Early Christianity: A World Religion

This set of flashcards covers the origins, early teachings, and societal impact of Christianity, exploring key figures, doctrines, and the interactions between Christianity and the surrounding cultures.

Who was Jesus and during whose reign was he executed?

Jesus was a Palestinian Jew executed during the reign of Tiberius (A.D. 14-37).

What were the four groups of Palestinian Jews during the first century B.C.?

Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, and Zealots.

What did the Sadducees advocate?

Strict interpretation of the Torah.

Which group became the dominant sect among Palestinian Jews?

The Pharisees.

What was the belief of the Essenes regarding the Messiah?

They were certain that the Messiah would come soon.

What action did the Zealots engage in against Rome?

Active resistance.

During which time did Jesus live?

Between 4 B.C. and c. 29 A.D.

What did early followers of Jesus yearn for?

For the Messiah to liberate their land from Romans and establish God’s reign.

What was the primary source of information about Jesus?

The New Testament, written decades after his death.

How did historians regard Jesus after his death?

Historians paid little attention to him in the decades following his death.

What significant belief did Jesus preach?

The coming of the reign of God.

Who influenced Jesus' teachings?

John the Baptist and possibly the Essene community.

What did Jesus place at the core of the Mosaic Law?

Ethics.

How did Jesus reinterpret Jewish laws?

He argued that true meaning was through moral purity and love for fellow man.

How did Jewish leaders view Jesus?

As a subversive, troublemaker, and false prophet.

Why did Romans fear Jesus?

They considered him a political agitator.

Who turned Jesus over to the Roman authorities?

Jewish leaders.

What was the customary punishment for high treason that Jesus faced?

Crucifixion.

At the time of Jesus's death, what was Christianity considered?

A small Hebrew sect, not a separate religion.

What doctrine enabled Jesus' followers to see him as divine?

The doctrine of resurrection.

In the years following Jesus's crucifixion, who primarily practiced his teachings?

Jews.

Who was Saint Paul and where was he from?

A Hellenized Jew from Tarsus in Asia Minor.

What transformation did Saint Paul undergo?

He became a missionary of Jewish Christianity after a spiritual transformation.

What did Paul urge regarding the Christian message?

That it should be shared with non-Jews.

According to Paul, what was significant about all people?

All people were sinners who could atone for their sins, earning eternal life in heaven.

What did Paul teach regarding the crucified Messiah?

That he had suffered and died for the sins of human beings.

What marked a break between Christianity and Judaism according to Paul?

The belief in the sacrificed Messiah as divine.

How did Paul's view of Jewish law differ from traditional Judaism?

He believed Mosaic Law was superseded by resurrection.

What was a reason Christianity became attractive to the Greco-Roman world?

It offered a personal relationship with God.

What social aspect did Christianity provide that the elite Greco-Roman civilization did not?

Hope, dignity, and a caring community.

What was the status of early Christians in society?

Most early Christians came from lower classes.

How did the Roman government initially treat Christians?

They did not interfere at first.

What led to early persecutions of Christians?

As the number of Christians increased, Roman officials feared them as subversives.

What actions did Christians refuse that caused tension with the Roman Empire?

They refused to sacrifice to Roman gods.

What significant event did Constantine grant in A.D. 313?

Toleration to Christians via the Edict of Milan.

What did Theodosius do in A.D. 392?

He made Christianity the state religion of the Empire.

How did Christianity synthesize Hebrew and Greco-Roman traditions?

By integrating various philosophical concepts while maintaining faith in God.

What did conservative Christians fear regarding Greek philosophy?

They feared it would contaminate Christian morality.

How did some Christian leaders view Greek philosophy?

As a means to explain their beliefs logically and argue intelligently.

What was emphasized in conflicts between reason and faith?

Faith would prevail.

What authority did the Bishop of Rome claim?

Primacy over all other bishops based on the tradition that Apostle Peter founded the Roman seat of authority.

What was established by Saint Basil?

Rules for Eastern monasteries.

What did Saint Benedict write?

A rule that became standard in the West for monasteries.

How did Benedict's rules change early monastic life?

He eliminated excessive and eccentric individualism.

What was the earliest surviving Christian writing?

Paul’s Epistles.

Who wrote the first Gospel, and what was its significance?

Saint Mark wrote it 40 years after crucifixion, collecting stories from oral tradition.

What are the synoptic Gospels?

The gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke, which are similar in content.

How does Saint John’s gospel differ from the synoptic Gospels?

It varies significantly and presents a unique perspective on Jesus.

How many books comprise the Christian New Testament?

27 books.

What controversies arose among early Christians regarding the New Testament?

Discrepancies and differing interpretations of Holy Writ.

What major theological debate arose regarding Christ's nature?

The relationship between God and Christ.

What was Arius's belief about Christ?

He denied the complete divinity of Christ, arguing he was more than man but less than God.

What significant rulings were made at the Council of Nicaea?

God and Christ were deemed coequal and coeternal.

How did the early Christian view of women relate to society's norms?

It was rooted in the patriarchal tradition of Jewish society.

What stance did early Christians take on slavery?

They did not wage war against slavery but taught slaves were also children of God.

How did Christians demonize their opponents, particularly Jews?

By associating them with Satan and viewing life as a cosmic struggle.

What myth about Jews contributed to their demonization by some theologians?

The myth that Jews were the murderers of the incarnate God.

Which influential writers shaped Western Christianity?

Saint Jerome, Saint Ambrose, and Saint Augustine.

What did Saint Jerome accomplish?

He translated the Old and New Testaments into Latin.

What was Saint Ambrose's contribution to Christianity?

He defended the autonomy of the Church against the State.

What was Saint Augustine's major work?

The City of God.

What two components form the Western tradition?

Christianity and classical humanism.

What did classical humanists argue about human worth?

It comes from the individual’s capacity to reason.

What is the Christian view of human nature?

God cares for each person; without God, people are considered bad.

How did the triumph of Christianity affect life’s purpose?

It shifted the focus from achievement of excellence to attainment of salvation.

What defines the highest authority in classicism vs. Christianity?

Classicism: reason and individual; Christianity: God as the highest authority.

What Greek influences affected Christian thought?

Some thinkers dismissed it while others integrated it into a Christian context.

How did Christianity transform the view of worship inherited from Judaism?

It prescribed a way to worship God as a loving being and Lawgiver.

What negative implications arose from rigid adherence to monotheism?

It led to massacres and fanaticism.

What was the distinction between heaven and earth in Christian thought?

It marked a difference from Greco-Roman society and informed the Western mentality.

What influence did the Germanic culture have on Christianity?

It contributed to the transformation and blending of Christian concepts.