1. What are some details that describe ROMAN society during the time of the Roman Empire?
2. Consider the source of change describe in the passage.
a) Which individuals contributed to the rise and spread of Christianity during the aRoman empire?
b) What specific factors helped make this change happen?
3. Using the people and factors you identified in step 2, analyze how a new pattern of living emerged during the ROMAN empire.
a. How did Paul and Constantine change Romans’ lives?
b. How did trade, language, and Rome’s social system encourage this new pattern?
4. What general statement can you make about the rise and spread of Christianity during the Roman Empire?
1) The social structure of ancient Rome was based on heredity, property, wealth, citizenship and freedom. It was also based around men: women were defined by the social status of their fathers or husbands. Women were expected to look after the houses and very few had any real independence.
2) This was helped by energetic apostles, such as Paul and by the modern communications of the Roman Empire. Over 30 years, Paul clocked up around 10,000 miles, traveling across the Roman Empire. He preached in some of the empire's most important cities.
3a) Christians who were persecuted and dispersed from Jerusalem spread the Word of God everywhere they went. The Apostle Paul and other Apostolic Fathers were largely responsible for spreading the Word of God throughout the Roman Empire. In 313 A.D. Constantine became the Emperor of the Roman Empire. Under his rule, the Edict of Milan put a stop to the persecution of Christians and eventually made Christianity the official religion of the Empire. Up to that point, only the lower social class had been Christians, but now the Church moved into the upper classes as well. Everyone within the Empire was now known as a Christian, whether they accepted Christ as their Savior or not.
3b) Many Christians were quite satisfied with this new normal, but others were unhappy about this ‘forced’ Christianity. As a result some isolated themselves from society, broke away from the Church, and some in society reverted back to the original paganism.