The Spirit of Early Christian Thought

It is hard to imagine it now but for the first few hundred years of Christianity being a Christian was no blessing. Masters of assimilation, the Romans had no problem with other cultures worshipping other gods, as a matter of fact they encouraged it. The Roman push to duplicate and expand into other cities across the Italian peninsula, Europe, and the known world, came in the few centuries preceding Christ. Masters of manipulating water, sophisticated at road and infrastructure construction, organized administrators, and efficient systems of law and government allowed for rapid expansion, and thus increased power and influence.

Conflict arose between the early Christians and their pagan neighbors because of refusal on the part of the Christians to worship Roman Gods. One can just picture the dilemma: On one hand you’re part of a society that is largely pagan and has been since its initiation in the 8th century B.C., on the other you’re part of a new religion that forbids the worshipping of any god but yours, but not worshipping the Roman Gods could get you killed, and in pretty gruesome fashion at that. Just a few of the early martyrs include St. Lawrence (grilled alive), St. Bartholomew (flayed alive) St. Lucy (eyes cut out) St. Elmo (intestines torn out) St. Blaise (torn apart by wool combs) St. Stephen (stoned) not to mention St. Peter and a whole host of others who suffered crucifixion. It is a little known fact that crucified victims could often hang on their crosses for up to two or three days eventually succumbing to asphyxiation. (To speed the process up the Romans would often break the legs of their victims and/or stab them in the side.) On the other hand you’re part of a new religion in which your God values humility as opposed to pride; forgiveness as opposed to power; and mercy as opposed to greatness in the traditional sense. Your modest churches accurately reflect the difference between you and your pagan neighbors as well: all of the wealth is on the inside, the beauty is beneath the surface. By contrast pagan temples which were for priests only, were poorly lit, and who’s wealth was in the form of guilt gold, porphyry columns, precious marbles, etc was displayed externally.

All of this lead to conflict between the early Christians and the pagans erupting in all out persecutions at certain points in the Roman Empire’s history. Most notably under the emperors Nero (AD 37-68), Marcus Aurelius (AD121-180), Valerian (253-260), Diocletian (AD 284-305) and all of which had fatal consequences to the Christians. Constantine’s signing of the Edict of Milan in AD 313 legalized all religions, but still persecutions persisted. It wasn’t until the year AD 395 when Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the empire from the empire’s then-capital of Constantinople (having been moved by Constantine from its previous base in Rome) at which point persecutions all but ceased.

The irony of their decision is biblical (no pun intended). Peter and Paul could have gone to any city in the empire to initiate this new religion and yet they chose Rome. Jerusalem, Alexandria, Londinium (London), Antioch, Carthage, Athens, and Tripoli were all suitable substitutes and yet they eventually chose the city called “Eternal.” Peter arriving first, Paul following four years later, both put to death after the Neronian persecution of AD 65-68.