The Ancient RomansThe Ancient Romans

The Beginnings of Christianity

Religion and the RomansReligion and the Romans• The Greek culture influenced

Roman religion. The Romans basically renamed all of the same gods and goddesses.

• Worship of the __________ was an important part of Roman public and private life.

gods

Religion and the Religion and the RomansRomans

• The Romans believed that proper _____________ of the gods _________________ the empire from harm.

• As Rome grew, the ___________________ took control of choosing religious leaders and made laws to ________________ those who did not worship the Roman gods.

worshipprotecte

d government

punish

A New AlternativeA New Alternative• Unlike the Roman religion, some other

religions promised rewards for believers.• In Roman ______________ some people

followed a religion that promised believers that their __________ would be saved from evil and that there would be life after death.

• This promise of ___________________ changed people’s thinking about religion and made Christianity very popular.

souls

provinces

salvation

Jesus and His TeachingsJesus and His Teachings• ___________________ is based on the

life and teaching of Jesus.• He taught that there is one God

and told of the coming of God’s Kingdom.

• People followed him.

Christianity

Under Roman Under Roman ControlControl• Wherever Jesus taught, he gained

new followers.• He told his ________________, his

closest followers, to love their enemies.

disciples

A Savior ArrivesA Savior Arrives• One belief of Judaism is that

person sent by God will come to bring justice to the world. Some people started to think that he was the ______________ sent by God.

• Roman leaders were afraid that Jesus’ teaching would stir ________________ against Roman rule. They ordered his death.

messiah

rebellion

Back From the DeadBack From the Dead

• Jesus’ followers said that three days after his death, he rose from the dead.

• The story of this __________________ spread throughout the empire.

resurrection

The Spread of ChristianityThe Spread of Christianity

• The ________________, or people sent out to teach others, taught about Jesus.

• Christians refused to worship Roman gods, so Romans began to _________________ them.

• Many Christians died as _____________ for their beliefs.

apostles

persecute

martyrs

Spreading the WordSpreading the Word• Christians began writing

about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection in the ______________________.

• Writings by Christians played an important role in the spread of Christianity.

• Paul’s letters, the Gospels, and other writing were combined to form the New Testament.

Gospels

Rome and the New ReligionRome and the New Religion• Around A.D. 313, the Roman

emperor Constantine made Christianity an accepted religion, so persecution stopped.

• In A.D. 392, under the emperor ________________, Christianity became the empire’s official religion.

• Its leader was a ____________.

Theodosius I

pope