How does The extent of the Roman empire help to explain the western expansion of Christianity?
The expansion was moving in both parts of the empire, the west and the east, altough it expanded more in the east at first because it originated there and at the tome west was more fundamentalistic. Rome held half of then the known world. Every religion was to find its way of expanding in such a vast empire, but Christianity beated them all. Whay is that? Well, firstly in horrid times people looked for a shelter. It came to them that their gods were somewahat geedy and trecherous. When they heard about the all-forgiving god who provides unconditional love, what better way to repay your sins (and the empire had many such as sexual boasting, extravagance, promiscuity, taboos etc.) then to put ypur self under the protection of such a god. Further more, christianity invited everyone. There was thus no discrimination of any kind as it was in many cults of Rome.
