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The early Church, both in its Palestinian and Gentile contexts, was heavily influenced by the Classical tradition.

Early Christianity
Early Christianity spread through the Greco-Roman world largely through the medium of Classical languages and the cultural and political unity provided by the Roman state. Post-apostolic Christianity can be seen as a synthesis between a Judeo-Christian ethical and theological legacy and the Classical Tradition The pressures of Roman opposition to Christianityboth official and unofficialhelped strengthen the new movement

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Areas of Focus
[The Jewish Background for familiarity only] Jesus and the Early Church
What are the sources for what we know about them?

The New Testament and Hellenistic Culture

How did the context affect the early church and its writings?

Christians and the Roman Empire

Especially the question of persecutions

Early Christian Art and Architecture

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[Early Jewish Background]

GenesisExodusJoshua & Judges United Monarchy (David & Solomon) Judah and Israel
Nephi speaks of residents of Judah as Jews (1 Nephi 4:22ff.;
2 Nephi 25; 33:8)

Conquests and exiles

Assyrians destroy Israel in 711 B.C. Babylonian Captivity of Judah, beginning in 586 B.C.

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[Jews and Persians]

Babylonian Empire conquered by Persia Persian king Cyrus frees captive and deported peoples The Return, after about 40 years, under Ezra and Nehemiah
Judah, a theocratic state within the Persian Empire Ezra the scribe and the beginning of rabbinism scribes and students of the scriptures rather than new prophets

Ezra and his successors establish the canon of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh
Law (Torah, 5 books of Moses) The Prophets (Neviim) The Writings (Kethuvim)

Final Jewish canon and the official Masoretic Hebrew text not until c. A.D. 90
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Hellenistic World, map of major kingdoms

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[Hellenistic Judaism]
Jews in the Diaspora adopted Greek as their first language
The Septuagint: the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible

The Jews in Palestine were caught between the Seleucids and the Ptolemies
Many of the upper classes Hellenized Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the Maccabean Revolt of 168 B.C. eschatology, apocalyptic literature, and messianism

Hasmonean Dynasty
The Maccabees established an independent Jewish state with themselves as high priests and kings Nevertheless they ended up becoming just miniature Hellenistic kings! Allied with Rome, they were eventually replaced with the family of Herod

Herodian Dynasty
Religiously Jewish (more-or-less), culturally Greek, and politically close allies of the Romans!
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The Historical Jesus

Jesus, born between 4 B.C. (Matthew) and A.D. 6 (Luke) Messiah = Christos, the anointed one The New Testament on Jesus Gospels and evangelists
Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke John

Epistles
Present Christ more from the view of theology (literally the study of the nature of God, but more broadly the study of the nature of religious truth)

The Apocalypse (Revelation)

Focuses on the triumphant Christ of the Second Coming

Tacitus and Suetonius, Roman sources, only mention Christ in passing

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The New Testament Church

Gospels
Literally good news A new genre: Hellenistic biography, miracle stories, and sermons Only Matthew mentions the word church, although a body of organized followers is implicit in other gospel accounts

Book of Acts, Lukes sequel to his gospel

History of the early spread of the Church Missionary techniques

Epistles, especially the letters of Paul

The HOUSE CHURCH Elders and bishops

ICHTHYS, Greek for fish: Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior

Apocalypse, the Church Triumphant

Literally the uncovering or unveiling of Christ in his glory Secondarily about the events leading up to his Final, Glorious Coming The vindication and glorification of the church

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Early Christian Congregations

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New Testament and Classical Culture: Acts 9-28

Luke, a Greek Christian writing about the early Church
Stephen and the seven Greek deacons (Acts 6) Aeneas of Lydda (Acts 9:33) The centurion Cornelius of the Italian band (Acts 10) Paul, apostle to the Gentiles
Pharisaic Jew, cultural Greek, Roman citizen! His missionary techniques

Pauls Speech about the Unknown God (17:2231)

Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. (18:23-24 NIV; KJV too superstitious) For In him we live and move and have our being [quote from Epimenides Cretica, c. 600 B.C.]; as even some of your own poets have said, For we too are his offspring. [quote from Aratus Phaenomina, c. 325-240. B.C.] (17:28 NRSV)
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New Testament and Classical Culture: 1 Thessalonians

Ethical admonitions (4:112)
Leading a life pleasing to God good public morality

Pauls use of Stoicism, Epicureanism, etc. These injunctions echo common Stoic and Epicurean slogans
taught of God, a common Stoic notion work with your hands and lack nothing stress Stoic selfsufficiency brotherly love, Epicurean ideal study to be quiet/aspire to live quietly and do your own business/mind your own affairs reflect the Epicurean maxim escape notice as you live

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Early Christianity: An Unclear Picture

Christianity in a Greco-Roman context
A mystery religion with a dying god offering salvation

Bias of sources
Most later and Christian
Bible gives little insight on Roman relations Apostolic Fathers Greek and Latin Fathersapologists! (anti-Roman)

Josephus and esp. Eusebius not always reliable sources Roman point of view not fully explicated
Romans were not fully aware of Christians at first
Thought that they were another Jewish sect

Misperceived and misunderstood them later

Modern views and interference

HollywoodBritish Romans and American Jews and Christians!

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The Post Apostolic Church

Increasingly a Gentile church
Jesus is often interpreted, and depicted, as a Greek or Roman

Apostolic Fathers who knew apostles

Polycarp, disciple of John Clemens, successor to Peter?

Questions of authority and government Developing liturgies and iconography Greek and Latin Fathers
Increasingly well-educated thinkers become leaders of the church The issue of the synthesis with Neoplatonism

The Church underground

Increasing persecution Increasing penetration of all classes, groups
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Christians and the Roman Empire

Early Roman view of Christiansinitially just Jews Later problems with Christians
Christian eschatologylooked for the destruction of the world (and Rome) Christian associationslook like collegia, banned associations Christian monotheismthe demands of the Imperial Cult Christian world viewcity of God above all, even state

Roman persecutions: At first not systematic or empire-wide

Neronian: The Burning of Rome
Christians scapegoats for arsonpersecution local and temporary Tacitus bias limited understanding of the movement
Annales 15.37-44, esp. 44 (packet, 125-128) Compare and contrast with Eusebius (MPR, 172)

Domitianic (cf. Revelation) Imperial Policy, Trajan and Pliny correspondence: dont ask, dont tell Not until Decius, A.D. 29451, was there a widespread, methodical persecution of Christians
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Early Christian Art

Early Church fathers discouraged figurative art Nevertheless, evidence of Christian use of the visual arts appears early in Christian burials Frescoes in underground burials called catacombs Elaborately carved marble sarcophagi Developing iconography Christ as the Good Shepherd (a Greek as well as Jewish motif) Fish symbolism
ICHTHYS: Jesus Christ son of God, Savior The Cross
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Mosaic including sacramental chalice and fish

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Catacombs and Tomb Art

Catacombs: used for Christian burials and some remembrance services but not as secret places of worship. Left: Christ Teaching the Apostles, c. A.D. 300, Tomb of Domitilla, Rome

Christ as the Good Shepherd, second century A.D.

Christ depicted as a young, beardless Roman youth
Compare to the Archaic Calf Bearer below

Influenced by the contrapposto of Praxiteles

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