Chapter 10: The Rise of Christianity - River Dell Regional ... · jat.glencoe.com for a preview of Chapter 10. 339 Sequencing InformationMake this foldable to help you sequence information

Mount of the Beatitudes onthe Sea of Galilee in Israel

A.D. 30Jesus preachesin Galilee andJudaea

A.D. 50 A.D. 400 A.D. 750 A.D. 1100A.D. 50 A.D. 400 A.D. 750 A.D. 1100

ofof CChristianityhristianityThe The RRiseise

A.D. 726Emperor Leo IIIremoves iconsfrom churches

A.D. 312ConstantineacceptsChristianity

A.D. 1054Orthodox andCatholic Churchesseparate

338–

339

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Chapter PreviewWhile the Romans built their empire, a group called the

Christians spread a new religion called Christianity. Readthis chapter to find out how Christianity grew to becomeone of the major influences on European civilization.

View the Chapter 10 video in the World History:Journey Across Time Video Program.

Chapter Overview Visitjat.glencoe.com for a previewof Chapter 10.

339

Sequencing Information Make this foldable to help you sequence informationabout the rise of Christianity.

Reading and WritingAs you read the chapter,write the importantevents that occurred inthe rise of Christianity.

Step 1 Fold a pieceof paper from top to bottom. This makes an

accordianshape.

Christiise of The R

Romans persecuteChristians

A.D.64

A.D.726

Jesus beginsto preach

A.D.30

A.D.313

Constantine’sconversion

Emperor Leo IIIremoves icons

Christiise of

The R

Step 3 Unfold and label the timeline as shown.

Step 4 Fill inimportant datesas you read likethose shown.

The First ChristiansAfter the Romans conquered Judah, some Jewsopposed Rome peacefully, while others rebelled.During that period, Jesus of Nazareth beganpreaching a message of love and forgiveness. His life and teachings led to the rise of Christianity.

The Christian ChurchIn time, Christianity became the Roman Empire’sofficial religion. Early Christians organized thechurch and collected the New Testament of the Bible.

The Spread of Christian Ideas Church and government worked closely together in the Byzantine Empire. Christians founded newcommunities and spread their faith through Europe.

Step 2 Then fold back each half tomake quarter folds.

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Looking for Sequence Clues

When we speak, read, or write, we automatically use clues to tellus what happened when. These clues are called sequence words, andthey show us the order in which events occur.

Read the following passage about the spread of Christianity.Notice the highlighted sequence words or phrases.

After the fall of Rome, thepeople of Western Europe facedconfusion and conflict. As aresult, people were looking fororder and unity. Christianityhelped to meet this need. Itspread rapidly into lands thathad once been part of theRoman Empire.

—from page 361

Sequence CluesSequence Clues

Now read the paragraph againand leave out the highlightedsequence words. Do you see howimportant they are in helping youunderstand what you are reading?

When you have trouble

understanding the order

in which things occur,

create a rough time line

to help you keep track

of events as you read.

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341

Look at the time linethat appears at thebottom of page 342.Write a paragraph thatuses sequence clues todescribe when theseevents occurred.

Read to WriteFinding Clue WordsRead this passage and write down any word or phrase

that helps you recognize the sequence of events.

Choose one section in this chapterand use sequence clues, as well asdates, to help you place events on atime line in chronological order.

Even with all of the hardships,Christianity spread. Over time iteven began to draw people from all classes. After A.D. 250, manyRomans grew tired of war andfeared the end of the empire. Theybegan to admire the faith andcourage of the Christians. At thesame time, many Christians startedto accept the empire.

—from pages 353–354

The apostle Peter preaching

akg-images/Orsi Battaglini

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TheThe

FFirst irst CChristianshristians

What’s the Connection?You learned that the Romans ruled

many areas of the Mediterranean.In one of these areas, Judaea, a newreligion, Christianity, began.

Focusing on the • Roman rule of Judaea led some Jews

to oppose Rome peacefully, whileothers rebelled. (page 343)

• Jesus of Nazareth preached of God’s love and forgiveness. He waseventually crucified and then reportedto have risen from the dead. (page 344)

• Jesus’ life and a belief in hisresurrection led to a new religioncalled Christianity. (page 348)

Locating PlacesJerusalem (juh•ROO•suh• luhm)Judaea (ju•DEE•uh)Nazareth (NA•zuh•ruhth)Galilee (GA• luh•LEE)

Meeting PeopleJesus (JEE•zuhs)Peter

Paul

Building Your Vocabularymessiah (muh•SY•uh)disciple (dih•SY•puhl)parable (PAR•uh•buhl)resurrection

(REH•zuh•REHK•shuhn)apostle (uh•PAH•suhl)salvation (sal•VAY•shuhn)

Reading StrategySummarizing Information Completea diagram like the one below showingthe purposes of early Christian churches.

342 CHAPTER 10 The Rise of Christianity

A.D. 30Jesus preachesin Galilee andJudaea

A.D. 66Jews in Judaearise up againstRome

A.D. 132Romans forceJews out ofJerusalem

A.D. 1 A.D. 50 A.D. 100 A.D. 150A.D. 1 A.D. 50 A.D. 100 A.D. 150

Jerusalem

RomeITALY

ASIA MINOR

JUDAEA

Purposes of Churches

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The Jews and the RomansRoman rule of Judaea led some Jews to

oppose Rome peacefully, while others rebelled.

Reading Focus Suppose you were separated from

your home and could not easily return to it. What effect

might this have on you? Read to learn how the Jews

were forced to leave their capital city.

As you learned earlier, during the 900s B.C., two great kings, David andSolomon, united the Israelites and createdthe kingdom of Israel. Its capital wasJerusalem (juh • ROO • suh • luhm). This unitydid not last long, however. Israel dividedinto two kingdoms: Israel and Judah. Thesesmall kingdoms were later taken over bymore powerful neighbors. Israel wasdestroyed, and its people scattered. But theJews, the people of Judah, survived.

Roman Rule In 63 B.C. the Romans tookover Judah. At first, they ruled throughJewish kings. Then, in A.D. 6, EmperorAugustus turned Judah into a Romanprovince called Judaea (ju • DEE • uh). Insteadof a king, a Roman governor called a procurator (PRAH • kyuh • RAY • tuhr) ruled thenew province.

The Jews argued among themselvesover what to do about the Romans. Somefavored working with the Romans. Others

opposed Roman rule by closely followingJewish traditions. Still others turned theirbacks on the Romans. They settled in iso-lated areas and shared their belongings.

