...At the time, the Roman Empire had strict laws about religion in their empire. The Romans had it set that current religions can continue, but no new ones will be forced. During this time period, Christianity formed out of Judaism as a reform movement, and at the time, had very few members. Slowly, the descendants of the apostles passed on traditions and it became the dominant religion in the Roman Empire. This success was because there was organizational strength within the religion. Paul, an early Christian leader, wrote the “Letter to the Romans” to give the Romans a concrete foundation to serve God effectively. Paul incorporated many ideals into this letter, and one is how to follow and obey the law. Paul wrote, “You must obey the governing authorities. Since all government comes from God, the civil authorities were appointed by God, and so anyone who resists authority is rebelling against God’s decision” (Paul, Letter to the Romans, 267). Paul also wrote about respecting your enemies, which also became important during the period of persecutions under the Roman Empire. From roughly the year 64 C.E until 312 C.E, Roman authorities felt as if the Christians lacked a respectable element and were violating the law. Many Christians were persecuted during this time period, often in very gruesome and creative ways. Paul helped preserve the Christian faith...
Words: 1593 - Pages: 7
..."Do ut des" - a motto of pre christian Roman religion, meaning "I give so that you might give". (from the website Ten Ton Hammer proverbs and quotes.) The lasting Legacy of Rome is not Christianity despite the popular belief. Christianity would not be the Lasting Legacy of Rome because it would have spread without the Romans help. The lasting legacy of Rome is the architecture, city additions, the use of art, colosseum, technology, language, and Western democracy that the Romans invented. In the Modern world people use most of the things that the Romans invented every day. The lasting legacy of Rome would be architecture, because the arches and bridges would not be here today if the Romans had not invented them. The Romans invented the arch....
Words: 1018 - Pages: 5
...The Christian church was created in the Roman Empire. It was thought to have originated from the East. There were plenty of other religions that were growing but it was really the Jewish religion that was attracting the most significance. The Jews were considered “God’s chosen people” throughout the Bible and this acted as a drawing force to the religion . Because the ancient Roman religion was still enforced, Christianity was not a popular belief. This faith was angering many Roman officials and historians. One roman historian specifically spoke out against the Christian faith saying “All that is loathsome comes from the East” . Many might wonder how, with so much hate and controversy, Christianity made such an impact on the world. As one...
Words: 863 - Pages: 4
...the western world. How did a persecuted cult spread to form a widespread religion within a few hundred years? Persecution of Christians Emperor Nero was one who persecuted Christians brutally with punishments often resulting in death. Emperor Nero killed many Christians by setting dogs loose on them, burning them alive and other horrible methods. Christians were most likely persecuted because the Roman religion saw that Christians did not sacrifice to the Roman Gods. In the eyes of the Roman religious followers this is seen as an...
Words: 675 - Pages: 3
...Worldview Essay BIBL 104 Summer 2014 THESUS In order to live a Christian life, we need a biblical worldview. Our philosophical outlook on life’s inescapable questions can be shaped and formed by the Holy Scriptures found inside the Bible. Paul sets forth the foundations of the Christian faith in the book of Romans, and we will greatly enhance our faith by keeping close to these foundations. Apart from faith, we have no hope in life. If we study Romans carefully, we will never be at a loss to know what we believe as Christians in today’s society. It is not enough to know the gospel; we must also let Gods inspired word transform, shape, mold, form and impact every aspect of our attitudes and the choices we make in our daily lives. THE NATURAL WORLD The book of Romans gives us a good description of the natural world and its fallen state. When Adam sinned, mankind was separated from God. This caused the natural world to spiritually die. In the beginning God created the earth for man to enjoy in abundance, and to have a perfect, direct and intimate relationship with him. Thank God In Romans 1:18 Paul says that “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness”. The teaching in Paul’s letter to the Romans helps me understand the current state of this natural world we live in, we may not be living in a perfect world anymore but we were originally created in God’s image, and in his mercy...
Words: 884 - Pages: 4
...Constantine: A Rulers effect on Christianity Since the beginning of time, the ancient Romans worshipped hundreds of gods and goddesses. Many of those deities came from foreign lands that the Romans had conquered. As different faiths sprang up across the ever-expanding empire, they were more or less tolerated. Such open attitude, however, was not the case for Judaism and Christianity. Both religions pointedly refused to honor Roman gods and to idolize Roman emperors. As a result, the Jews and Christians endured centuries of hardship. That was until Constantine took control of Rome introducing tolerance throughout the empire. Throughout this paper the research will show how Constantine’s conversion to Christianity shaped and has continue to shape how Christianity spread throughout the World. Christian Life Before Constantine Before we can dive into how Constantine shaped the Christian world we need to talk about the life of a Christian before Constantine was emperor. A Christian’s life was not fully marked with persecution, as it is commonly believed. While Diocletian was sole emperor Christians lived in relative peace with the Roman government. Eusebius who described the time with extraordinary terms “the glory and the liberty with which the doctrine of piety was honoured” documented this fact. It was not until Diocletian shared the throne with Galerius that the empire began persecuting Christians again. The two of them convened in Nicmedia in 302 AD, and decided that Christianity...
