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Under various Christian emperors, from Constantine to Theodosius and beyond, the Christian Church became increasingly intolerant and willing to justify murder and persecution to achieve its ends.
The Nestorian Church came about in 431 CE when the 'Nestorians' were excluded from the Orthodox Church, while the Jacobites emerged in the sixth century under a Syrian leader, Jacobus Baradaeus. At the eastern fringe of the Roman Empire and in the Persian Empire, they were free from imperial influence and able to develop their own moral and cultural standards. The Nestorian Church spread through Asia to India and China, as well as to parts of East Africa, rivalling in importance the Christian Church of the Roman Empire. While in the ancient Chinese capital of Xi'an, Christian missionaries were approached by a Buddhist missionary who needed help in translating his scriptures into Chinese so that he could preach in China. It is a mark of the tolerance of the Nestorians that their missionaries so willingly assisted a Buddhist missionary whom a missionary from the Roman Empire would have likely put to death.
With changes of dynasty in China, the rise of Islam and events elsewhere, the Jacobite and Nestorian Churches went into decline, but they show how Christianity could have been. The Roman Empire hurt Christianity by imposing a culture of intolerance onto the Church, a legacy we still see in small ways, even today.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoDifficult to answer. For a few hundred years Romans executed Christians enthusiastically. Constantine changed that and Romans got on board with Roman Catholicism which is Christianity (this can be argued later). It had a sword with it as well - not as bad as Islam later on, but it still sometimes and mostly rarely had a "Do you want to convert or do you want to be Deus Vult'ed (killed)?"
It was not that bad - I think all of the Christian misguidedness of forcing Christianity ended up putting about 60,000 people (who didn't want to convert) in the dirt. Over the course of 2000 years. Mostly under Catholics - never under protestants (although I think a few abortion clinic doctors make a showing every decade or so). Mao killed more before breakfast. Stalin by lunch. Himmler by noon. Than ever -misguided- "Christians" ever did.
If you believe that Catholicism is a good representation of Christianity then, for all the early 'wrongheadedness' of spreading the gospel of Christ by force, then in the end -- Yes it helped. If you do not think that Catholicism is a good representation of the Gospel of Christ - then - No it hurt Christianity.
Look up the Council of Trent and that they decided that Pope (through canon) trumped Scripture. That is enough to make Martin Luther kick out a stained glass window - which he did figuratively with those 'talking points' he nailed to the door.
Another Answer:
Depending on what you call 'Christianity' Rome did not help spread the teachings of Jesus or the Apostles in totem. From the late 3rd century onward, Rome began to differentiate their 'understanding' of Scripture from the wording in The Bible itself. One only needs to read it for themselves to see this fact.
Additionally, in order to include and appease the masses of 'pagan' worshippers, the Roman Church became an amalgam of teachings/traditions which history and even Church writings will agree is factual.
Wiki User
∙ 8y agoChristianity was adopted as the state religion in the fourth century CE, with the public worship of pagan gods banned in 391. In the decades that followed, many ancient texts were destroyed, the famed library of Alexandria burnt down, and the study of texts that conflicted with Christian doctrine was banned. In order to enforce this ban, the Christian Church insisted that education should be limited to the clergy. Certainly, the Western Empire had weakened and would have fallen to the invaders, but the "Dark Ages" that began in the fifth century were more the result of Christian decrees.
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoA number of persecutions by some of the Roman emperors "hurt" the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire.
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What Roman Empire Studied Christianity?
There was only one Roman Empire. Moreover, the Roman Empire did not study Christianity. An empire cannot study. The Roman Empire was where Christianity spread from Judea (which was a part of the Roman province of Syria). Both Catholic and Orthodox Christianity developed in the Roman Empire. Originally the were called Latin or Western Christianity and Greek or Eastern Christianity respectively. The former was the dominant form of Christianity in the western part of the Roman Empire and the latter was the dominant form of Christianity in the eastern part of this empire. There were also dissident Christian doctrines and sects.
Which empire declared Christianity to be the religion of the roman empire?
The emperor Theodosius I declared Christianity to be the official religion of the Roman empire. In fact, he made Christianity mandatory for all.
Which religion easily spread through the Roman Empire?
Christianity did not easily spread through the Roman Empire. See the related question, "How did Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire?"
What is the connection between ancient Rome and the spread of Christianity?
Christianity developed from a religion among a small group of Jews (who lived in Judea, which was part of the Roman Empire) into a mass religion in the Roman days. It spread around the Roman Empire. It became state religion. Catholic Christianity and Orthodox Christianity developed during the Later Roman Empire. They were originally called Latin or Western Christianity and Greek or Eastern Christianity respectively. The former was the main form of Christianity in the western part of the Roman Empire and the latter was the main form of Christianity in the eastern part of the Roman Empire.
What began in the roman empire?
Christianity
What Roman Empire Studied Christianity?
There was only one Roman Empire. Moreover, the Roman Empire did not study Christianity. An empire cannot study. The Roman Empire was where Christianity spread from Judea (which was a part of the Roman province of Syria). Both Catholic and Orthodox Christianity developed in the Roman Empire. Originally the were called Latin or Western Christianity and Greek or Eastern Christianity respectively. The former was the dominant form of Christianity in the western part of the Roman Empire and the latter was the dominant form of Christianity in the eastern part of this empire. There were also dissident Christian doctrines and sects.
Empire in which Christianity started?
Roman empire.
Which empire declared Christianity to be the religion of the roman empire?
The emperor Theodosius I declared Christianity to be the official religion of the Roman empire. In fact, he made Christianity mandatory for all.
What did Christianity become to the Roman Empire?
After the Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, that became the official religion of the Roman Empire.
Did the Roman empire help spread Christianity?
The Roman Empire made Christianity the official religion of the Empire, and 'encouraged' the peoples it conquered to convert.
What religon originated in the Roman empire?
the religon that originated in the roman empire is Christianity
Which religion easily spread through the Roman Empire?
Christianity did not easily spread through the Roman Empire. See the related question, "How did Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire?"
What is the connection between ancient Rome and the spread of Christianity?
Christianity developed from a religion among a small group of Jews (who lived in Judea, which was part of the Roman Empire) into a mass religion in the Roman days. It spread around the Roman Empire. It became state religion. Catholic Christianity and Orthodox Christianity developed during the Later Roman Empire. They were originally called Latin or Western Christianity and Greek or Eastern Christianity respectively. The former was the main form of Christianity in the western part of the Roman Empire and the latter was the main form of Christianity in the eastern part of the Roman Empire.
What began in the roman empire?
Christianity
How did christianity become the religion of the roman empire?
Christianity was forced upon the people of the Roman empire by the emperor Theodosius I in 380 AD.
Why did chrisitianity become famous throughout the roman empire?
Christianity was more than just famous throughout the Roman Empire. It spread and developed in this empire. Christianity started in the Roman Empire. Judea was part of the Roman province of Syria (that is, a province of the Roman Empire). The apostles and later Christian missionaries travelled around the empire and converted many people. The Christian churches developed in the Roman Empire. Christianity became a major religion of the empire and eventually became the state religion of the empire. Both the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church were originally churches of the Roman Empire. The former was originally called Latin or Western Christianity and was the main version of Christianity in the western part of the empire. The latter was originally called Greek or Eastern Christianity and was the main version of Christianity in the eastern part of the empire.
Were the ideas of Christianity was threat to the Roman Empire?
The ideas of Christianity were seen by many as a threat to the Roman Empire. Some believe that is why Rome eventually embraced Christianity, as to influence it.