The Jews Rebel Some Jews believed thatthey should fight the Romans and take backcontrol of their kingdom. These people,called Zealots, convinced many Jews to take up arms against the Romans in A.D. 66.The rebellion was brutally crushed. TheRomans destroyed the temple and killedthousands of Jews. A Jewish general namedJosephus (joh • SEE • fuhs) fought in the warbut later sided with the Romans. He wroteabout the horrors of Jerusalem’s fall in hiswork History of the Jewish War.

The Jews rebelled again in A.D. 132 andwere again defeated. This time the Romansforced all Jews to leave Jerusalem andbanned them from ever returning to thecity. Saddened by the loss of Jerusalem,many Jews found new homes elsewhere.

By A.D. 700, the Jews had set up commu-nities as far west as Spain and as far east ascentral Asia. In later centuries, they settledthroughout Europe and the Americas. Intheir scattered communities, the Jews kepttheir faith alive by studying and followingtheir religious laws.

Explain Why did many Jewsleave Judaea after the A.D. 132 revolt?

CHAPTER 10 The Rise of Christianity 343

These ruins are of the moun-taintop Jewish fortress atMasada in Israel. Jewish rebelswere defeated by Romantroops here in A.D. 73. Whatwere the Jewish rebels called?

These ruins are of the moun-taintop Jewish fortress atMasada in Israel. Jewish rebelswere defeated by Romantroops here in A.D. 73. Whatwere the Jewish rebels called?

Nat

han

Ben

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OR

BIS

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The Life of JesusJesus of Nazareth preached of God’s

love and forgiveness. He was eventually crucifiedand then reported to have risen from the dead.

Reading Focus If you could give someone advice on

how to behave, what would you tell them? Why? Read

to learn how Jesus thought people should behave.

During Roman times, many Jews hopedthat God would send a messiah (muh • SY •uh), or deliverer. This leader would helpthem win back their freedom. The Israeliteprophets had long ago predicted that amessiah would come. Many Jews expectedthe messiah to be a great king, like David.They thought the messiah would restorethe past glories of the Israelite kingdom.

A few decades before the first Jewishrevolt against Rome, a Jew named Jesus(JEE • zuhs) left his home in Nazareth

(NA • zuh • ruhth) and began preaching. Fromabout A.D. 30 to A.D. 33, Jesus traveledthroughout Judaea and Galilee (GA • luh •LEE), the region just north of Judaea, preach-ing his ideas. Crowds gathered to hear him preach. He soon assembled a smallband of 12 close followers called disciples(dih • SY • puhlz).

What Did Jesus Teach? According to theChristian Bible, Jesus preached that Godwas coming soon to rule the world. Heurged people to turn from their sins. Healso told them that following Jewish reli-gious laws was not as important as havinga relationship with God, whom Jesusreferred to as his Father.

The main points of Jesus’ message aregiven in a group of sayings known as theSermon on the Mount. In them, Jesus madeit clear that a person had to love and forgive


Jesus traveled throughout the regions of Judaea and Galilee, preaching toall who would listen to his religious message. In the Sermon on the Mount,illustrated below, Jesus described God’s love and how to be a good person.At right, Jesus is shown as the Good Shepherd, a popular image in earlyChristian art. What did Jesus teach about Jewish religious laws?

The Teachings of JesusThe Teachings of Jesus

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from the heart and not just go through themotions of following religious laws.Among Jesus’ sayings were “Blessed are themerciful, for they will obtain mercy” and“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they willbe called the children of God.”

Jesus told his listeners to love and for-give each other because God loves and forgives people. According to Jesus, God’scommand was simple. He repeated the age-old Jewish teaching: “Love the Lord yourGod with all your heart and with all yoursoul and with all your mind and with allyour strength.” Jesus also stressed anotherteaching: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”Jesus’ message of love and forgivenesshelped shape the values many people inEurope and America hold today.

To present his message, Jesus often used parables (PAR • uh • buhlz). These werestories that used events from everyday life

to express spiritual ideas. In the story of the Prodigal (wasteful) Son, Jesus told howa father welcomed back his reckless sonwith open arms. He forgave his son’s mistakes. In another parable, he told of ashepherd who left his flock unguarded togo after one lost sheep. Both stories taughtthat God forgives mistakes and wants all people to turn away from bad deeds andbe saved.

The parable of the Good Samaritan isone of the best known. In this story, a manis beaten by robbers. A priest and anotherreligious leader refuse to help the injuredman. However, a Samaritan, a member of agroup looked down upon by Jesus’ listen-ers, stops to help the victim. He treats theman’s wounds and pays for his stay at aninn. Jesus asked his followers, “Which mando you think truly showed love to hisneighbor?”


Jesus used stories, called parables, to describe correct behaviorsto his followers. The parables of the Prodigal Son (below) and theGood Samaritan (right) are shown here. What lesson was taughtby the parable of the Prodigal Son?

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JESUS OFNAZARETHc. 6 B.C.–A.D. 30

Much of what we know about Jesus, whose life

and teachings established the Christian religion, is

based on accounts found in the Bible. According to

the Bible, Jesus’ birth was guided by God. An angel

visited Mary, Jesus’ mother, to tell her she was going

to have a baby. The angel told Mary her baby would

be the Son of God. An angel also visited Joseph,

Mary’s fiancé, and instructed him to marry her.

Jesus was humbly born in a stable, beside barn

animals, in the town of Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph

had traveled there to take part in a census ordered by the

Romans. Shepherds and wise men, possibly princes from

neighboring kingdoms, followed a brightly shining star to

honor Jesus in the stable. Christmas is a celebration of Jesus’ birth.

The Bible tells very little about the middle years of Jesus’ life. He grew up in Nazareth,

a small town in Galilee, where he learned the carpenter’s trade from Joseph. Later in life,

Jesus set out to share his religious teachings. At this point, the Bible provides

many stories of Jesus’ travels and the miracles he performed. The

accounts of Jesus’ miracles, such as giving a blind man sight, raising a

man from the dead, and calming a storm at sea, brought many

followers to his teachings. When Jesus entered Jerusalem the week

before his death, he was greeted by cheering crowds. One of

Jesus’ closest followers, however, betrayed him and turned him

over to Roman authorities. Jesus was questioned by Jewish and

Roman officials and sentenced to death. Soon afterwards,

reports that he had risen from the dead would lead to a new

religion—Christianity.

An earlydepictionof Jesus onhis throne

Jesus entering Jerusalem

“I am the light that has“I am the light that has

come into the world.”come into the world.”—Jesus of Nazareth, John 13:46—Jesus of Nazareth, John 13:46

What event does Christmas celebrate? What

aspects of Christmas today are not related to

its traditional meaning?

