AP World History Chapter 5 Essays
By: Jessica Linde
Question: How did Christianity emerge and then spread to become the official religion in Rome? Christianity began in Palestine in the early first century A.D. based on the teaching of Jesus Christ which was taught and spread after his death by his disciples. It was originally taught only among the Jewish people. However shortly after the death and resurrection of Jesus, Peter, the leader of the Church received divine instruction to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to non-Jewish people as well. Paul, a Jewish convert and Roman citizen, was instrumental in the early spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. Many citizens of the Roman Empire were ready for the message of Christianity. The concepts of living a virtuous life and the corresponding rewards to follow in the next life appealed to many throughout the Empire. This expansion did not come without setbacks. Nearly all of the original leaders (apostles) of the Church paid for their devotion with their lives. Throughout the next three centuries, there were many periods of intense persecution. One example of this was the Roman sport of throwing Christians with the lions. This persecution ended in the fourth century A.D. when the emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and made it the official religion of the Roman Empire.
Question: Who is Paul and what affect did he have in the growth of Christianity? Paul was a Jewish Pharisee in the first century A.D. At first a harsh critic and persecutor, he underwent a miraculous conversion and later became one of Christianity’s most influential leaders and missionaries. Although Jewish born, he was also a Roman citizen, which allowed him to travel freely through the Roman Empire. He did this for many years, converting many throughout the Empire in the process. He was instrumental in bringing the gospel to Jewish and non-Jewish people alike. Paul’s contributed much to the growth of Christianity. Wherever he preached, he put in place a formal structure for the local congregations, ordaining Elders and Priests. Secondly, he would write letters, called epistles, to the local churched he had helped form. By doing so, he gave them instruction in Christian principle. In time, many of these epistles were used to teach Christian doctrine and became part of the New Testament. Many of his former colleagues in the Jewish faith bitterly opposed his efforts to spread Christianity. Their opposition eventually led to his imprisonment and death at the hands of the Roman Emperor, but the church would continue to grow even after his death.
Question: What effect did the Silk Road have on the world? The Silk Road was a very influential trade route. This road was made from a network of trade