Christianity Response Paper

The most important factor in the success of Christianity was Paul. Paul was a Pharisee Jew who persecuted the Christians until he had a religious experience on the way to Damascus where he heard Jesus’ voice and saw a bright light that temporarily blinded him. From then on Paul pursued a different approach to the Christians. He joined their small community, and then he began to suggest some radical new thinking. Paul began to create small communities around the world of anyone who would follow the teachings of Jesus and live a “perfect” life. Paul argued with other leaders of the Early Christian Church to convince them to let the gentiles that joined these communities not be required to be circumcised. Paul also wrote to these communities and advised them about Jesus’ teachings.

Paul’s actions to bring Jesus to the gentiles was what enabled Christianity to spread. Paul laid the foundation of believers that would multiply over the years till Christianity was the only legal religion. Without his efforts to convert the gentiles and teach them the correct message of Jesus the Early Christians would most likely have disappeared after the first generation that knew Jesus had died. Paul’s evangelizing methods also set a precedent for the church that would continue to try to convert people to Christianity around the world for centuries to come. Lastly, not only did Paul’s insistence that circumcision should be unnecessary increase the number of gentile converts, but it also separated Christianity from Judaism. Had Paul not broken that fundamental rule of Judaism, Christianity might still be a sect of Judaism and would have never have been independent from other Jewish laws.

What was the most important factor for Christianity success?

From the early stages of religion, Christianity was the minority in the Jewish community and being persecuted by the Polytheistic Roman to the world largest religion. What makes Christianity accomplish its success? One of the most importance factors is the open religion that welcomes anyone who is interesting in Jesus’ teaching, unlike Judaism.
The early Church of Christianity was actually under the Jewish community, and all the Jesus’ followers still see themselves as a Jewish. However, there were some non-Jew followers of Jesus, which according to basic Jewish religion non-Jews should be covert into Judaism that includes the process of circumcision. Most of the Non-Jew followers were not willing to convert into Judaism because they were only following Jesus’ teaching. Even thought Jesus was a Jew, it did not mean the non-Jew followers had to go though Jewish conversion, especially circumcision. Paul, one of Jesus’ apostles, had actually made the community became divers, which is one of the main factor for Christianity to grow to the size in the modern world.
Christianity’s religion practices were different from the Polytheistic Roman, and Christianity was being persecuted by Roman for over three hundreds of years. Christianity does not include scarifies as the worship of god, but the gathering and having supper together within the same community, known the Jesus’ last supper. Scarifies were the way for Roman to worship their emperor, which everyone under the Empire to obey the rule; however, Christians were not willing to giving and follow the Emperor’s order. Therefore, with Christianity’s odd practices and unwillingness to scarify for the emperor made them into the stage of Persecution.
Christianity continues to convert people in to the religion from the early church. In addition, when the capital of the Constantine moved, Pope, the Bishop of Rome, become the leader of the region, since most of the people at the time were converted into Christianity. With the central power lost by the movement of capital, Pope automatically has the power to rule the people in the area.
With the number of Christianity conversion pretty much determined the faith of Christianity. When Christianity was the minority in the Roman Empire, they were being pressed and persecuted; however, when it became the most followed religion in the empire, it became the important figure for the nation and the people. The diversity and conversion of Christianity are the factors that determine the success of Christianity.

Christianity Response Paper

Christianity has become a successful religion for a variety of reasons. Back when Christianity first began it appealed to those looking for guidance and continues to do so to this day. It also provided followers with a different interpretation of the covenant and principles which gave citizens a choice between the two faiths, Christianity and Judaism.
One aspect of Christianity’s success is the large group of followers who saw Jesus as a miracle worker. He healed the sick, walked on water, gave food, and raised the dead. To the Jewish citizens these actions were outrageous and unlike anything they had seen but these actions alone were enough to start drawing in a large crowd who believed that he was the Messiah. Soon after, Paul, another important and respected figure who is known for his actions and his time spent being a forerunner in Christianity, came into the picture and spread Jesus’ message and gained followers along the way. Paul focused on the laws and less on the spirit and traveled around the Roman Empire to spread the religion. Christianity was appealing to citizens became it encompassed all different kinds of people. They eliminated gender and class distinctions, and helped those that were less fortunate. Paul had a great impact on people living at that time and helped some break away from the close knit laws of Judaism and showed them a different side of religion for the time. Without Paul’s help and dedication, Christianity would not have had enough followers to continue into our time now.

Who Decides what Jesus Said?

