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Church vs. State
2nd - 4th centuries
For various social,
political and economic reasons and Roman misunderstanding of the Christian
religion, the Romans persecuted the Christian minority
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Political issues:
Christians (like Jews) refused to recognize the divinity of the Emperor.
Christians preached a new "King" - Jesus Christ as
"Lord". But, unlike Judaism, Christianity was not an ancient faith
and antiquity was valued. And, unlike Judaism, Christianity was spreading
and becoming more and more popular among the people thus becoming more or an
issue
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Social issues:
Christianity was popular among the lower classes - the poor and slaves (the
message Jesus preached had been for the "little people"). It was
feared there might be a revolt.
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Economic issues:
Christianity interfered with the statue making business - Christians would
not buy statues of the divine Emperor or other statues of Roman gods and
goddesses. Christianity also questioned the Roman religion, seeking converts
from among that faith, trying to prove it wrong
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Romans did not
understand this new Christian practice of "drinking blood and eating
flesh" - they took it literally and thought the Christians were
cannibals; rumors spread that Christians killed non-Christian children for
this ritual
Persecutions began in the
first century and continued for several centuries
The first Christian martyrs
and saints arose during this period as they stood up to the tortures rather than
give up their faith
Not until Emperor
Constantine, in 4th century, was converted to the new faith did the persecutions
end. First Christianity was accepted side by side with other faiths of the
Empire; by the end of the 4th cent. the tables had turned and Christianity was
the only official religion of the Empire. Other faiths were now persecuted and
the people converted in droves for social and political reasons rather than by
faith.
Was
it with Constantine's declaration that Christianity finally became a religion in
it's own right?
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