THE DIFFUSION OF CHRISTIANITY

Jesus of Nazareth, whose life and teachings gave rise to Christianity, was both a Jew and a subject of the Roman Empire. His teachings drew from Hebrew Scripture, yet his charge to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) sparked a movement that spread throughout the Roman world from Jerusalem, site of the Last Supper with his disciples and of his crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. St. Peter (d. ca. 64–68 CE), St. Paul (ca. 10–ca. 67 CE), and other apostles traveled the Near East, Greece, and Italy proclaiming Christianity as a religion open to all. The promise of salvation in the afterlife, and a strong sense of community and of equality between social classes, drew many converts. Women were attracted to Christianity and played major roles in its growth.

Roman subjects were allowed to practice their own religions as long as they also worshipped the Roman gods and emperors. But any group that worshipped a single god, denying all others, and sought to convert people of all nationalities was a threat to the state religion and thus to the state. Christians were at times persecuted; they had to gather in secret, and some were martyred. Yet Christianity gained adherents, even among leading Roman families.

Legalization and establishment Emperor Constantine I (r. 310–37) was introduced to Christianity by his mother Helena, and in 313 he issued the Edict of Milan, which legalized Christianity and allowed the church to own property. By then, Christianity was firmly established in most cities of the empire. In 392, Emperor Theodosius I r. 374–95) made Christianity the official religion and suppressed others, except for Judaism. The church organized itself on the model of the empire, with territories called dioceses and a hierarchy of local churches, bishops, and archbishops headed by patriarchs in Jerusalem, Rome, Constantinople, Antioch, and Alexandria. By 600, virtually the entire area once controlled by Rome was Christian, as we see in Figure 2.1.