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What Is the Crucifixion? Jesus and hismessage drew strong responses from peo-ple. His followers called attention toinstances in which they believed he healedthe sick and performed other miracles.They said he was the long-awaited messiah.Other Jews disagreed and said he was adeceiver. Above all, Judaea’s Roman rulersfeared the effects of Jesus’ preaching. Aperson who could spark such strong reac-tions might threaten law and order.

About A.D. 33, Jesus went to Jerusalemto celebrate Passover, an important Jewishholiday. There he was greeted by large,cheering crowds. In an event known as the Last Supper, Jesus celebrated the holi-day with his 12 disciples. Fearing trouble,leaders in Jerusalem arrested Jesus. Jesus

According to the Bible, just before his death, Jesus gathered his disciples togetherfor a meal known as the Last Supper. Why did the Romans fear Jesus?

was charged with treason, or disloyalty to the government. As punishment, Jesus wascrucified, or hung from a cross until dead.This was Rome’s way of punishing politicalrebels and lower-class criminals.

After Jesus’ death, his followers made astartling claim. They announced that Jesus hadrisen from the dead. Christian tradition statesthat Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus’ followers,was the first to see Jesus alive again. Others,including Jesus’ disciples, reported seeing himas well. The disciples also pointed to his emptytomb as proof that Jesus was the messiah.These reports of Jesus’ resurrection (REH• zuh •REHK • shuhn), or rising from the dead, led to anew religion called Christianity.

Describing What were themain ideas Jesus taught during his life?

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The First ChristiansJesus’ life and a belief in his resurrec-

tion led to a new religion called Christianity.

Reading Focus Have you ever read news stories

about people sacrificing their lives to help others? Read

to learn about the sacrifice Christians believe Jesus

made for everyone.

Jesus’ disciples began to spread the mes-sage of Jesus and his resurrection. Smallgroups in the Greek-speaking cities of theeastern Mediterranean accepted this mes-sage. Some were Jews, but others were not.

Sermon on the Mount

Jesus encouraged his disciples with theSermon on the Mount.“Happy are you when men insult you and perse-cute you and tellall kinds of evillies against you because youare my followers.Be happy andglad, for a greatreward is kept foryou in heaven.This is how theprophets wholived before youwere persecuted.”

—Matthew5:11–12

Why does Jesus tell his followers toignore—even rejoice in—persecution?

Jesus and his followers


Those who accepted Jesus Christ and histeachings became known as Christians. Theword Christ comes from Christos, the Greekword for “messiah.”

The early Christians formed churches,or communities for worship and teaching.They met in people’s houses, many ofwhich were owned by women. At thesegatherings, Christians prayed and studiedthe Hebrew Bible. They also shared in a rit-ual meal like the Last Supper to rememberJesus’ death and resurrection.

Who Were Peter and Paul? Apostles (uh • PAH • suhlz), or early Christian leaderswho helped set up churches and spread the message of Jesus, played an importantrole in the growth of Christianity. Perhapsthe two most important were Peter andPaul.

Simon Peter was a Jewish fisher. He hadknown Jesus while he was alive and hadbeen one of the original 12 people Jesus had called to preach his message. Christiantradition states that he went to Rome afterthe death of Jesus and helped set up achurch there. Today, the leader of CatholicChristians resides in Rome.

Paul of Tarsus was another importantChristian leader. He was a well-educatedJew and a Roman citizen. Paul at first hatedChristianity and persecuted Christians inJerusalem. The chief Jewish priest inJerusalem then sent him to Damascus (duh •MAS • kuhs), a city in Syria, to stop Christiansin the city from spreading their ideas.

While on the road to Damascus, Paulhad an unusual experience. According toChristian belief, he saw a great light andheard Jesus’ voice. Paul became a Christianon the spot. He spent the rest of his lifespreading Jesus’ message. Paul traveledwidely. He founded churches throughoutthe eastern Mediterranean.

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PAUL OF TARSUSc. A.D. 10–65

Without the apostle Paul, Christianity might not

have become one of the world’s most widely

accepted religions. It was Paul who spread the word

about Jesus to the Gentiles, or non-Jews, and helped

Jesus gain acceptance as the messiah.

Paul was a Jew from Tarsus, a major city in Asia

Minor. His father was a Roman citizen, and his family followed

the laws and rules of the Pharisees—a Jewish group that

stressed the need to follow Jewish laws. His parents named their

son Saul after the first king of the Jews. The first trade Saul

learned was tent making. Around age 10, he was sent to

Jerusalem to attend a school under the direction of the famed

Pharisee teacher Gamaliel. Saul received a well-rounded

education. He learned the language and history of the Romans, Jews, and Greeks.

When Saul was in his twenties, he opposed and persecuted Christians and

their newly formed church in Jerusalem. He was on his way to Damascus in Syria to

find and arrest Christians there when a vision of Jesus led him to accept Christianity.

Saul began using the Latin name Paul after his conversion to Christianity. He

traveled extensively, preaching and writing to Gentiles. He also wrote many

important letters, known as epistles, to churches in Rome, Greece, and Asia Minor.

These letters are included in the Christian Bible.

Paul convinced many people that if they died as Christians, they would have

eternal life. Even though Paul’s only meeting with Jesus was supposedly in his vision,

Paul visited more places and preached to more

people than most of the apostles who had known

Jesus in person. Paul worked as a missionary for

around 35 years. He was probably killed when the

Roman emperor Nero ordered that Christians in

Rome be arrested and put to death.

349

A book containing the

teachings of Paul

Paul of Tarsus

Can you think of any groups of people in

today’s world who are persecuted for their

beliefs?

“I showed how you “I showed how you

should work to should work to

help everyone. ”help everyone. ”—Paul, Acts 20:35—Paul, Acts 20:35

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Reading SummaryReview the • While some Jews opposed Roman

rule peacefully, others revolted,leading the Romans to banishJews from Jerusalem.

• Jesus preached of God’s love and forgiveness and gained manyfollowers. After his crucifixion,his followers claimed that he rosefrom the dead.

• A new religion, Christianity, basedon the teachings of Jesus and abelief in his resurrection, spreadin the Mediterranean region.

1. What are parables, and why didJesus use them?

2. What do Christians believethey will gain by acceptingJesus and his teachings?

Critical Thinking3. Summarize Information

Draw a diagram like the onebelow. Add details to identifysome of the Christian beliefstaught by Jesus.