Words: 3426 - Pages: 14
...which has shaped so much of Western values and thoughts, God, created humans with an anthropocentric mindset, which placed them as the center of creation and separating man from nature. The Biblical laws enforces Christians and Jews to keep the laws of God, and if so then “The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you… The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity – in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground ”. Before Jesus Christ was born, the Jews were taught how to exploit the natural resources believing that it was God’s way to reward the truthful believers. If humans, however, disobeyed the laws of God then they shall be punished: “The LORD will change...
Words: 691 - Pages: 3
...framework of fundamental concepts of beliefs about the world. In short, a worldview comprises the lens through which we see the world.” – Michael Wittmer, Heaven is a Place on Earth, 21. Life Experiences, social media, history books, and church have all affected our view on the world. Many people would agree that something in their life has shaped what they believed and why they believe it. Having a worldview simply means throughout of everything you have and will experience you have found an simply answer to understand it all. Most Christians based their worldview off what the bible teaches. Another group of people based their worldview off theory, hypothesis, or heavy information. Overall, humans have strategically created a way to make the natural world, human identity; human relationships and even culture make sense of it all. Apostle Paul was privilege to elaborate and give a more detailed account of his view of the world from a biblical standpoint. Apostle Paul writes to the Romans about the Natural world describe in Romans Chapter 5. Romans Chapter 5 indicates by one-man sin, sin came in to the world. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sin (v.12). The scripture that explains the natural world reverts to Genesis Chapter 1:26-31 that expounds of Adam and Eve sin in the Garden of Eden. Paul begins to tell the Romans that what they are dealing with did not just start in...
Words: 727 - Pages: 3
...and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality How do I think historical and scientific perspectives on homosexuality may have shaped the way gay individuals perceive themselves? I believe that the way people used to think and still do about gay people are preposterous. What I mean in that statement is that people thought of gay people as criminals. Although in the past homosexual relationships were common based in Roman and Greek cultures, Christianity denounced those sexual associations and made their belief and intentions clear that this behavior were not to continue. The legal system became intertwined with the Christian belief that homosexuality was sinful and would punish inappropriate sex acts as criminal offenses (Rathus, Nevid, & Fichner-Rathus, 2005). Historically, the topic of homosexuality within religion has been condemned by Judeo-Christian and Islamic. They find it to be sinful because it is viewed as a form of non-procreative sex. However, homosexuality is widely documented throughout the ages. In antiquated cultures such as the Greeks and the Romans, men frequently engaged in homosexuality relationships. The first historical perspective involving the Western culture was male homosexuality, which was more accepted and less taboo than lesbianism. This was due in part because men were seen as the superior gender whereas women were seen simply as children producers (Peterson, 1999). When the Roman Empire fell in the 15th century Christianity became the...
Words: 713 - Pages: 3
...The Christian church that has been an influential spiritual vigor in Western civilization’s history and alongside with Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy, one of the three main aspects of Christianity, the Roman Catholic Church follows its past to Jesus Christ and his Apostles. In excess of centuries, Catholicism has built up an extremely refined theology and an intricate clerical composition regulated by the papacy, which is the oldest enduring definitive dominion in the world. In retrospect, the explanation of Roman Catholicism is directly linked as a relation of Christianity. In its individual analysis of history, Roman Catholicism was created in the actual rise of Christianity (Fairchild, 2011). An indispensable element of the characterization of any of the other domains of the Christian countries and groups in addition to its association to Roman Catholicism, how did Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy happen to divide? Was the split among Rome and the Church of England predestined? On the contrary, these questions could be vital to the explanation of Roman Catholicism itself. Such a description that remains rigorously to the authoritative Roman Catholic examination a general consensus in which the Roman Catholic Church has preserved a steady continuity from the time of the Apostles, all the while other religious groups, from the earliest Coptic to the modern church are a divergence from it. Now, the belief of faith that is shared by Christian churches is embedded...
Words: 2124 - Pages: 9
...Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches share many core beliefs regarding Jesus Christ, including his divine and human natures, his virginal birth, his death and resurrection, along with his anticipated return to earth. Both denominations also recognize the teachings expressed in the first seven ecumenical councils. At the root of the Great Schism between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches was the ways in which the idea of the Trinity was expressed. While the Eastern Orthodox Church emphasized the distinct personhood of each member of the Trinity, the Roman Catholic Church emphasized the Trinity’s unity of essence (site). This division proceeded with the filioque controversy, which was another one of the primary theological triggers of the Great Schism. The churches also have different views on the perpetual virginity of Mary as well as the nature of original sin. Both churches believe in the concept of original sin, but there is a difference in consequences. Both branched hold baptism as the way to cleanse the soul of sin Saints plays a central role in the spiritual lives of Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Catholics. The Greek Orthodox Church states that their practice of kneeling before or kissing the images of Mary and deceased saints is a way of showing reverence to their memories, not worshiping them. The Orthodox Church only worships God but the church does offer veneration to individuals who have been important human instruments of God in...
