How did Christian thinkers and missionaries adapt Greco-Roman ideas to Christian theology and develop effective techniques for converting barbarian peoples? Christian thinkers and missionaries adapted Christian principles to assimilate social and cultural norms of the time. Church teachings in the third and fourth centuries adapted ideas on gender roles and sexuality to conform to existing Roman values. Furthermore, missionaries seeking to spread Christianity beyond the Roman Empire did so by focusing conversion efforts on chieftain leaders, incorporating pagan customs into Christian rituals, and utilizing penance and the worship of saints to increase acceptance of Christian ideas among the masses (McKay et. al., 2015). While early Christians
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Jesus’ early teachings portrayed women as equals to men. Indeed, many of the earliest converts included women, and females actively participated in important positions in the early Christian church. However, in the first century, male church leaders began limiting women’s roles, paralleling common social standards. As a result, women were banned from holding official posts except in nunneries and other religious all-female establishments. St. Augustine’s book, The Confession, had a powerful impact in shaping the church’s views on gender and sexuality, contributing to the promotion of misogynist views (McKay et. al., 2015). The pope sent missionaries to areas outside of the boundaries of the Roman Empire seeking to extend Christianity and gain converts. Priests and missionaries were highly successful in their tasks, achieving numerous converts among the barbarians residing to the north of the Roman Empire. Among the barbarians, the tribal chieftain determined the religion of his tribesmen. Thus, missionaries focused their efforts on the chieftains, sometimes targeting royal females who would then influence their husbands and their brothers (McKay et. al.,
Jesus’ early teachings portrayed women as equals to men. Indeed, many of the earliest converts included women, and females actively participated in important positions in the early Christian church. However, in the first century, male church leaders began limiting women’s roles, paralleling common social standards. As a result, women were banned from holding official posts except in nunneries and other religious all-female establishments. St. Augustine’s book, The Confession, had a powerful impact in shaping the church’s views on gender and sexuality, contributing to the promotion of misogynist views (McKay et. al., 2015). The pope sent missionaries to areas outside of the boundaries of the Roman Empire seeking to extend Christianity and gain converts. Priests and missionaries were highly successful in their tasks, achieving numerous converts among the barbarians residing to the north of the Roman Empire. Among the barbarians, the tribal chieftain determined the religion of his tribesmen. Thus, missionaries focused their efforts on the chieftains, sometimes targeting royal females who would then influence their husbands and their brothers (McKay et. al.,