The phrase, “In God We Trust,” is believed to have led the United States through the hard time of American Civil War and is now even carved and printed on all the coins and bills since 1900s. During the Civil War, population that relied on religious beliefs, mainly on Christianity, to alleviate their pain had increased. What is it so powerful about Christianity that allows the whole nation to believe that, as long as people have faith in God, everything will be alright? Bible has been the only source of Jesus’, son of God, life and his missionary. However, Jesus himself did not write the book; the Gospels did, and they didn’t even start to write until about 30 years after Jesus’ death. Where did they get all the source of information? Who told them that the miracles that were said to be performed by Jesus actually happened? While each Gospel covers dissimilar parts of Jesus’ life, some common details among the four don’t fit into each other that well. Nobody really knows if the Gospels interpreted Jesus’ life accurately.

Furthermore, as different churches have evolved, each division interprets the contents of Bible in various ways and the Christians do not always agree with each other. So who is in charge of spreading the right words of Jesus to people? What did Jesus really say that he wanted to let the people know? The authors of the Gospels added their opinions into the stories; some thinkers like Thomas Aquinas during tenth to fourteenth centuries developed different issues about faith and reasons in Christianity. These are all the ways that people try to figure out what Jesus was giving to people. If the opinions are not too extreme, they will be accepted by the public and used for future reference of the religion. Because of these interpretations of God’s words, they have become very powerful and trusting to people who need some spiritual comfort through this indiscernible hope that might give them miracles to change. Bible always has the most say about Jesus’ teaching and it will still be, unless there are some more reliable sources that can be proved to be more directly from Jesus himself than just from other people’s thoughts and opinions. 

The Success of Christianity

The Roman Empire was the most important factor in making Christianity successful. There were many events and places that influenced the spread of Christianity, but two of the most important are the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE and the city of Rome. The fall of the Temple in 70 CE not only caused Judaism to reconsider their worship practices but also the Jerusalem church’s as well. Before the fall of the temple the Jerusalem church’s practices did not vary significantly from Judaism, but with the destruction of the temple it forced the Jerusalem church’s followers to leave Jerusalem and bring the teachings of Jesus to other parts of the Roman Empire. As they dispersed, they brought their religious practices to other communities and thus the spread of Christianity began. The large Roman Empire allowed them to travel through out the Empire spreading Jesus’ teachings. The cohesiveness of the Empire also allowed for Paul to form his gentile communities.

The city of Rome is also very important for the success of Christianity because it enabled Christianity to have one base of power. The base of power started when Peter founded the Church of Rome. Soon the Bishop of Rome became the most important bishop in the Roman Empire and was given the title of pope. Just as important was when the Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Empire in 330 CE to Byzantium creating a power vacuum that enable the pope to become the emperor figure in the Western Empire. Because the pope was able to gain so much power and prestige the strength of Christianity increased. Everyone in the West looked to the pope for guidance and needs which put the church in a position of power over the people. Both the fall of the Temple and the city of Rome helped Christianity stay alive by helping Christianity adapt to new situations and the changing world.

Christianity RP Opt. 3

What separates early Christianity from the early church?

In the beginning, there was Judaism and this is the basis from which Christianity grew. Jesus of Nazareth was born into Judaism, and it was Jews to whom he initially preached and gained his following from. Judaism was a crucial part of the earliest Christianity, as the teaching of Jesus was new interpretation of the same covenant and scriptures. The earliest Christians were naught more than a small sect of Judaism who declared Jesus of Nazareth the Messiah. After his death, this small sect faced the reassessment of what the Messiah was and how to live by the teachings of Jesus. The original Christians were very much Jewish, except in their emphasis on practice of baptism and the Eucharist. In their attempts to live in accordance with their Messiah’s teachings they also lived by a kind of communism in which all class distinctions were eliminated and wealth was distributed based on need.

Christianity in a form recognizable today did not even begin to form until the sect first gained more formal organization and began recording the new interpretation. The early church developed out of the traditions of small communities, the leaders in these later becoming the leaders of the church. Many of these communities consisted of diverse groups of gentiles whom were converted by Paul. What allowed Christianity to move from being a small sect of Judaism to a religion in its own right was the incorporation of those who were not first Jewish into that system of beliefs. The inclusiveness that made Christianity accessible and the philosophies that made it an attractive religion in the first place allowed Christianity to grow into something more than just another branch of Judaism.

