Christian Beginnings Flashcards
How long had a vast majority of Christian’s lived in Turkey?
For over 600 years
What did the rulership of the Roman Empire mean people could do through the Mediterranean Mare?
It was the only time people could travel safely and freely throughout the Mediterranean Mare
What was the common language?
Greek was the common language, many people wrote, read and spoke it
What was the Pax Romana?
Peace of Rome
What does the Pax Romana mean people could do?
It was being able to travel freely, peacefully and safely
What was Roman retribution like?
It was particularly brutal
What could the Roman retribution lead to?
Crucifixion
What did Alexander the Great do?
He took the Greek culture and customs into the Empire
When did this stop?
The rise of Islam
What was Alexander’s aim when he brought Greek culture to Rome?
To be more like the Greeks
What did this taking from the Greek culture lead to?
Them creating a new Roman Culture
What happened to this culture when Christianity began to emerge?
They undertook aspects of this culture into their own livelihoods
Who did the Roman Empire want to protect themselves from?
The Jews
Why did the Romans want to protect themselves from the Jews?
As they had rejected the Greek Gods and their culture
Where was this rejection taking place?
Palestine
What were the Jews therefore known as through their rebellion?
Terrorists as they had tried to drive the Romans out
At the time of Christ what was Jewish culture divided into?
Sects which all had different theologies of faith
What were these sects? (4)
Pharisees, Essenes, Zealots and Saddvcess
What were the Pharisees?
They were a Greek reformed group
What did the Pharisees military groups want to do?
Eliminate the Romans
What did the Torah Law predict?
A Messiah who would drive out the Romans
What were the Pharisees more accepting of?
They were more liberal and were therefore more accepting of other ideas
What did the Saddvcees do?
They ran the temples, went to ceremonies and rituals and were willing to go along with Greek rulership
What were the Saddvcees focused on?
Temple Priesthood - “When you died it was the end and not even the faithful would rise”
Who did the Zealots side with?
The Pharisees
What did the Zealots want to do when it came to their relationship with the Romans?
They wanted to drive out the Romans through brutality
What did the Essenes see?
The end of days
What were the Essenes teachings very similar with?
The teachings to the beginning of Christianity
What did the majority of Jews want to do?
They wanted to live in peace with others
Why were the Temples important in the Jewish faith?
As they were the heart of worship for their identity
What were Jews who had dispersed from Palestine called?
The Diaspora Jews
Where were these Jews centralised?
In Alexandria, Rome and other surrounding areas
When they left Palestine what were their bringing with them?
They were bringing their faith to a place where the Romans were more prominent
When they left, what happened to the ideologies?
It took on a Greek based ideology
Where would this Greek Ideology be passed onto?
It would arise in some forms within Christianity
Were the Jews tolerated by the Romans?
Yes, to an extent
Why were they tolerated?
If you could demonstrate that you belonged to an ancient religion and were not going to cause a problem then the Romans accepted you because it was ‘old’
Could the Romans accept a ‘new religion’?
No
Why was the Old Testament translated into Greek?
As it was the language of the vernacular, not many could speak or read Hebrew
What version was used through the first years of Christianity?
The Greek version
What was the Greek version called?
Septuagint
What did the Greco-Roman Cults prominently worship?
The ‘old Gods’ or the Roman Gods
What did these cults determine?
It determined Nationally who you worshipped
What did the 1st century BCE see the arise of?
Mystery cults
How did you become a member of a mystery cult?
You had to be initiated into the cult
Name some of the Mystery cults (3)
Cybele, Isis and Mithras
Where did they arise?
In Egypt and the East and even operated in secret regardless of being frowned upon by the Romans
What did Jesus introduce?
A ‘new people’
Why was this?
As they had new ideologies such as resurrection
What did they see themselves as?
The True Jews
What did these lead to?
Arguments over Jewish identity
When did Christianity begin to change its identity?
When it spread wider than Palestine
Who was the only one who brought it out? How?
Paul was the only one who brought it out through Missionary Journeys
What happened by the time Paul was arrested?
Many Christians had become Gentiles
What did Christianity begin to break from?
10% of the Jewish population in Rome and cultivate their own identity
Were they accepted?
NO
Where would they go to preach?
Synagogues to preach the Old Testament to the Jews
Who were the Proselytes?
They were Romans who converted to the Jewish faith and could not be ‘true members’
Who accepted the Christians?
The Proselytes
What were true Jews offering?
Eternal life
Why did Christian’s find easy converts from the Proselytes?
As they offered attractive ideologies and had ‘fertile grounds’
Who else converted to the faith?
Women and slaves
Who did Christianity have to compete with?
Old religions, cults and the Imperial Cult
Who did the Imperial Cult see themselves as?
The Son of God and the Saviour of the World
Who would the Imperial Cult worship?
As many Gods as possible
How did they engage with the world?
Intellectually through Greco Roman philosophy
Who were Christianity threatened by?
The philosophy of Stoicism
How did Christian philosophy arise?
Through the ideology of the Son of God
When did Christianity expand to probably its largest?
2nd and 3rd century
When did the Empire become entirely Christian?
5th century
How was Christianity almost entirely urban?
Through Pagans which was situated in the country as they focused on the old religions
What does the Ministry speak of?
2 fold minister, bishops and deacons
What did Bishops provide?
An oversight
What was the Bishops role?
To conduct communion, preaching and baptisms
What were Deacons to do?
They were focused especially towards women and orphans and helped cast off children
What were teachers and missionaries?
Those who spoke the divine language and their roles varied
What were Christian’s believed to be in the beginning?
Cannibals
What ritual service caused them to be called Cannibals?
Eucharist
Why was Eucharist skeptical?
As they metaphorically drank the blood of christ and ate the body of Christ
What would Christians conduct?
Liturgy
What happened as the centuries went on?
They grew more ceremonial and ritualised
What Biblical Literature was available?
Many scrolls but not a Holy Book/Bible at this time
Did Christian communities have all of the teachings?
No, they would only have fragments of the main texts
What literature was popular?
The Epistle of Barnabas, along with the Rival
What was given by Christ himself?
The transition of faith
What were the Rules of Faith?
It provided the curriculum for those being baptised or converted to the faith
What did the rules of faith mean they could have without the faith?
Unity
What did people find hard to believe?
Notions about Jesus, such as the resurrection and the notion of him being born of a virgin
What did Gnostics believe Jesus had done?
He only seemed to do something important
What did Gnostics believe people should not do?
They should not give themselves to bodily needs
Were the Gnostics faithful to the word of Christ?
Only to some things
What kind of groups were a threat for Jesus?
Greco-Roman Cults and groups
What did people want to happen?
For the Bible to be translated into Greek
What were many Jews doing?
Abandoning their faith and becoming Christian’s
What were the names of those who became Christians?
Proselytes
