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How did the rise of Christianity contribute to the fall of the western Roman empire?
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
The expansion was moving in both parts of the empire, the west and the east, altough it expanded more in the east at first because it originated there and at the tome west was more fundamentalistic. Rome held half of then the known world. Every religion was to find its way of expanding in such a vast empire, but Christianity beated them all. Whay is that? Well, firstly in horrid times people looked for a shelter. It came to them that their gods were somewahat geedy and trecherous. When they heard about the all-forgiving god who provides unconditional love, what better way to repay your sins (and the empire had many such as sexual boasting, extravagance, promiscuity, taboos etc.) then to put ypur self under the protection of such a god. Further more, Christianity invited everyone. There was thus no discrimination of any kind as it was in many cults of Rome.
The expansion was moving in both parts of the empire, the west and the east, altough it expanded more in the east at first because it originated there and at the tome west was more fundamentalistic. Rome held half of then the known world. Every religion was to find its way of expanding in such a vast empire, but Christianity beated them all. Whay is that? Well, firstly in horrid times people looked for a shelter. It came to them that their gods were somewahat geedy and trecherous. When they heard about the all-forgiving god who provides unconditional love, what better way to repay your sins (and the empire had many such as sexual boasting, extravagance, promiscuity, taboos etc.) then to put ypur self under the protection of such a god. Further more, Christianity invited everyone. There was thus no discrimination of any kind as it was in many cults of Rome.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 8y agoWithout the Roman Empire, Christianity might never have spread to become the dominant religion of the West. The Roman Empire facilitated safe and efficient travel, thus allowing the apostles to spread out from Palestine into neighbouring countries and, eventually, throughout the entire Roman Empire.
Early in the fourth century, Emperor Constantine gave Christianity state patronage, thus encouraging the rapid spread of the new religion. By the end of the fourth century, Christianity was the state religion of the Empire and public worship of the pagan gods was banned. Church leaders drove paganism underground, persecuting anyone found to be worshipping the old gods. With imperial support, the Christian Church also expropriated all the pagan temples, land and wealth. The now wealthy Church was in a sound position to extend its control over the people of the entire Roman Empire.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoHistorians have been debating the reasons for the fall of the Roman empire for centuries - ever since it was clear that it had gone.
A useful approach to this problem would be to read Ibn Khaldun's "Introduction to History". He argues, persuasively, that each state or kingdom has a natural lifetime and that as the rulers become used to luxury they become less effective at defending their kingdom.
In the case of Rome the rise of religion (not just Christianity) looks like an alternative to patriotism. In a society that had become a ruthless military Dictatorship ordinary people transferred their allegiance to various religions instead of to the institutions of the state, no longer a Republic.
At least from the time of Diocletian the emperors wanted a means of persuading the ordinary people to "obey" without talkback.
Diocletian favoured a religion of the Sun. Constantine noticed that Christians were more numerous than Mithraists and ordered persecution to cease. (There is no reason to believe he thought Christianity was true, but he noticed that it was or could be useful.)
His successors did not merely cease persecution but made it compulsory, like a modern Single Political Party.
The new empire after Constantine closed down intellectual life. Rational debate ended and all debate became about the varieties of Christian belief and which was "orthodox" or "heretical". Perhaps the rulers ceased to understand what was important about ruling the empire and concentrated on the fantasies of theology.
So, was Christianity a cause of the decline, or merely a symptom? I am sure more centuries of debate will pass.
(Other possible causes were declining population, lead poisoning, soil exhaustion, fundamental economic failure, inability to raise enough tax to pay for an effective army).
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What was Christianity like in the western roman empire?
The Christianity of the western part of the Roman Empire was originally called Western or Latin Christianity. Later it came to be called the Catholicism.
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.
How did Christianity contribute to the fall of the roaman empire?
Christianity did not contribute to the fall of the western part of the Roman Empire. This part of the empire fell under the weight of the invasions by the Germanic peoples. The eastern part of the Roman Empire, which was also Christian, was not affected by these invasions and continued to exist for nearly 1,000 years. Pagan Romans thought that Christianity had weakened the empire by weakening the fighting spirit of the Romans. This view was incorrect and was a reflection of prejudice.
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 religion arose in the roman empire that would eventually contribute to the empires downfall?
Christianity
What was Christianity like in the western roman empire?
The Christianity of the western part of the Roman Empire was originally called Western or Latin Christianity. Later it came to be called the Catholicism.
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.
How did Christianity contribute to the fall of the roaman empire?
Christianity did not contribute to the fall of the western part of the Roman Empire. This part of the empire fell under the weight of the invasions by the Germanic peoples. The eastern part of the Roman Empire, which was also Christian, was not affected by these invasions and continued to exist for nearly 1,000 years. Pagan Romans thought that Christianity had weakened the empire by weakening the fighting spirit of the Romans. This view was incorrect and was a reflection of prejudice.
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.
Who were not contributing to the spread of Christianity throughout the roman empire?
The Romans who remained pagans did not contribute to the spread of Christianity Neither did Julian, who was the only pagan emperor in the Later Roman Empire
What religion arose in the roman empire that would eventually contribute to the empires downfall?
Christianity
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.
How did Christianity advance into western Europe?
the migrations that happened with the roman empire collapsed
Why was the pope so important in the roman society?
The Bishop of Rome was the head of Latin or western Christianity in the last few centuries of the Roman Empire, in the the days when Christianity became the state religion of this empire. Latin Christianity was the main form of Christianity in the western part of the Roman Empire. Greek or Eastern Christianity was the main form of Christianity in the eastern part of the empire. Later they came to be called Catholic and Orthodox respectively. Therefore, the Bishop of Rome was the spiritual leader of the Christians in the western part of the empire. Later the bishop of Rome also took on the title of Pope.
What two forms of Christianity developed in the divided of the roman empire?
The religion of the Byzantine empire was Orthodox Christianity For a while Arian Christianity was popular but it was soon suppressed. Both of these religions developed before the Byzantine Empire. Byzantine Empire is a term historians have coined to refer to the eastern part of the Roman Empire after the fall of the western part of the Roman Empire. The Romans, even in the so-called Byzantine period did not use this term. They used only one tern: Roman Empire. Orthodox and Arian Christianity developed before the fall of the western part of the empire and therefore before the Byzantine period. There were Western or Latin Christianity in the western part of the Roman Empire and Greek or Eastern Christianity,in the western part of the Roman Empire. They were the mainstream form of Christianity Later they came to be called Catholic and Orthodox respectively Arian Christianity was the most popular form of dissident Christianity both in the eastern and western part of the Roman Empire.
Was Christianity the main religion of the western roman empire?
It was by the end of the 4th Century CE.
What common feature did the Western Roman Empire and the Roman Catholic Church share?
There were two main form of Christianity in the Roman Empire. The Latin or Western Church was the main form in the western part of the empire and the Greek or Eastern Church was the main form in the eastern part. Later these two churches came to be called Catholic and Orthodox respectively. Therefore, what later came to be called Catholicism was the form of Christianity practiced in the western part of the Roman Empire.
