2. Religious Tolerance and Conflict
Romans did not insist on imposing their beliefs on others
Romans worshiped many gods
Adopted some gods from the Greeks, Egyptians, Gauls, and Persians
Only when a religious group caused a problem did Rome restrict them
Judea – the territory in which most Jews lived
Conquered by Rome
Jews resented Roman rule
Romans grew more hostile toward the Jews
Jews were treated harshly and taxed heavily
Hadrian would ban certain Jewish rituals causing the Jews to rebel
The Roman army crushed the Jewish revolt, destroyed Jerusalem, and forced Jews to leave the city
Religious Tolerance and Conflict

3. A New Religion A new religion would appear in Judea – Christianity
Was based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth
Was rooted in the ideas and traditions of Judaism
Jews believe that a new leader would be a descendent of King David who would restore the greatness of King David’s ancient kingdom, Israel
The prophets call this leader the Messiah, which means “God’s anointed one”
A New Religion

4. People have interpreted his teachings in different ways
As a result, many different denominations of Christians have developed
Denomination – a group of people who hold the same religious belief
One of the most important figures in the spread of Christianity after Jesus’s death was Paul of Tarsus
He traveled throughout Rome spreading Christian teachings
In his letters, he wrote about the Resurrection and about salvation
Paul also told Christians that they didn’t have to obey all Jewish laws and rituals
These ideas helped the Christian Church break away from Judaism
Jesus of Nazareth

5. The Growth of Christianity
Christians trying to spread their beliefs faced challenges from local officials
Those that refused to worship Rome’s gods were arrested and killed
A few Roman emperors feared that Christians would cause unrest, so they banned Christianity
This began a period of persecution against Christians
Persecution is the punishment of a group because of its beliefs
The Emperor Constantine be came a Christian
He removed the bans on the religion
A later emperor made Christianity Rome’s official religion
The Growth of Christianity