The introduction of Christianity into the Roman Empire was not formidable. Tens of thousands of Christians were severely persecuted, imprisoned, and martyred in what can be viewed as a religion-fueled genocide in Ancient Rome. Eventually, as Empire grew to accept and welcome Christians, the religion spread like wildfire. It is widely accepted that the establishment and prosperity of Christianity in the western world helped to slow the inevitable fall of the Roman Empire. The impact that Christianity had on the Empire remains to be visible, particularly when viewed from political, social, and economic aspects. Politically, Christianity helped reinforce morals and the stability of the government of the Empire. It helped to rebuild trust and
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This tactic helped Christianity seem like a better, more unified and more stable form of the quickly deteriorating Empire. As is similar in the governmental structure of Rome, St. Paul describes the broad structure of the authoritative aspect of the Church. He says, “every person must submit to the supreme authorities. There is no authority but by act of God, and the existing authorities are instituted by him; consequently anyone who rebels against authority is resisting a divine institution, and those who so resist have themselves to thank for the punishment they will receive” (St. Paul, 70). It seems as though he is emphasizing the purity of the Christian administration by saying that God appoints all positions and leaders, rather than the customary corrupt process of new leadership in the monarchical Roman government. …show more content…
Christianity became a social and economic unifier by eliminating money from the values and instead preaching goodness and charity. The wealthy, pursuing heaven, responded by donating much of their money and valuables to the Church or directly to the lower classes. The Church gained wealth and prominence and the large gap between the classes became smaller and smaller. In the Gospel According to St. Matthew, he writes that you should “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you” (The Gospel According to St. Matthew, 69). Although this excerpt can be interpreted in a number of different ways, it is pertinent to the formation of new economic ideas because it emphasized charity and humanitarianism rather than avarice. In St. Jerome’s The Fall of Rome, he is expressing his, like others’ disbelief in the fact that the once strong, once energetic, once prevailing Roman Empire was falling into disrepair. Although much of the piece is centered on shock of the state of Rome and its surrounding cities, St. Jerome credits the few cities that were saved to the Catholic Church. He says, “I cannot speak without tears of Toulouse, which the merits of the holy Bishop Exuperius have prevailed so far to
This tactic helped Christianity seem like a better, more unified and more stable form of the quickly deteriorating Empire. As is similar in the governmental structure of Rome, St. Paul describes the broad structure of the authoritative aspect of the Church. He says, “every person must submit to the supreme authorities. There is no authority but by act of God, and the existing authorities are instituted by him; consequently anyone who rebels against authority is resisting a divine institution, and those who so resist have themselves to thank for the punishment they will receive” (St. Paul, 70). It seems as though he is emphasizing the purity of the Christian administration by saying that God appoints all positions and leaders, rather than the customary corrupt process of new leadership in the monarchical Roman government. …show more content…
Christianity became a social and economic unifier by eliminating money from the values and instead preaching goodness and charity. The wealthy, pursuing heaven, responded by donating much of their money and valuables to the Church or directly to the lower classes. The Church gained wealth and prominence and the large gap between the classes became smaller and smaller. In the Gospel According to St. Matthew, he writes that you should “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you” (The Gospel According to St. Matthew, 69). Although this excerpt can be interpreted in a number of different ways, it is pertinent to the formation of new economic ideas because it emphasized charity and humanitarianism rather than avarice. In St. Jerome’s The Fall of Rome, he is expressing his, like others’ disbelief in the fact that the once strong, once energetic, once prevailing Roman Empire was falling into disrepair. Although much of the piece is centered on shock of the state of Rome and its surrounding cities, St. Jerome credits the few cities that were saved to the Catholic Church. He says, “I cannot speak without tears of Toulouse, which the merits of the holy Bishop Exuperius have prevailed so far to