Review: The Rise of ChristianitySocial Studies for 10th EBGTeacher: Mauricio Torres

Background

▪ When he was born, the dominating sect of Judaism was very strict and careful in obeying the laws of Moses.▪ They lived structured lives and followed rituals carefully.

▪ They waited for a prophecy in which a descendant of King David would restore the greatness of the ancient kingdom.▪ The prophets called him the “Messiah”, which means the

anointed one.

▪ Since the invasion of the Romans, the Jews believed that the coming of the Messiah was near.

New Religion

Christianity: Based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth

▪ Outside the Bible, very little is known about him, even though he was one of the most influential figures in world history.

▪ His life and teachings are contained inside the New Testament, which is a sacred book for Christians (while the Old Testament is the same as the Hebrew Bible).

The Birth Of Jesus

Origin:

▪ According to the New Testament, he was born in Bethlehem.

▪ He was born from the marriage between Mary and Joseph, a carpenter. ▪ According to Christian

beliefs, his father was not Joseph, but God himself, which is the main foundation of the religion.

Growing up Jewish:

▪ As any other young Jew of the time, he grew up studying laws and Jewish teachings.

▪ When he was 30, he traveled around teaching and preaching.▪ In those times, he

became a celebrity for the Jews!

Crucifixion and Resurrection

Causing Trouble:

▪ When he travelled all over Judea, his message was well received by the populace.

▪ But his message ultimately challenged the authorities (religious and political).

▪ Due to this, Roman leaders arrested him around 30 AD.

Arrest and Execution:

▪ After he was arrested and sentenced to death by crucifixion (execution in which a person is nailed to the cross).

▪ According to Christian beliefs, Jesus rose from the dead afterwards. This is known as Resurrection.▪ Afterwards many of his disciples

claimed to have seen him.▪ This was evidence that he was the

believed Messiah.

Resurrection

Jesus coming out of his tomb.

Teachings of Jesus

▪ His teachings, from village to village, where rooted in old Jewish traditions:▪ Love your God▪ Love others: He taught his followers to not just love

friends and family, but also to give charity to the poor and sick. By doing this, they showed their love to God.

▪ Salvation: ▪ He talked about salvation and how to reach the

Kingdom of God. He spoke of the many ways to achieve this.

▪ Over the centuries, people have interpreted his teachings in many ways. As a result, many different denominations and sects of Christians have developed, even though we all share some basic beliefs about Jesus.

How did his teachings spread out?

▪ The Apostles were 12 disciples whom Jesus chose to receive special training.▪ After his resurrection, they traveled far and wide

spreading his word and also wrote accounts of his life.▪ These accounts are called Gospels.▪ They are the main source of information about Jesus’

life.▪ Four Gospels are found in the New Testament and

they were written by men known as Mark, Matthew, Luke and John.

▪ Maybe, the most important figure in the Spread of Christianity after Jesus’s death was Paul of Tarsus.▪ He set out to travel as much as he could over the

Roman Empire, spreading the word of Jesus.

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▪ Paul told Christians that they didn’t have to obey all Jewish laws and rituals. This led to a final break from Judaism.

▪ Theological differences led to mutual persecution (Pharisees were more).

▪ After this, both sects tried to gain as many followers as possible.

▪ These issues led to a final break of Christianity from Judaism.

Separation

Mutual persecuti

on

Theological

differences

Competition for

believers

Growth of Christianity

▪ At first the Gospels were spread out only amongst Jews. Then Paul and others began preaching to non-Jews as well.▪ This way, after a hundred years, there were many

thousands of Christians living in the Roman empire.

▪ Soon Roman emperors began to fear the message of Christianity and banned the religion. This began a persecution (punishment of a group because of its beliefs) of Christians which sometimes ended in death.▪ Christians began to meet in secret but continued to

spread their faith until emperor Constantine banned the persecution of Christians.

Ask Yourself

▪ Identify:▪ Where is he story of Jesus recorded?

▪ Make inferences:▪ Why was Jesus arrested and executed?▪ Why was it important for Christianity to break away from Judaism?

▪ Draw Conclusions:▪ Why do Christians consider the Resurrection important?

▪ Explain: ▪ How did Jesus spread his message?

▪ Compare:▪ What to teachings of Jesus were rooted in Judaism?

▪ Analyze:▪ Why did different denominations of Christians develop over time?

▪ Recall:▪ Who were the 12 Apostles?

Bibliography

▪ Burstein, S. M., & Shek, R. (2012). World History (Teacher´s Edition) (1st Edition ed.). (H. McDougal, Ed.) Orlando, Florida, US.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

▪ Images taken from Google.com