Ecclesiastical Geography and Topography of the Christian World - Chapter XII

 Chapter 12

Ways of the diffusion of Christianity: itinerant missionaries, families, personal relationships, marking and trade, military, persecution (pay attention to the geography of the Empire, the road system, and the Roman Pax)

The ways and methods of spreading Christianity in the first centuries

The Christian religion was typically missionary, unlike the polytheistic religions, which had a missionary character. The pagan religion was worship, not an orthodoxy, or life rules to follow. The pagans left their religion in the temple and worship, without explanation and reflection, so it was not about the meaning of human existence; even he implied a doctrine or orthodoxy. The cult was a public act, a sign of obedience and respect for authority. Christianity, by its very constitution, was born as a missionary, spreading everywhere, making converts, regardless of language, people, nation, and race: "Go into all the world "; baptize - this is the explicit command of Jesus that makes the Christian missionary by its nature.

Cast of the Cippus of Abercio exhibited at the Museum of Roman Civilization in Rome, the original is preserved at the Pio Cristiano Museum in Rome

Religions in the empire were divided into the officially approved (religio licita) and the others called superstitions to which Christianity also belonged. Before long, Christians also began to be persecuted as atheists. The rejection of sacrifices to the gods and the deified emperor was a crime.

According to evangelical Luke, the apostles stayed together briefly, and then split up to their respective mission fields. The conviction and sense of obligation to go beyond Palestine, to proclaim the good news to all, even beyond the empire's borders, was very strong. It must be said that in this early period after the death of Jesus when the number of believers grew considerably, the Church was not organised in a single structure; there was no single church, with someone at its head. There were also differences between them: the Judeo-Christian Churches in Palestine and the Hellenistic ones outside. It is certain, however, that the Apostles enjoyed great authority and that their word was decisive.

St. Paul elaborates a first ecclesiology

The church is a building under construction that enlarges continuously both in the sense of local community and for the 'increase in number and both the organization and geographically as expansion in the territory. St. Paul also says that the missionary is an ambassador who transmits what they received, which also gives a theological basis to the evangelizing mission.

We also know that at the end of the second century. there is already an institutional form called “the great church,” the official Church, which follows an “orthodoxy” that stands out from other heretical groups. Bishops with unquestioned authority were urged to curb unorthodox groups and doctrines. However, at that time Christianity was not monolithic in its structure, teaching, and liturgy.

The role of Jerusalem

Jerusalem, which had been at the centre of the first generation of Christians, especially some of the apostles, increasingly lost its importance in the Christian consciousness. After the destruction of the city, the metropolitan bishop of Palestine resided in Caesarea, the capital of the province. At the centre of Christianity in the 2nd century, however, was already the Church of Rome. Christians communicated with each other, travelled, sent letters, and had a strong sense of communion and unity, despite their differences. This is affirmed by the inscription of Abercius found in 1882/1883 at Hierapolis in Phrygia. Abercius describes his journey to Rome (about 8,000 km round trip) and helps us to understand the network of churches that had been created at the end of the 2nd century, the community and hospitality of the Christians he met on the journey, and the common faith that brought them together.

The subjects of Christianity speakers - the apostles and the itinerant missionaries

The first issue of Christianity is spontaneous and not organized. Faith spread first in villages and small towns of Palestine through the work of many unknown itinerant preachers, then crossed the borders of the land of Israel, invading the Roman Empire and even going beyond its eastern borders, in Syriac and Persian world. Such preachers, itinerant missionaries, were making their mission not before the crowds, but discreetly in private homes.

For Rome, the capital of the Empire, as in almost all the cities, is completely unknown the first missionaries, already in the first generation after the death of Jesus had created you of small communities. We need to find out when and how an early Christian community began in Alexandria, Antioch, Damascus, etc.

Since there were many missionaries, much is said in the first and second centuries literature about generosity towards them, the precautions to be taken, and especially the hospitality of individuals and communities.

The incredible road system created by the Romans greatly facilitated the movement of missionaries and relations between Churches, even between those far apart. A rationally constructed and technically perfect network with enormous economic and human investment, even protected by the police, made the journey safer and easier.

 

Christianity spread primarily in the cities located along the major land and port city arteries.