Words: 1165 - Pages: 5
...school teachers and most importantly my Bible, to know how to tell the difference between right and wrong. Through the good and bad, pain and sorrows, I always managed to live through the mistakes I made. Religion is defined into three main parts: 1. beliefs and worship: people's beliefs and opinions concerning the existence, nature, and worship of a deity or deities, and divine involvement in the universe and human life, 2. System: an institutionalized or personal system of beliefs and practices relating to the divine and 3. Personal beliefs or values: a set of strongly-held beliefs, values, and attitudes that somebody lives by.2 Religion can be defined as a group of people who have shared beliefs who feel their life has purpose or meaning. This feeling or belief that their life has meaning can come from outside of themselves, as well as within. It also contributed long lasting moral, social, and political impacts seen in countless movements reflecting the Christian ideals of truth. The issue of religious freedom has played a significant role in the history of the United States and the remainder of North America. If we trace back hundreds of years to colonial times, religion acted as the absolute driving force that convinced colonists that America was the new haven they had been looking for. Europeans came to America to escape religious oppression and forced beliefs by such state-affiliated Christian churches as the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England....
Words: 625 - Pages: 3
...Biblical Worldview: Romans 1-8 Survey of the New Testament (Bib 110) Romans 1-8 is a masterpiece of biblical truth that helped correct the worldview of believers in Rome, as well as provide a relevant lens for the readers to shape their own perceptions in today’s world. In this letter Paul, writing to the believers in Rome, vividly and tactfully paints a picture of the Roman society in order to contrast it with a godly alternative of abundant life in Christ. He understood that believers living in Rome were subject to a progressively worldly perception of spirituality and sensuality, much like the world we encounter each day. The book of Romans lays a firm foundation for the children of God, teaching us about the natural world, human relationships, culture, and human identity. Very early on in his letter, Paul deliberately reminds the people that God is the creator of all things. The people of the earth, since the time of Adam, had seen his glory time and time again and had chosen to reject him. The Romans were not an exception to this unfortunate truth. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”(Romans 1:20 NIV) Paul clearly conveys here that we have always had the evidence all around us of the creator God, and warns that there is no excuse to turn our praise and worship anywhere else. The scripture says that “They...
Words: 1225 - Pages: 5
...| Jesus and Mohammed | Hum/130 | | | 11/16/2013 | Jesus & Mohammed Jesus and Mohammed have shaped the course of history and the destiny of man for over two millennia. Christianity and Islam are currently the largest religions with a following of 1.8 billion and 1 billion respectively. No other religion in the world comes close to achieving such numbers. These are the only two religions that have a global presence; in other words you will find Muslims and Christians present in every territory in the world. Both Jesus and Mohammed shared a lot of similarities and differences which is reflected in their respective religions. Historically, we encounter reports of miraculous events before and upon the Birth of both leaders. The Christian Bible talks of a host of Angels appearing to shepherds (Bible, Luke 2:8 NIV). There is also the star of Bethlehem, a celestial body, said to have guided three Magi to the birthplace of Jesus where they rendered gifts. (Bible, Mathew 2:2 NIV). As for Mohammed, the Quran reports that as a baby he was sent to be taken care of by a nurse which was the custom in those days. Halimah, his nurse, explains that with the entrance of Prophet Muhammad, blessings showered her life such that their property and herd increased daily. Although drought had spread throughout the deserts and cities, Halimah's sheep were healthy and full of milk. Their shriveled trees prospered and grew back green leaves. The camels regained their milk. Furthermore...
Words: 1397 - Pages: 6
... specifically the Gnostics who believed the pathway to salvation is through intellectual seeking which allows them to be closer to their God, are amiss in their justification. He then goes one step further and attempts to identify the root of the heretics motivation, that being the study of philosophy. “… we ought not to be surprised ether at the occurrence of the heresies, since they were foretold”, states Tertullian in Chapter 1 which embodies the thinking of the Christian writers of the time. Given the fact that heretics and naysayers were prophesied in the religious texts these Christian scholars were always on the defense and ready to repudiate any claims made against the church, no matter how much validity there was to the argument. To begin Tertullian asserts that the prevailing heretics would in fact be those that call themselves Christians as well, “ The Lord teaches that many ravening wolves will come in sheep’s clothing. What is this sheep’s clothing but the outward profession of the name “Christian””. He then claims that the heretic is “self- condemned”, that being because “he chooses for himself the cause of his condemnation”. Yet his essential argument is that the nucleus of the heresy is philosophy, “It is philosophy that supplies the heresies with their equipment.” He presents a very narrow view of the way philosophy must be conducted; the constant seeking for the truth that is common practice within the study is problematic because one must stop seeking...
Words: 3057 - Pages: 13