The Success of Christianity

After years of persecution in the early stages of the Christian church, Christianity has grown into the largest world religion with over two billion followers. But how did this come to be? Especially at a time when Jerusalem was ruled by the polytheistic Romans. The rise of Christianity can be attributed to the fact that Christianity offered people a way of life that had never been experienced before and to the persistence of Christians.
During the years of the early church there was no middle class; there was just the very rich and the very poor, Christianity presented a lifestyle that made comfort and security a possibility. The Christian communities would share everything, much like communist communities, everything that was earned would be redistributed to assure that everyone is taken care of. In a world where people were uncertain of when they would have their next meal this option would seem very attractive. The teachings of Jesus also encouraged the elimination of gender and class discrimination, which, again, would be very attractive to the poorer population of the Roman Empire.
The lifestyle Christianity presented along with Paul’s influence that made Christianity open to more people than just Jews was the reason Christianity survived. The reason Christianity has thrived, however, is because, unlike Judaism, Christianity has had a history of conversion. From Paul to the Reconquista to Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christians have actively been converting people since the start of the religion. Churches will send mission trips to poor parts of the world and build houses for poor families and while they are there they will preach the teachings of Jesus.
The combination of presenting an attractive lifestyle to people who are desperate for some sort of salvation and the conversion of millions of people throughout it’s history has allowed Christianity to thrive and in turn become the world’s most followed religion.

Christianity Response Paper

The most important factor in Christianity’s success over the years is the active attitude both the church and Christians have taken towards the conversion of new members. Unlike Judaism, Christianity places no restrictions on the parents, and the conversion process is much simpler. Ever since the early church Christianity has expanded and converted people from all different faiths and from all over the world. Without the decidedly active example for conversion that Paul set Christianity would not exist as it does today. Christianity is the world’s largest religion as well as the world’s fastest growing religion. Without all of the efforts that have gone into gaining new members neither of these things would be true.
Christianity also sends out a message that appeals to all different kinds of people. The ideals that Christianity has are not limited to a place or group of people, but to any one who wants to accept them. For example, the idea that Jesus died for all of mankind’s sins is all inclusive, so anyone who wants to can relate to it can. While conversion I the factor that has led to Christianity’s overwhelming success the conversions would not be possible if people were not able to relate to the ideals of Christianity.

What was the most important factor in the success of Christianity?

The evolution of Christianity is fascinatingly unique, for it started as a persecuted sect of Judaism and became the official religion of the Roman Empire. The appealing nature of the religion, and the actions of the Roman emperors such as Constantine and Theodosius were factors that helped spread Christianity throughout Europe, though St. Paul was the key to Christianity becoming a successful religion.
Paul, who started out as a Christian persecutor, was struck down by God making him a strong believer in the Christian faith. Paul then takes on the mission of spreading Christ’s message to all nations. He travels across the Roman Empire, Asia Minor and Greece preaching his message. Paul saw that Christ’s message focused on moral and ethical values and did not follow the Jewish laws and rituals. Paul believed that Christianity was universal for all people. He preached to gentile audiences for he did not see the need to be Jewish in order to follow Christ’s teachings. This decision is what allows Christianity to become its own universal religion, and essentially allowed it to grow and flourish. By making Christianity independent Paul allowed for many other European groups to become interested in this religion. Without the numerous non-Jews Christianity would not have had enough followers to survive.
Once Christianity was a separate religion they were able to make progress with their rights. In 313 C.E. Constantine gave Christians the same privileges as other religions with the Edict of Milan. Emperor Theodosius followed by making Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. Though these two men were very important to the great accomplishment of Christianity becoming a dominate religion, Paul was the one who saved Christianity by opening it up to all and spreading it with his missionary journeys.

Response Paper on Christianity

Question: How does Christianity become the most dominant religion in the Roman Empire in 400 CE?

While Christianity’s dominance as a western religion is almost irrefutable today, how it emerged as the most dominant religion in the Roman Empire in the 4th century after years of persecution is extraordinary. Certain key events marked the beginning of the growth of a persecuted religion with diverse beliefs to a more unified one that eventually became the official religion of Rome. Yet the most crucial event was Constantine’s “conversion” that inspired the issuance of the Edict of Milan and Theodosius to make Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.
For example, although Paul was the first to attempt to thoroughly state the beliefs of Christianity, his role only provided a better backdrop for Constantine. His allowing gentiles to become Christian’s without first converting to Judaism made his converts from almost any background be a part of the church. Although this made it possible for Christianity to become independent from Judaism, it also made room for far stretched interpretations by converts which turn into early theologian controversies. Paul’s persecution proves that although he was instrumental in transforming Christianity, his contributions did not change its political acceptance in the Roman Empire.
Followed by persecutors such as Nero and Diocletian, Constantine, on the other hand, took Christianity one step ahead by officially ending its persecution. His Christian mother and wife strongly influenced his decision to issue the Edict of Milan in 414 C.E. which gave Christians the same rights and privileges as any other religion on Rome. He officially ended Christian persecution and in fact, stopped the Church Council of Nicaea’s conflict over the nature of Christ. Constantine’s official baptism marked a turning point for Christianity’s role in the Roman Empire for it allowed Theodosius to making it the Empire’s official religion.
Although compared to Judaism, Christianity as an independent religion had no nationalistic or political intentions; the biggest role in its dominance in the Roman Empire was played by a political figure, Constantine. It can be debated that theological gains were more important than the emperor’s conversion; however, had it not been for Constantine, Christian persecution would have never ended. Hence without him Christianity couldn’t have been made the official religion of the Roman Empire and eventually the most dominant religion in the western world.