The Pax Romana that reigned all inside of the boundaries empire allowed the movement of people, fostering the spread of Christianity, as well as other Eastern religions, because you could move into an immense frontier area as if it was the territory of one city.

The missionary system of itinerant preachers in the early centuries is told by Eusebius of Caesarea. They only create a core of believers, then entrust the care to local people, who become managers of local communities (HE 3,37,3). Local leaders, however, need to deepen their knowledge of the Bible, the content of the Christian faith and the moral, as well as disciplinary and liturgical rules. This, we must be in constant contact with other communities to receive the 'Education and texts, especially the scriptures and the Old and New Testament. So, circulating letters and the Scriptures. It blooms also the production of apocryphals because the people need to know and learn the details.

Mass Conversions

In antiquity, we do not know of any mass conversion phenomena. It is said that in Pontus when Gregory the Wonderworker arrived there were only 17 Christians, when he died only 17 pagans remained. The legend omits the fact that care was taken at that time to select and train converts. In addition, dialect was spoken in the countryside, which prevented the city clergy from widespread evangelisation. The first known mass conversion took place in Armenia perhaps in 311. Through the work of Gregory known as the Illuminator, King Tiridates was converted. In this case, the example from above facilitates the conversion of the subjects, when it is not even forced. A few decades later we had the mass conversion in Ethiopia, where King Ezana converted with him his subjects. Constantine's 'conversion' between 312 and 313 favours the passage to Christianity of many pagans, but there is no mass conversion.

Roman road in Pompeii

The synagogue network and the separation between Jews and Christians

The importance of the synagogue network in the early spread of Christianity and the problem of the separation of Jews and Christians: The synagogue network of the Jewish diaspora was in many cases a fundamental basis for the Christian mission and was very useful for Christian expansion. Tertullian already recognised this when he wrote about the spread of Christianity: under the shadow, so to speak, of religion as distinguished as ever, certainly permitted, a part of its own beliefs was hidden. It was a strategy of the itinerant missionaries to start in the synagogues, based on Jesus' statement that he came first and foremost for the children of Israel. This is why the Christian Church appears first where there is a Jewish diaspora. Along with the Jews are the 'God-fearers' - the pagans sympathetic to Judaism. The diaspora is cosmopolitan, Hellenistic (they use the Bible in Greek, the authors write in Greek), and more open to novelty. There were also marriages of mixed religion: pagan and Jewish - Timothy, converted by Paul in Lystra, is of Jewish mother and pagan father. The Jews, according to ancient sources are present in all the provinces of the Empire. They also proselytise more than their brethren in Palestine.

The Christians take their first steps in the shadow of the synagogues, also because they are mostly Jews who follow 'the new way' and are considered a Jewish sect of the Nazarenes.

The separation between Jews and Christians took place gradually and slowly throughout the first century and the beginning of the second century. We can however identify some important moments in this process.

Remains of the Synagogue of Capernaum in Galilee, where Jesus began his preaching and gathered his first Apostles

- The persecution of Christians in Rome by Nero in 64: only Christians who are quite distinct from the Jewish religion are persecuted

- St Paul in the Epistle to the Romans implies that Christians, by then mostly of pagan non-Jewish origin, were meeting separately in their own places not in synagogues

- The taking of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple in 70: end of the cult and priesthood, Judaism changes character and becomes the rabbinic-synagogal religion

- The so-called synod or Jewish council of Yavneh (Jamnia) in about 90 - at this meeting of rabbis, the rite of birkath ha-minim was instituted, i.e. the twelfth blessing of the Shmoneh esreh, a prayer consisting of eighteen blessings instituted by Rabbi Gamaliel II. The event was always considered the inauguration of rabbinic Judaism. In reality, this council, as conceived, is a later creation.

- Suetonius and Tacitus in the early 2nd century do not relate the Christians to the Jews, but consider them a new group with its own identity

In any case, there was never a precise moment for separation, but a process depending on geographical contexts, cultural experiences, and people, when Jewish observances became irrelevant to Christians. Geographical differences must be borne in mind: some communities already in the early 2nd century were almost exclusively composed of Christians from paganism others were composed of those from Judaism, the so-called Judeo-Christians, with different nuances and sympathisers with Judaism; cultural differences and differences in the education of converts; differences in social classes also play their part.

