Christianity is a very important religion that is practiced by almost a third of the world’s population today. So why was this religion able to grow so much during ancient times? Inspired by Jesus Christ over two thousand years ago, Christianity faced several barriers along its road to prevalence in the world. During his lifetime, Jesus preached the Word of God until Roman officials felt threatened and eventually crucified him. After his death, however, Jesus’ apostles kept up his legacy and continued to preach God’s Word. WEven while competing with many other gods and cults, the religion of Christianity had many factors that captivated crowds and made it stand out. Christianity gradually rose to prominence in the ancient world thanks to its …show more content…
“This religion is saying that every person, man, woman, child, slave, barbarian, no matter who, is made in the image of God and is therefore of enormous value in the eyes of God,” (Document C). Feeling like everyone is equal was a huge contribution to the rise of Christianity because the message is attractive to people who felt like their lives did not have value. In contrast to the Roman gods who were depicted as powerful emperors, humans were made in the image of the Christian God, making him feel more personal and equal to us. Referring to the Christians, Helmut Koester says, “here is a community that invites you, which makes you an equal with all other members of that community,” (Document D). Christianity was alluring to people in the ancient world because it allowed people even on the bottom of the social pyramid to have a connection with God. In addition, anyone could become a Christian, giving everyone personal dignity. Furthermore, every Christian member was equal and cared for each other no matter what. Along with the enticing idea of being treated as equals in the Christian community, the religion provided a better option to Roman …show more content…
A chart which compares Roman ideology and Christianity states that the difference between the two is “peace through violent victory and peace through nonviolent justice,” (Document E). Christianity was a better option for people because it has a better concept of peace. Christianity’s idea of peace does not involve violence, but rather fairness and justice. In contrast, the Romans tended to fight wars to “establish peace” by taking control of land so things could be “quiet and orderly.” However, that was not true peace, it was only fearful compliance with the law. Moreover, Rome had a strict hierarchical system that was not ideal for every citizen. A passage from the documentary, From Jesus to Christ, states, “if you’re at the bottom of that social pyramid, not a whole lot of things are coming down to you anymore,” (Document D). The emperors were the direct connection to the Roman gods and their blessings because they were at the top of the status pyramid. Christianity supplied a superior alternative to the Roman beliefs because it leveled the playing field and allowed everyone fair and equal relationships with God. Unfortunately, Roman officials were not enthusiastic about Christianity’s rise in popularity. A letter written by Pliny the Younger explains his decision to execute several Christians for refusing to buy offerings for the Roman gods (Document G). Christians