4. Analyze Why were the Jewslooking for a messiah? DidJesus fulfill most Jews’ expecta-tions for a messiah? Explain.

5. Explain Why was Jesus put to death?

6. Expository Writing Write anessay comparing Christianity toone or more religions that youhave already learned about.

7. Sequence CluesList five words in this sectionthat serve as sequence clues.Explain how each word pro-vided clues as to when anevent occurred.

What Did You Learn?

Homework Helper Need help with the material in this section? Visit jat.glencoe.com


What Do Christians Believe? From thebeginning, Christians taught that Jesus wasthe Son of God and had come to save people. By accepting Jesus and his teach-ings, people could gain salvation (sal • VAY •shuhn), or be saved from sin and allowed toenter heaven. Like Jesus, after death theywould be resurrected and join God in ever-lasting life.

Because of their faith in Jesus, Christiansbegan to understand God in a new way.Like the Jews, Christians believed in theGod of Israel and studied the Hebrew Bible.However, most Christians came to believethat the one God existed in three persons:Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This ideabecame known as the Trinity, which comesfrom a word meaning “three.”

Identify Who were Peterand Paul, and why were they important?

ChristianBeliefs

This painting shows the apostle Peter preachingto followers. What was the role of apostles inthe spread of Christianity?

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What’s the Connection?In the last section, you read

about the origins of Christianity. Inthis section, you will discover howChristianity grew and was organized.

Focusing on the • Christianity won many followers

and eventually became the officialreligion of the Roman Empire.(page 352)

• Early Christians set up a churchorganization and explained theirbeliefs. (page 355)

Locating PlacesRome

Meeting PeopleConstantine (KAHN•stuhn•TEEN)Helena (HEHL•uh•nuh)Theodosius (THEE•uh•DOH•shuhs)

Building Your Vocabularypersecute (PURH•sih•KYOOT)martyr (MAHR•tuhr)hierarchy (HY•uhr•AHR•kee)clergy (KLUHR•jee)laity (LAY•uh•tee)doctrine (DAHK•truhn)gospel (GAHS•puhl)pope

Reading StrategyOrganizing Information Complete a diagram like the one below showingreasons for the growth of Christianity.


A.D. 64Romans begin topersecute Christians

A.D. 312ConstantineacceptsChristianity

A.D. 392Christianity becomesthe official religion ofthe Roman Empire

A.D. 100 A.D. 300 A.D. 500A.D. 100 A.D. 300 A.D. 500

Reasons for Growth of Christianity

TheThe

CChristian hristian CChurchhurch

Jerusalem

Rome Constantinople

ITALY

GREECE

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A Growing FaithChristianity won many followers and

eventually became the official religion of the RomanEmpire.

Reading Focus Why do you think people like to

belong to a community? Read to learn about early

Christian communities.

During the 100 years after Jesus’ death,Christianity won followers throughout theRoman world. The empire itself helpedspread Christian ideas. The peace and orderestablished by Rome allowed people totravel in safety. Christians used well-paved

N

S

W E 500 km

500 mi.0

0Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection

0° 20°E

40°E40°N

A F R I C A Sicily

ASIAMINOR

ATLANTIC

OCEAN

Mediterranean Sea

AegeanSea

Black Sea

Red Sea

JUDAEA

EGYPT

SYRIA

GREECE

ITALY

GAUL

SPAIN

BRITAIN

Rome

Alexandria

Tarsus Antioch

DamascusTyreGalileeNazareth

Jerusalem

Constantinople

Spread of Christianity A..D. 325. 325


Roman roads to carry their message fromplace to place. Since most of the empire’speople spoke either Latin or Greek,Christians could talk with them directly.

Why did Christianity attract followers?First, the Christian message gave meaningto people’s lives. Rome’s official religionurged people to honor the state and theemperor. Christianity instead reached outto the poor and the powerless who led veryhard lives. It offered hope and comfort.

Second, the ideas of Christianity werefamiliar to many Romans. They alreadyknew about other eastern Mediterraneanreligions. Like these faiths, Christianity

Main areas of Christian growthto A.D. 325Paul’s first journeyPaul’s second journey

KEY

Even while facing Roman persecution, theChristian religion continued to grow within theRoman Empire.1. To what areas did Paul’s journeys take him?2. Why do you think Christianity spread as it did

by A.D. 325?Find NGS online map resources @ www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

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http://www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

Christian Catacombs Christiansbelieved in resurrection, the idea thatthe body would one day reunite withthe soul. For this reason, they wouldnot allow their dead bodies to beburned, which was the Roman custom.Also, Roman law did not allow bodiesto be buried aboveground. Therefore,starting in the A.D. 100s, Christiansburied their dead beneath the city ofRome in a series of dark, cold, stench-filled tunnels called catacombs.

Each tunnel was about 8 feet (2.4 m) high and less than 3 feet (1 m)wide. Bodies were stacked in slotsalong the sides of the tunnels. Thecatacomb walls were painted withimages from the Bible or from Greek or Roman mythology.

More than fivemillion bodies were buried underRoman streets andbuildings. Many ofthe Christians buriedthere were martyrswho had been killedfor their beliefs.

Connecting to the Past1. Why did Christians bury their dead in

catacombs?

2. What skills do you think would benecessary to dig and plan catacombs?

appealed to the emotions and promisedhappiness after death.

Finally, Christianity gave people thechance to be part of a caring group. Withintheir churches, Christians not only wor-shiped together but helped each other. Theytook care of the sick, the elderly, widows,and orphans. Many women found thatChristianity offered them new roles. Theyran churches from their homes, spread Jesus’message, and helped care for those in need.

How Did the Romans Treat Christians?Over time, Roman officials began to see the Christians as a threat to the government.All people in the empire were usuallyallowed to worship freely, but the Romansexpected everyone to honor the emperor asa god. Christians, like the Jews, refused todo this. They claimed that only God couldbe worshiped. Christians also refused toserve in the army or hold public office.They criticized Roman festivals and games.As a result, the Romans saw the Christiansas traitors who should be punished.

In A.D. 64 the Roman governmentbegan to persecute (PURH • sih • KYOOT),or mistreat, Christians. At this time, theemperor Nero accused Christians ofstarting a terrible fire that burned muchof Rome. Christianity was made ille-gal, and many Christians were killed.

Other persecutions followed. Duringthese difficult times, many Christiansbecame martyrs (MAHR • tuhrz), peoplewilling to die rather than give up theirbeliefs. In Rome, because of theirbeliefs, Christians were forced to burytheir dead in catacombs, or under-ground burial places.