The Christian movement from the middle of the first century moves slowly toward the great cities of the Mediterranean world, becoming an urban phenomenon. The Jews on the other hand are present only in major cities of Asia Minor; Christianity is the most widespread of Judaism.

Christianity: An Urban Phenomenon

The cities become places of the spread of the Christian faith, which in the first centuries is primarily an urban phenomenon. In the first century, the structure of the Roman Empire is based on the cities, which have a political, administrative, religious, and urban quite different from that of the fourth century. The cities, especially the capitals of the provinces, were landmarks of a large territory. Eusebius of Caesarea captures well this aspect when he writes:

In the various foreign places, they merely laid the foundations of the faith, and then placed others there as shepherds, to whom they entrusted the care of those who had just been welcomed among them, as they departed for new regions and new peoples, with the grace and co-operation of God: Even then, indeed, manifold and extraordinary powers of the Holy Spirit acted in them, to such an extent that whole crowds, from the first time they heard them, welcomed in mass and willingly into their souls the religion of the Demiurge of the universe (HE 3:37,3).

The aim of Christians is to establish a community, albeit a small one, in strategic cities that would be a point of reference. Then such a community becomes a centre of irradiation of Christianity at the local level, both for the inhabitants of the city and in the neighbouring countryside.

Ways of the spread of Christianity

•       Itinerant missionaries - Itinerant missionaries full time, then also every member of the community feels a missionary and should evangelize others, and spread the doctrine. The first great missionary, St. Paul (and later his followers), in his travels, had in his mind the Roman provincial organization and concentrated its evangelizing and pastoral work in the cities that were Roman administrative centres of Greek culture, influencing Jewish, and even some commercial importance. These centres became evangelized then Bishop’s locations and of Christian radiation centres for the entire region. In the second century. Christians are also in small towns and villages. This distribution was made possible by itinerant missionaries - Christian travellers who have built a network of communities, even small ones, and have tried to keep the unity with each other through a shared faith, the exchange of information, mutual exhortation, information about the life of Churches, insights teachings, discussions of their practical problems, to test and compare the doctrinal traditions.
•      Families - only after several generations are born and brought up in Christian families is the role of parents - father, head of the family (pater familias) who decides to convert the whole house, including the slaves and the role of Christian Mothers E.g. St. Augustin.
•      Personal relationships - friendships: to convert someone must create a relationship of deep friendship and trustworthiness. The Acts of the Apostles, describing the missionary career of St. Paul, as well as his letters to the communities, testify to the centrality of friendships and relationships social in conversions to Christianity. It may be added that “a level of aggregation, in which the conversion is based, the social connections have played a major role concerning the distinguishing features is that doctrinal liturgical and organizational not only of those who became Christian but also of the type embraced Christianity.” In other words, one became or becomes a Christian because of these social relations, not choosing which Christian group (orthodox or heretical) to join. At this point we must also point out that the Christian religion was an absolute novelty from the social point of view it was a religion devoid of nationality support of antiquity and tradition; born co-pay me too is born Jew (Judaism defined itself as a nation), you come a Christian instead for their own free choice. For this reason, the pagan authors call Christian superstitions contagious: (Pliny the Younger) Plinio il Giovane (61 - 113 A.D.) in the letter to Trajan: "The contagion of this cult superstitious takes not only the big cities, but also smaller ones and even the villages and the countryside. "Christianity, therefore, spreads like a plague through contacts in relations with human friends, acquaintances and business. Even social commitment and altruism (charitable) explain the growth in the number of Christians who practice a high moral character in daily life and are eager for a life worth living.
•      Merchants, trade, and movement of people - trade in the Roman Empire was well-developed and constituted its economic base. Traders faced long distances and travelled in different directions to sell their wares. The trade was facilitated by the exceptional Roman road system and the relative safety of the Pax Romana. The spread of Christianity in the various regions of the Roman Empire, and even beyond its borders, was possible due to intense trade. Not only merchants moved around the vast Roman empire, but also many other people for the most diverse reasons: administrators, officials of all kinds and ranks, slaves transported from one area to another, sophists, doctors, students in search of professors, pilgrims to sanctuaries, etc. All this circulation of people, ideas and information facilitated the spread of the Christian religion. The mobility of that period is the most intense in Western history until the spread of trains in modern times. Roads make history, for without them there is no communication, no movement of armies, no circulation of people, ideas, culture, and goods.

