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Home , Christian Beginnings, Justin Martyr

2: Late Antiquity

— From movement to Christian Empire

— Augustine, Christian views of , and

Christian conceptions of time

— Monks, nuns, and pilgrims Today: From to Christian Empire

The First Four Centuries of

• Review: Paul • Christian minorities & their persecution • Constantine & the making of Christian Empire and the universal (Catholic) Church… • What are Creeds? Review: contributions of Paul

— Provides earliest surviving NT texts — Successful apostle to — Succeeded in bringing non-Jews into Jesus movement ◦ Provided explanation for relationship to Judaism, Jewish law, Hebrew Bible What was Paul’s legacy?

— Do Christians consider Hebrew Bible part of their Bible?

— Do most Christians observe the Jewish Sabbath, , or dietary requirements like Jesus did?

— Do Christians view themselves as descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/ Israel? Books on Historical Jesus & Paul For Today

— Paula Fredriksen, “Christians in the in the first three centuries CE,” p. 283-292 of CP.

— Can we talk about one Jesus movement OR one Christiantiy? “Christianities” “or “Christian movements” Fredriksen, p. 290

Letter to Trajan, p. 293

WHY WERE ANCIENT CHRISTIANS PERSECUTED?

Letter of Pliny to Emperor Trajan

— Earliest mention of Christians in Roman imperial sources

— Pliny, Governor of Bithynia asks the Emperor Trajan for advice on how to deal with Christians

— Page 293-4 of coursepack. By end of first century CE

— Christians gain notoriety as Jewish heretics or superstitious fanatics – Accused of treason against empire, – Of “hating human race” – Of promiscuity, incest, and cannibalism – Of being irrational. The Romans on Christians “They think the Christians the cause of every public disaster, of every affliction with which the people are visited. If the Tiber rises as high as the city walls, if the Nile does not send its waters up over the fields, if the heavens give no rain, if there is an earthquake, if there is famine or pestilence, straightaway the cry is, ◦ “Away with the Christians to the lions!” – , Apology 40 How did Christians respond to Roman Persecution?

— ’s response — Writing between 100-160 CE — “Plea for a Fair Hearing”

◦ Pg. 295 of coursepack “Worship and Witness” p. 297-8 — Explanation of how Christians worship ◦

◦ What is ? – AKA Holy Communion – Lord’s supper (in Protestant tradition) – Mass (in Catholic Tradition)

◦ CHRISTIAN MARTYRDOM

• Intermittent until 313 C.E. • Roman authorities take note where pagan sacrifices are disrupted

• Drew inspiration from….

• Impact of Christian on others… AGE OF CONSTANTINE Byzantine period (330 CE -1453 CE)

The Byzantine Era

Byzantine: “excessively complicated, typically involving a great deal of administrative detail”

— 312 CE, Battle of Milvian Bridge ◦ Personal turning point for Constantine

— 313 CE, Edict of Milan

— Constantine becomes patron of Christian churches

Constantine the Great & the making of Christian Architecture

Roman Basilica Old Peter’s Basilica, Old St. Peter’s Basilica (4th Century CE – 15th century) Constantine the Great & the making of Christian Empire & the making of the Holy Land

— Jerusalem re-established as Christian holy city Artist’s rendering of original plan of Church of Holy Sepulcher

& The Church of the Holy Sepulchre The Church of the Holy Sepulcher Jesus’ tomb enclosed by 19th century shrine Church of Holy Sepulcher built to overlook the destroyed Temple-Mount Constantine’s Accomplishments

— From heretical sect to Imperial Religion

— the Holy Land

— the Roman

— Harnessed network of churches to unify empire What did Christian movements look like in fourth century CE?

As Fredriksen notes, much regional and local variation… ◦ Understood Jesus differently (human or divine?) ◦ Celebrated holidays on different days: some more Jewishly than others ◦ Practiced different rituals ◦ Read different and letters Constantine the Great ◦ Seeks to unite churches with Roman Imperial State

◦ Sought to settle schisms/debates among Christians

– Established Sunday as public holiday

Creeds, pg.306 of CP

— Creed: statement of faith and belief ◦ From “credo” I believe

— Fixed formulas established in 4th – 5th C ◦ (325, revised 381 CE) ◦ Apostolic Creed ◦ Athanasian Creed (8th century?) – emphasis on monotheism of Constantine’s Legacy

— Established Roman Catholic Church — Sought to settle schisms through creeds — Schisms: Disagreements over doctrinal issues like personhood and divinity of Jesus

à rejected by Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, and Syrian Orthodox churches Constantine’s Legacy

— Constantine baptized on death bed in 337 CE — Sons and grandsons are more devout — Close public temples in 398 CE — End of Imperially sponsored polytheism — Ban pagan sacrifices.

— (Rome sacked in 410 CE) Take-Aways

— as heretical minority ◦ Cf. Justin Martyr

— Constantine & the transformation of Christianity into an Imperial Religion ◦ From Roman to ◦ Transformation of Jerusalem into a Christian city — Creeds For tomorrow

— The Church leader Augustine and foundations of ◦ P. 299-305

— The origin of Christian Holidays, ◦ pg. 309-329 MacGowan, Ancient

From Jewish holidays to Christian holidays ◦ Sabbath à Sunday ◦ Jewish Fasts à Christian Fast days ◦ Passover à ◦ Shavuot à Pentecost – Lent ◦ Origin of Christmas