Even with all of the hardships,Christianity spread. Over time it evenbegan to draw people from all classes. AfterA.D. 250, many Romans grew tired of war

Christian catacombsin Rome

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and feared the end of the empire. Theybegan to admire the faith and courage ofthe Christians. At the same time, manyChristians started to accept the empire.

Rome Adopts Christianity In the early A.D. 300s the emperor Diocletian carried outthe last great persecution of Christians.Diocletian failed, and Roman officials beganto realize that Christianity had grown toostrong to be destroyed by force.

Then, in A.D. 312, the Roman emperorConstantine (KAHN • stuhn • TEEN) acceptedChristianity. According to tradition,Constantine saw a flaming cross in the skyas he was about to go into battle. Writtenbeneath the cross were the Latin words thatmeant “In this sign you will conquer.”

Constantine won the battle and believedthat the Christian God had helped him.

In A.D. 313 Constantine issued an ordercalled the Edict of Milan. It gave religiousfreedom to all people and made Christianitylegal. Constantine began giving govern-ment support to Christianity. With the helpof his mother, Helena (HEHL • uh • nuh), hebuilt churches in Rome and Jerusalem. Healso let church officials serve in governmentand excused them from paying taxes.

Constantine’s successor, the emperorTheodosius (THEE • uh • DOH • shuhs), madeChristianity Rome’s official religion in A.D. 392. At the same time, he outlawedother religions.

Explain Why did theRomans see the Christians as traitors?

Constantine led his troops to victory at the Battle of the Milvian Bridgeafter his conversion to Christianity. Constantine’s enemies were defeatedas a bridge made of boats collapsed under their weight. The X and P sym-bols painted on the soldiers’ shields represented Greek initials for JesusChrist. How did Constantine’s Edict of Milan support Christianity?

Constantine’s ConversionConstantine’s Conversion

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The Early ChurchEarly Christians set up a church organi-

zation and explained their beliefs.

Reading Focus How can good organization make the

difference between whether a plan or project fails or

succeeds? Read how early Christians organized their

churches and chose what to include in the Bible.

In its early years, Christianity was looselyorganized. Leaders like Paul traveled fromone Christian community to another. Theytried to unify the scattered groups. In theirteaching, they emphasized that all the individual groups of Christians were part of one body called the church. EarlyChristians, however, faced a challenge.How were they to unite?

Organizing the Church The early Christiansturned to a surprising model to organizethe church—the Roman Empire itself. Likethe Roman Empire, the church came to beruled by a hierarchy (HY • uhr • AHR • kee). Ahierarchy is an organization with differentlevels of authority.

The clergy (KLUHR • jee) were the lead-ers of the church. They had different rolesfrom the laity (LAY • uh • tee), or regularchurch members. As the church’s organi-zation grew, women were not permitted toserve in the clergy. However, as membersof the laity, they continued to care for thesick and needy.

By around A.D. 300, local churches wereled by clergy called priests. Several churchesformed a diocese (DY • uh • suhs), led by abishop. A bishop in charge of a city diocesewas sometimes also put in charge of anentire region. This made him an arch-bishop. The five leading archbishopsbecame known as patriarchs (PAY • tree •AHRKS). They led churches in large cities andwere in charge of large areas of territory.


Archbishops

Bishops

Priests

Laity

Archbishops

PatriarchsPatriarchs

Bishops

Priests

Laity

Early Church HierarchyEarly Church Hierarchy

The bishops explained Christian beliefs.They also took care of church business.From time to time, bishops met to discussquestions about Christian faith. Decisionsthey reached at these meetings came to beaccepted as doctrine (DAHK • truhn), or offi-cial church teaching.

What Is the New Testament? Along withexplaining Christian ideas, church leaderspreserved a written record of the life ofJesus and put together a group of writingsto help guide Christians. Jesus himself leftno writings. His followers, however, passedon what they knew about him. By A.D. 300,four accounts of Jesus’ life, teachings, andresurrection had become well-known.Christians believed these accounts werewritten by early followers of Jesus namedMatthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Each work was called a gospel (GAHS •puhl), which means “good news.” Christianslater combined the four gospels with thewritings of Paul and other early Christianleaders. Together, these works form theNew Testament of the Bible.

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Reading SummaryReview the • After its followers suffered

Roman persecution for severalhundred years, Christianitybecame the official religion ofthe Roman Empire underEmperor Theodosius.

• As Christianity grew, the churchbecame more united under ahierarchy of leaders. Christianwritings were gathered into theNew Testament of the Bible.

1. What is a martyr?

2. What writings are included inthe New Testament of theBible?

Critical Thinking3. Organizing Information

Draw a chart like the onebelow. Fill in details on theeffects each of the emperorslisted had on the acceptanceand growth of Christianity.

4. Analyze Following Jesus’death, why was Christianityable to attract followers?

5. Analyze Why do you thinkthe Christian church came tobe ruled by a hierarchy?

6. Conclude Do you think theChristian religion would havespread so quickly if it haddeveloped in a time other thanthat of the Roman Empire?

7. Writing Questions Writefive questions that a reporterwho lived at the same time asConstantine might have askedhim about Christianity.

What Did You Learn?


Diocletian Constantine Theodosius

Roman Emperors

Other important writings also influ-enced early Christians. Scholars known asthe Church Fathers wrote books to explainchurch teachings. One leading ChurchFather was a bishop in North Africa namedAugustine. In his writings, Augustinedefended Christianity against its oppo-nents. He wrote The City of God—one of thefirst history books written from a Christianviewpoint. He also wrote a work called

Confessions. It was an account of his per-sonal journey to the Christian faith.

Who Is the Pope? As the church grew, thebishop of Rome, who was also the patriarchof the West, began to claim power over theother bishops. He believed that he had theauthority of Peter, Jesus’ leading disciple.Also, his diocese was in Rome, the capital ofthe empire.

By A.D. 600, the bishop of Rome hadgained a special title—pope. The title comesfrom a Latin word meaning “father.” Latin-speaking Christians accepted the pope ashead of the church. Their churches becameknown as the Roman Catholic Church.Greek-speaking Christians would notaccept the pope’s authority over them. Youwill read in the next section aboutChristians in the Eastern Roman Empireand their form of Christianity.

Identify What are thegospels, and why are they significant?

Saint Matthewwrote one of thefour gospels in theNew Testament ofthe Bible. What isthe subject of thegospels ofMatthew, Mark,Luke, and John?

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SAINT AUGUSTINEA.D. 354–430

Augustine was born in North Africa, in what is today

the country of Algeria, to upper-class parents. His mother

was Christian, but his father was not. His father sent

him to the North African city of Carthage to attend good

schools. Although he appeared to be an outstanding

student, Augustine later said that he made many poor

choices during his time at school.

