Survival of the Early Christian Church
The early Christian church faced many internal and external struggles in the first centuries of the Roman Empire but ultimately prevailed as a powerful institution.
The endurance of Christianity during the first centuries of the Roman Empire may be the greatest “miracle” of the faith tradition beyond the resurrection of the founder, Jesus. Attempts to eradicate the sect by a number of emperors merely strengthened the movement and provided it with heroic martyrs that modeled individual faith for neophytes while sharing in the death of Christ. Despite internal conflicts and external pressures, Christianity emerged as the predominant faith, able to preserve key elements of Roman culture once the empire dissolved in the fifth century.
The First Century Christian Church
The early followers of Jesus were Jews that were forced to worship in private homes after growing opposition by Pharisees and Sadducees. These early believers worshiped Jesus as Christ, the promised Messiah. Central in this worship was the re-enactment of the Last Supper, a celebration that would come to be seen as the Eucharist.
The three “missionary” journeys made by St. Paul over a 13 year period universalized the church. By the turn of the century, Christian communities flourished in Corinth, Ephesus, Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome. Christianity also made significant progress in Spain and North Africa.
Roman religion was an eclectic body of mystery cults, schools of philosophy, a pantheon of deities often borrowed from other cultures (such as Greece), and traditional Roman household worship that dated back to Etruscan times. Christianity, however, was monotheistic and its followers refused to participate in Roman religious rituals such as offering sacrifices to the emperors.
The Appeal of Early Christianity and Roman Responses
Christianity taught that all people could experience a relationship with God through Christ. The message was simple and easily understood. It offered a hope to those in the lowest social stratum. The Christian message attracted both the illiterate and the educated. Christians valued all life, taking in orphans and, through a sense of corporate solidarity, took care of each other.
The social values and morality flowing out of Christianity stood in direct contrast to Roman beliefs and practices. Further, Christians – at least the early Christians, met in secret. The Eucharist was not understood by Romans who heard tales of eating flesh and drinking blood. Much like the excesses of some mystery cults like that of Dionysus, which had been suppressed in the late Republic, Christianity was viewed with great caution and suspicion.
When Christians refused to worship the emperor as a divine being the unity of the Roman state appeared to be threatened. Some Christians refused to serve in the army and opposed the use of violence. Numerous persecutions ensued, ending with the “Great Purge” of AD 303 under Diocletian and Galerius.
The Christian church, however, persevered and grew. A common body of sacred literature, compiled by “church fathers” and endorsed as inspired texts, assisted in church organization. At the same time, hierarchical structures enabled the church to provide methods of defense against internal conflicts associated with heresies, some of which made their appearance as early as the second century.
Triumph of the Christian Church
Although the egalitarian nature of Christian social justice in the early centuries enhanced its appeal among peoples longing for a belief that offered Utopian directions rather than the turmoil following the death of Marcus Aurelius, there were many other factors that contributed to the triumph of Christianity.
The third century saw a waning of oriental mystery cults as well as average Romans seeking truth amidst economic and political breakdowns. The apocalyptic nature of Christianity also provided a particular hope that spoke of a new heaven and a new earth. Christians appeared to be united, even during times of great stress and persecution. Thus did this minority group survive to grow into a mighty institution during the centuries following Roman dissolution.
Sources:
Basic Sources of the Judeo-Christian Tradition, Fred Berthold, Jr., Alan E. Carlsten, and others, editors (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc., 1962)
W. H. C. Frend, The Rise of Christianity (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984.
Williston Walker, A History of the Christian Church 3rd Ed. (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1970)
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