Christianity in the Roman Empire (Part One) Series - Christianity in Historical Perspective: What Jews Need to Know

Christianity in Historical Perspective: What Jews Need to Know

Christianity emerged within Jewish society in the Land of Israel during the first century CE.  For the next five centuries Christianity gradually evolved into a separate religion through complex interaction with emerging Rabbinic Judaism, on the one hand, and with the pagan world, on the other hand.   For the following centuries, Christianity has continued to evolve, first in Europe and later in the New World, shaping Western culture.  The three lectures in this series shed light on development of Christianity from antiquity to the present.  The series provides basic information about a world religion that has deeply impacted Jewish history and that is practiced by over 2 billion people today.         

PART ONE: Christianity in the Roman Empire - Blake Hartung (ASU)

The religion now known as Christianity had its origins as a messianic Jewish movement in Roman-controlled Judea and spread rapidly in its early years throughout the Roman Empire. This lecture will explore the first centuries of the development of Christianity in the Roman Empire. It will tell the story of the early emergence of Christian practices and beliefs, the parting of the ways between Jews and Christians, and the Christian movement’s remarkable rise from marginal cult to state religion.