When Augustine finished his education, he returned

home to teach grammar. His mother again tried to

convince him of the truth of Christianity, but he had

joined a group of people who were critical of Christians.

According to Augustine’s writings, his mother was

saddened until a vision promised her that her son

would eventually accept Christianity.

Augustine moved to several cities, often teaching

rhetoric (the art of speaking). He ended up in Milan, Italy.

There he listened to Milan’s bishop Ambrose preaching, not because he liked his messages

but because he admired the way Ambrose spoke. Slowly, Augustine began to think about

the messages of Ambrose’s sermons. One day

in A.D. 386, Augustine heard a child’s voice say

to him, “Take up and read.” Nearby was a

friend’s copy of Paul’s letters. He began to read

the letters and decided that he believed the

messages of Christianity. Augustine was soon

baptized and founded a monastery—probably

the first monastery in his area of North Africa.

Later Augustine became a bishop. He recorded

his life in A.D. 401 in the book Confessions.

357

St. Augustine being blessed by the pope

St. Augustine

Do research to find out how Christianity has

influenced the development of the United

States. Provide examples of how it has affected

government, society, and the economy.

“Even when sad, I remember“Even when sad, I remember

my times of joy.”my times of joy.”—Saint Augustine, —Saint Augustine, ConfessionsConfessions

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The The SSpread pread of of

CChristian hristian IIdeasdeas

What’s the Connection?In the last section, you read

about the growth of the Christianchurch. In this section, you will learnhow the church underwent a greatdivision and how Christians spreadtheir faith to new lands.

Focusing on the • Church and government worked

closely together in the ByzantineEmpire. (page 359)

• Christians founded new communitiesand spread their faith to variousparts of Europe. (page 361)

Locating PlacesByzantine Empire

(BIH•zuhn•TEEN EHM•PYR)Britain (BRIH•tuhn)Ireland (EYER•luhnd)

Meeting PeopleCharlemagne (SHAHR•luh•MAYN)Basil (BAY•zuhl)Benedict (BEH•nuh•DIHKT)Cyril (SIHR•uhl)Patrick

Building Your Vocabularyicon (EYE•KAHN)iconoclast (eye•KAH•nuh•KLAST)excommunicate

(EHK•skuh•MYOO•nuh•KAYT)schism (SIH•zuhm)monastery (MAH•nuh•STEHR•ee)missionary (MIH•shuh•NEHR•ee)

Reading StrategyOrganizing Information Create adiagram to show the reach of Christianmissionaries.


c. A.D. 450Patrick preachesChristianity inIreland

A.D. 726Emperor Leo IIIremoves iconsfrom churches

A.D. 1054Eastern Orthodox and Roman CatholicChurches separate

A.D. 400 A.D. 800 A.D. 1200A.D. 400 A.D. 800 A.D. 1200

Missionaries

EasternEurope

Britain/Ireland

AFRICA

ASIAMINOR

GREECE

ITALYGAUL

SPAIN

BRITAINIRELAND

Rome

Jerusalem

Constantinople

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This gold Byzantine incense burner is in the shapeof a church. What was the Christian church thatdeveloped in the Byzantine Empire called?

Religious Arguments Byzantines, fromthe emperor down to the poorest farmer,were very interested in religious matters. Inhomes and shops, they argued about reli-gious questions. For example, Byzantinesloved to discuss the exact relationshipbetween Jesus and God.

In the A.D. 700s, a major dispute dividedthe Church in the Byzantine Empire. Theargument was over the use of icons (EYE •KAHNZ). Icons are pictures or images of Jesus,Mary (the mother of Jesus), and the saints,or Christian holy people. Many Byzantineshonored icons. They covered the walls oftheir churches with them. A few importanticons were even believed to work miracles.

Some Byzantines, however, wanted anend to the use of icons. They thought thathonoring them was a form of idol worshipforbidden by God. Supporters of icons,

Web Activity Visit jat.glencoe.com and clickon Chapter 10—Student Web Activity to learn more about the rise of Christianity.

The Byzantine ChurchChurch and government worked closely

together in the Byzantine Empire.

Reading Focus In our country, religion and govern-

ment are separated. Read to learn about the relation-

ship between religion and government in the Byzantine

Empire.

As you learned earlier, the church ofRome survived the fall of the WesternRoman Empire. Its head, the pope, becamethe strongest leader in Western Europe.Under the pope, the Latin churches of theregion became known as the RomanCatholic Church. In the East, however, theRoman Empire continued. It developedinto the Byzantine Empire (BIH • zuhn • TEEN

EHM • PYR). Like Roman Catholics in theWest, the Byzantines developed their ownform of Christianity. It was based on theirGreek heritage and was known as theEastern Orthodox Church.

Church and State Church and governmentworked closely together in the ByzantineEmpire. The Byzantines believed theiremperor represented Jesus Christ on Earth.The emperor was crowned in a religiousceremony.

The emperor also chose the patriarch ofConstantinople, the leading Church officialin the Byzantine Empire. In this way, theemperor controlled the Church as well asthe government. Byzantines believed thatGod wanted them to preserve and spreadChristianity. All Church and governmentofficials were united in this goal.

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however, claimed that icons were symbolsof God’s presence in daily life. Theseimages, they also said, helped explainChristianity to people.

Emperor Leo III did not approve oficons. In A.D. 726 he ordered all iconsremoved from the churches. Governmentofficials who carried out his orders wereknown as iconoclasts (eye •KAH •nuh • KLASTS),or image breakers. We use this word todayto mean someone who attacks traditionalbeliefs or institutions.

Most Byzantines, many church leaders,and even the pope in Rome opposed theemperor’s order. In fact, the dispute overicons damaged ties between the churches ofRome and Constantinople. Over the next100 years, the argument cooled, and the use of icons became accepted once again.They are still an important part of EasternOrthodox religious practice.

Conflicts Between Churches Icons werenot the only issue that caused bitternessbetween the churches of Constantinopleand Rome. The most serious argument wasabout how churches were to be run. Thepope claimed that he was the head of allChristian churches. The Byzantines did notaccept the pope’s claim. They believed thepatriarch of Constantinople and other bish-ops were equal to the pope.

Making matters worse was the fact thateach church sometimes refused to help theother when outsiders attacked. In the lateA.D. 700s, the Byzantine emperor refused tohelp the pope when Italy was invaded. Thepope turned instead to a Germanic peoplecalled the Franks for help. The Franks wereRoman Catholics and loyal to the pope.

