Why did Early Christianity flourish?: Why did Early Christianity flourish?
Gibbon: Christian otherworldliness undermined Roman empire Michael Mann: ‘As imperial power became increasingly centralized, remote, insensitive, and later unstable, ‘In many ways Christianity represented how Rome liked to idealize its republican past.’’ Spodek 330 I.e., Christianity creates an attractive, democratic community here and now—recalling the Republic Christianity and Roman History: Christianity and Roman History 1) Early Roman Republic 2) Fall of the Republic and rise of Empire Emptiness of heartless legality 3) Seeds of change: early Christianity returns to spirit of the ancient republic 1) Parable of the Mustard Seed 2) Empowerment through community of loving individuals (spiritual kinship of all people) 3) Spiritual kinship stressed against empty legalism Into the Middle Ages: Into the Middle Ages 4) Christianity becomes the Religion of Empire (Council of Nicea 325 CE) Spiritual freedom of Gnostics replaced by religious laws (legalism) and obligatory beliefs Church hiera