Christianity's Success

There was not one important factor in the success of Christianity, but a combination of factors. The time that this religion started to form and Paul’s accomplishments were the main factors that kept Christianity alive.

The time when Christianity was developing was a time when there was a clear and extreme contrast in socio-economic class. The majority of the population was illiterate, uneducated and struggling with life as a peasant. Jesus’ teachings were appealing because the messages were delivered through parables and he did not focus on following the rules of the Torah exactly. He instead focused on the spirituality of God. This was especially alluring because those who were struggling to live were able to focus more on survival without the guilt of breaking some of the laws of the Torah. Because of the element of philosophy, Jesus’ teachings also attracted some of the educated upper class who were seeking a more philosophical alternative to the traditional Greco-Roman religions.

Paul’s “conquests” also had a massive impact on the success of Christianity. Paul was able to spread the word of Christianity, but also build a foundation for it by establishing communities across the Roman Empire. He was responsible for the independence of Christianity from Judaism. The fact that Paul allowed non Jews to become Christian allowed more people to join and ultimately create a larger following. Paul probably would not have been able to accomplish this however had it not been for what was happening at the time.

What was the most revolutionary part of Jesus' teaching?

Jesus’ teaching was very revolutionary since he performed many miracles, such as healing the sick and raising the dead. Jesus’ teaching, however, is even more profound than his unbelievable miracles. His teaching was revolutionary compared to many other philosophers of his time because of his innovative method and content of messages.
Jesus dared to not follow the established customs to prove his teachings to others when necessary. Jesus openly criticized Pharisees even when they were holding the political trend because they were corrupt. Jesus fiercely broke up the business in the temple. He threw the temple into a mess in order to redress the evil in the holy atmosphere of the temple even if he wasn’t supposed to bring any conflicts in the holy temple. Jesus risked breaking that common belief to prove that the temple should be the house of God, which was a more important point. He also violated the Sabbath day and saved a patient with dropsy. He demonstrated how saving a life was more important than not working on the Sabbath day. Other than these, Jesus also invited a tax collector to join the dinner and cursed at a fig tree to teach the followers different lessons. These occasions all show how Jesus was not always a conformer but a regulator. He knew when to adjust some formality for greater truths.
In addition to how Jesus was not scared to go against the customs to convey his teachings, the way he delivered his speeches adds to his revolutionary characteristic. Jesus often used parables to explain many thoughts. Using parables was very innovative and outstanding in many different ways. First of all, parables were easy to understand. Many of his followers were peasants, and complex philosophy must have confused many of them. Rather, parables were easier to understand and apply to the real life. Parables were excellent method to teach also because they were hard to understand at the same time. Sometimes, there were hidden meanings, symbols, and lessons in the stories that needed be protected from the outsiders. This complex aspect of his parables enabled his followers to have much more personal connection to the lessons and more responsibility to keep them secure and sacred. Moreover, parables were easy to remember. Parables weren’t thick books numbered with rules and ethics. They were easily understood and quickly put into one’s head once he/she heard them. Due to following aspects of parables as the teaching medium, Jesus’ teaching was revolutionary and still preserved in a good condition.
Although Jesus’ miracles must have been very engaging and have gathered many crowds, his way of delivering his teaching without fear and using parables was truly revolutionary. Jesus did not limit himself to always conform to the social expectance to deliver his lessons. He understood the strengths of parables. His direct miracles cannot be seen nowadays, but his parables still are present in our lives and easily applied.

Call for higher circumcision rate

Circumcision should be routinely considered as a way to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections, argue US experts.

Christianity Response Paper 1

Choose one of the following questions as the starting point for your response paper:
What was the most important factor in the success of Christianity?
What was the most revolutionary part of Jesus' teaching?
You could also write your own question to answer. Just be sure to include it at the beginning of your response and be sure that it addresses an issue surrounding the origins of Christianity. In other words, this is not the time or place to discuss Mormons, Christian Scientists, US politics, etc.
Your 2-3 paragraph responses should be posted to the blog by the start of class on Friday and hard copies need to be in my hands by then, too.