The pope was grateful to the Franks for stopping the invasion. In A.D. 800 hegave the Frankish king, Charlemagne(SHAHR • luh • MAYN), the title of emperor. Thisangered the Byzantines. They believed theleader of the Byzantines was the only trueemperor.

This conflict pointed out the differencesin how each church felt about relations withthe government. In the Byzantine Empire,the emperor was in control, with churchleaders respecting his wishes. In the West,however, the pope claimed both spiritualand political power. He often quarreledwith kings over church and governmentaffairs.

Byzantine cross

This icon on woodshows the archangelGabriel, who servedas a messenger forGod according tothe Bible. Whatreasons were givento support the useof icons?

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Finally, after centuries of tension, thepope and the patriarch of Constantinopletook a drastic step in their ongoing feud. In A.D. 1054 they excommunicated (EHK •skuh • MYOO • nuh • KAY • tuhd) each other.Excommunication means to declare that aperson or group no longer belongs to thechurch. This began a schism (SIH • zuhm), orseparation, of the two most importantbranches of Christianity. The split betweenthe Roman Catholic and Eastern OrthodoxChurches has lasted to this day.

Describe How did churchand government work together in the ByzantineEmpire?

Christian Ideas Spread

Christians founded new communitiesand spread their faith to various parts of Europe.

Reading Focus Have you ever tried to get someone

to believe something you believe? Read to learn how

Christians spread their faith across Europe.

After the fall of Rome, the people ofWestern Europe faced confusion and con-flict. As a result, people were looking fororder and unity. Christianity helped to meetthis need. It spread rapidly into lands thathad once been part of the Roman Empire. It

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DamascusGalileeNazareth

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Spread of Christianity A..D. 325–1100. 325–1100

Christian areas by A.D. 325Added by A.D. 400Added by A.D. 600Added by A.D. 800Added by A.D. 1100

KEY

By the year A.D. 1100, Christianity hadspread throughout Western and EasternEurope, as well as north into Scandinavia.1. In what time period did Christianity

spread throughout Britain?2. What areas were the last to convert to

Christianity?CHAPTER 10 The Rise of Christianity 361

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Missionaries of manydifferent religions work around theworld today. While sharing their

religious message, they also help thepoor and the sick. Many are not monks

or nuns. Some people volunteer for missiontrips that can last for weeks or months.

Would you be interested in doing mission work?Why or why not?

MissionariesMissionaries

Apostles, monks, and nuns spread Christianitythroughout western Asia and the Roman Empire.Paul of Tarsus traveled to Greece, Turkey,and Damascus to tell Jews and Gentilesabout Christianity. Monks and nuns served as missionaries, in addition toproviding community services such as medical care and education.

Benedictine monks

A Catholic missionary in Senegal


also brought new ways of thinking and liv-ing to these areas.

What Are Monasteries? During the A.D. 300s, a new kind of religious group wasborn in the Eastern Roman Empire. Mencalled monks banded together in religiouscommunities called monasteries (MAH • nuh •STEHR •eez). Some monasteries were built nearcities, while others arose in isolated areas.

One of the earliest monks was Anthony,who founded a monastery in the deserts ofEgypt. Monks tried to live a spiritual life

apart from the temptations of the world.Many also tried to do good deeds and beexamples of Christian living. Women soonfollowed the monks’ example and formedcommunities of their own. These womenwere called nuns, and they lived in convents.

In the early A.D. 400s, Paula, a Romanwidow, gave up her wealth and went toPalestine. There she built churches, a hospi-tal, and a convent. Well-educated, Paulahelped a scholar named Jerome translatethe Bible from Hebrew and Greek intoLatin.

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A bishop called Basil (BAY • zuhl) drewup a list of rules for monks and nuns to follow. This list, called the Basilian (buh•ZIH•lee•uhn) Rule, became the model for EasternOrthodox religious life.

In the West, another set of ruleswas followed. It was written by anItalian monk named Benedict (BEH •nuh • DIHKT). Monks who followed theBenedictine Rule gave up theirbelongings, lived simply, and spenttheir time in work and prayer. LikeBasil’s rule in the East, Benedict’srule became the model for monas-teries and convents in the West.Basilian and Benedictine communi-ties still exist today.

Monks and nuns began to play impor-tant roles in Roman Catholic and EasternOrthodox life. They ran hospitals andschools and aided the poor. They also helpedpreserve Greek and Roman writings. Oneimportant duty was to serve as missionaries(MIH•shuh•NEHR•eez). Missionaries teach theirreligion to those who do not believe.

Christianity Spreads North Among themost successful Byzantine missionarieswere two brothers, Cyril (SIHR • uhl) andMethodius. They carried the Christian mes-sage to the Slavs, a people of Eastern Europe.

About A.D. 863, Cyril invented a newalphabet. He wanted to present the Christianmessage in the Slavic languages. He believedthat people would be more interested inChristianity if they could worship and readthe Bible in their own languages. TheCyrillic (suh • RIH • lihk) alphabet was basedon Greek letters. It is still used today byRussians, Ukrainians, Serbs, and Bulgarians.

Eastern Orthodox missionaries traveledin northern lands that bordered theByzantine Empire. At the same time, othermissionaries from Rome were also busy.


Christianity Spreads West In the West,Christian missionaries looked to the islandsof Britain (BRIH • tuhn) and Ireland (EYER •luhnd). In the A.D. 300s, Roman soldiers inBritain were called home to defend theempire against Germanic invaders. Whenthe Romans left, Britain was opened toattack by others.

Starting in the A.D. 400s, tribes fromwhat are today Germany and Denmarkinvaded Britain. These people were theAngles and the Saxons. These groupsunited to become the Anglo-Saxons. Theybuilt settlements and set up several smallkingdoms. The southern part of Britainsoon became known as Angleland, orEngland.

While invading Britain, the Angles andSaxons pushed aside the people already living there. These people were called the Celts (KEHLTS). Some Celts fled to themountainous regions of Britain. Others wentto Ireland.

In the A.D. 400s, a priest named Patrickbrought Christianity to Ireland. He set up anumber of monasteries and churches. Over

WrittenName

EnglishSound

CyrillicLetter

beh

gey

em

zheh

pey

ess

cheh

ef

B

G

M

ZH

P

S

CH

F

The Cyrillic AlphabetThe Cyrillic Alphabet

Cyril, a Byzantine missionary, developedthe Cyrillic alphabet, part of which isshown above. What peoples still use theCyrillic alphabet today?

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Reading SummaryReview the • In the Byzantine Empire,

Christianity developed into the Eastern Orthodox Church,which in time split with theRoman Catholic Church in the West.