The routes of Roman trade during the early Roman Empire

• Military - the first consideration is that the servant’s military uncle in 'antiquity had a meaning different and wider concept than today. The term Military "militare" indicates not only the real soldiers there but also any public official who performed various tasks in the administration of the Empire, the people involved in safety and civil service authorities. Christians initially did not accept military service like any shedding of blood; Christian authors reiterated the 'incompatibility between Christian ethics and military service. But Christianity spreads spontaneously between the soldiers and the imperial soldiers, the same Christian authors confirm the presence of numerous Christians in the army. Tertullian appoints Christian soldiers, the people of the imperial court (palatium), members of local senates and the Roman general who are appointed mellites. Christians over time accept a general rule: a soldier (military) can become a Christian but is not allowed to be a Christian soldier. The Army and government officials are in constant motion, moving to different provinces of the empire, becoming a vehicle for the spread of Christianity.
• Persecution - persecution of Christians paradoxically advances the spread of Christianity. Christian authors are aware of, e.g. Tertullian. Especially during persecutions, deportations of Christians - against the will of the authorities - were causing the spread of Christianity among the inhabitants of the place where they were relegated. Two accusations against Christians: odium humani generis (Hatred for humans) and atheism. The term "martyr" indicated a witness in the trials; in the second century. for Christians, it begins to show the witness of faith. The martyrdom itself was a spectacle. The ordinary public, who attends these shows enjoys the killing of Christians as it is bloody fun like many others. But martyrdom, which is a public fight, becomes a real public witness of faith in the strict sense. The acceptance of death with joy and courage was something totally unusual to experience of the population at the time so he began to arouse the interest and the admiration. So, it is true that the fate of Christians martyred in the early centuries had a missionary effect as evidenced by the writings of the Christian and pagan eras.

Number of Christians

Today it is difficult to determine with accuracy the number of Christians in the Roman Empire. According to recent estimates of the scholars in the year of the Edict of Milan (313), the number of cris Tiani was between 8% and 15% of the entire population. It is therefore not admissible the argument here that the number of Christians in 313 years was already so large that influenced Constantine's decision to enact the edict of tolerance to maintain peace and the social order in the Empire.

We do not know the number of Christians at the end of the first century. According to some statistics they were only a few thousand. However, all statistics are made only in the labile hypothesis's inability to provide reliable data, especially for the first century.

 

    We have a secure statistic on the number of Christians and their percentage of the number of inhabitants of the Empire. Rodney Stark, the American scholar who has most deepened the subject, offers a progressive scale based on projections:

• the 150 year - 39,000 approx.

• l year 250 - 1,120,000 approx.

• l year 312 - 9,000,000 approx., 15% of the population

        But we must keep in mind that the distribution of Christians in the Empire was uneven. In the early fourth century, there were areas where the Christian presence was powerful, while in other areas the population was only pagan. Very Christianized were some eastern regions of Empire Phrygia, Bithynia (Nicomedia), some areas of Africa (Cyrenaica in Libya, Africa Proconsular), the city of Rome and other major cities. Generally, the beginning of the IV sec. The spread of Christianity in today's Western is limited (the Iberian Peninsula, Gaul, and the British Isles).

The Roman province of Africa, later also Africa Proconsular, initially corresponded to the territory adjacent to Carthage and later extended, at the expense of the kingdom of Numidia, along the coast of the Maghreb, including the territories occupied today by Tunisia (excluding its desert part), the east coast of Algeria and the west coast of Libya. Africa Proconsular belonged to the western part of the Empire and was Latinised.

As for the composition of the Christian communities’ historians consider that women's participation was more numerous than men's. Also, initially, Christianity was the religion of the lower classes. The adherence of members of the high society comes later and is more complicated because of their social status. (To be Continued)

Fr. Nicholas Macedon OCD

Carmelite Priory, Oxford.            

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