The Success of Early Christianity

Paper Summary:

Christianity was one of the many different religions competing for the attention of people of the Roman Empire during the first three centuries CE. The paper shows that its growth during this time was extraordinary, and by the early part of the fourth century CE, it would become the official religion of the Roman Empire. The paper shows that this growth can be accredited to several different facets of the religion: its universal acceptance of all people regardless of their pasts, the strong sense of community within its congregations, its duty to care for the weak, sick and needy, and the miracle of the resurrection of Jesus. The paper shows that, when combined with the great demographic shifts that were occurring in the Roman Empire, it is much easier to understand the extreme growth of the early Christian church.

From the Paper:

"Another appealing aspect of early Christianity was the strong sense of community within its congregations. With the Roman Empire newly established, and the Romans being tolerant of different religious customs, many new immigrant groups moved into the area. Similar to any new group of individuals in a society, their goal was acceptance into the Roman society, to find a sense of belonging. Acceptance into the Christian church meant acceptance into a close-knit community."

More papers on The Success of Early Christianity:

• Research Paper # 92655 : "Early Christianity"
• Essay # 30800 : "The Roman Empire and the Birth of Christianity."
• Analytical Essay # 146790 : "Christianity and the Roman Empire"

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