• Eastern Orthodox and Catholicmissionaries helped spreadChristianity to areas such as Eastern Europe, Ireland,and Britain.

1. What are icons, and why wastheir use controversial?

2. What roles did monks andnuns play in Roman Catholicand Eastern Orthodox life?

Critical Thinking3. Cause and Effect Draw a

diagram to show the causesthat led to the schism betweenthe Roman Catholic andEastern Orthodox Churches.

4. Describe How did Cyril makethe Christian message availableto the Slavs?

5. Explain What role did theFrankish king Charlemagne play in the schism between theRoman Catholic and EasternOrthodox Churches?

6. Analyze Why do you think theBasilian and Benedictine Ruleswere put in place for monks?

7. Expository Writing Write a newspaper article thatdescribes the spread ofChristianity to Ireland andBritain.

What Did You Learn?



the next centuries, Irish monks played animportant role in preserving Christian andRoman learning.

The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Britain were slower than Ireland to accept the new religion. In A.D. 597 Pope Gregory Isent about 40 monks from Rome to takeChristianity to England.

The missionaries converted Ethelbert,the ruler of the English kingdom of Kent.Ethelbert allowed the missionaries to builda church in his capital city of Canterbury. Inabout 100 years, most of England wasChristian. Today, Canterbury is still animportant center of Christianity in England.

Analyze Why were Basiland Benedict important?

Effect:Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches split

Cause:

Cause:

Cause:

Gregory was a monk before he becamePope Gregory I in the late 500s. How didGregory impact Christianity in England?

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The Spread of Christian Ideas

The Christian Church

The First Christians

Section

Section

Section

Vocabularymessiah disciple parable resurrectionapostlesalvation

Vocabularypersecutemartyrhierarchyclergylaitydoctrinegospelpope

Vocabularyiconiconoclastexcommunicateschismmonasterymissionary

Focusing on the • Roman rule of Judaea led some Jews to oppose Rome peacefully, while

others rebelled. (page 343)

• Jesus of Nazareth preached of God’s love and forgiveness. He was eventu-ally crucified and then reported to have risen from the dead. (page 344)

• Jesus’ life and a belief in his resurrection led to a new religion calledChristianity. (page 348)

Focusing on the • Christianity won many followers and eventually

became the official religion of the RomanEmpire. (page 352)

• Early Christians set up a church organizationand explained their beliefs. (page 355)

Focusing on the • Church and government worked closely together in the Byzantine Empire.

(page 359)

• Christians founded new communities and spread their faith to variousparts of Europe. (page 361)


Saint Matthew

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Sequence Clues Looking for Sequence CluesFind the words in each of these sentencesthat help you identify the order in whichevents occur.15. At the same time, many Christians started

to accept the empire.

16. While on the road to Damascus, Paul hadan unusual experience.

17. It is still used today by Russians,Ukrainians, Serbs, and Bulgarians.

18. The southern part of Britain soon becameknown as Angleland, or England.

19. After Jesus’ death, his followers made astartling claim.

20. At first, they ruled through Jewish kings.

To review this skill, see pages 340–341.

Review Vocabulary1. Write a paragraph about the basic beliefs

of Christianity using the following words.messiah salvation

resurrection gospel

Write the vocabulary word that completes eachsentence. Then write a sentence for each wordnot chosen.

a. laity e. parablesb. missionaries f. schism c. martyrs g. apostled. iconoclasts h. pope

2. Jesus told symbolic stories called ___.

3. The bishop of Rome was called the ___.

4. The ___ in the Christian churches hap-pened in A.D. 1054.

5. Christians who died for their faith were ___.

Review Main IdeasSection 1 • The First Christians

6. How did Jews react to the Roman rule ofJudaea?

7. On what is Christianity based? Section 2 • The Christian Church

8. How did the Roman Empire eventuallyrecognize Christianity?

9. What did early Christians do to organizetheir religion?

Section 3 • The Spread of Christian Ideas10. What was the relationship between the

church and the government in theByzantine Empire?

11. How and where did the Christian religionspread?

Critical Thinking12. Analyze Why do you think Jesus’ follow-

ers remembered his teachings more whenhe used parables?

13. Contrast How did Jews and Christiansdiffer in their belief about Jesus and hismessage?

14. Predict How would the growth ofChristianity have been affected if theemperor Constantine had not become aChristian?

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GalileeNazarethJerusalem

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Spread of Christianity

Geography SkillsStudy the map below and answer the follow-ing questions.21. Human/Environment Interaction What

geographical feature do you think mosthelped the spread of Christianity?

22. Location By A.D. 325, Christianity hadspread to which continents?

23. Region Why do you think the cities ofJudaea were all important centers ofChristianity?

Read to Write24. Creative Writing Rewrite the parable of

the Good Samaritan as if the events tookplace in the present day. Read your parableto your classmates, and explain anychanges in the meaning that occurred as you modernized it.

25. Using Your Use your foldableto write three sentences that summarizethe main ideas of this chapter. Share yoursentences with the class, and listen to theirsentences. Then vote for the one you thinkbest summarizes the chapter.

Using Technology26. Reviewing Media Use a video or DVD

player to view one of the many films madeabout the life of Jesus or the impact ofChristianity on the people of the RomanEmpire. Some examples are Ben Hur, TheRobe, The Silver Chalice, and The GreatestStory Ever Told. After you watch the movie,write a review of it. Based on what youhave learned about the Roman Empire andChristianity, how accurate is the movie?How does it present Jesus, his early follow-ers, the different Jewish groups in Judaea,and the Romans? Share your review withyour classmates.

Linking Past and Present27. Recognizing Patterns Conduct research

to find out the number of people world-wide who are Christian, Jewish, Buddhist,Hindu, and Muslim. Also record the countries where people of each religionlive. What do you notice about religions in different regions of the world?

Self-Check Quiz To help you prepare forthe Chapter Test, visit jat.glencoe.com

AnalyzeAnalyzeBenedict wrote of the importance ofkeeping busy.“Idleness [inactivity] is the enemy of thesoul. Therefore should the brethren beoccupied at stated times in manual labour,and at other fixed hours in sacred reading.”

—Benedict, The Rule,“Of the Daily Manual Labour”

28. What does Benedict mean when he saysinactivity is “the enemy of the soul”?

29. What do you think probably followsthese lines?


Main areas of Christian growthto A.D. 325Areas largely Christian by A.D. 600

KEY

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Chapter 10: The Rise of Christianity - River Dell Regional ... · jat.glencoe.com for a preview of Chapter 10. 339 Sequencing InformationMake this foldable to help you sequence information