Introduction
Interest in the role of the Roman context and school of thought in the development of the Christian church leads researchers to look at the various aspects of the Roman Empire. These include the nature of the political leadership, Rome’s cultural composition, and Christians’ persecution. The development of the Christian church has had a significant influence from the Roman context, where the reign of the Roman Emperors and the culture of the citizens impacted the essence of the church by incorporating some practices and eliminating some events and alternative translations of rules. The Roman school of thought and context influenced the Christian church through Roman symbols, the political leadership of the Roman Empire, Roman philosophy, and the persecution of Christians.
Religion has become a social, political, and economic source of identity against homogenizing global developments like advances in science and technology and globalization. There is evidence that modernization has hastened the resurgence of religion rather than its death (Saiya and Manchanda 2). Technological progress enabled corruption, immorality, and materialism; religion has allowed believers to separate themselves. According to Saiya and Manchanda, “Christianity is the largest and most diffused religion in the world” (2).
Pluralism and persecution of Christians played a significant role in the growth of the Christian church, which dates as far back as the Roman context in Christianity and the church’s growth. For instance, during China’s Cultural Revolution between 1966 and 1976, the plan to uphold communism resulted in severe persecution of Christians, where thousands of protestants and catholic believers perished. However, in the face of repression, Christianity continued underground and persisted (Saiya and Manchanda 7). Therefore, discrimination against a particular religion, for instance, a minority religious group, contributes to the possible growth of that faith owing to believers’ motivation to remain resilient.
The Use of Christian Symbols Adopted from Roman Society
Firstly, the influence of the Roman context played a key role in the characteristic features of the early church through the use of Christian symbols. The Roman era exposed various inhabitants of Rome and other parts of the world to Christianity, as evidenced by some of the Christian church’s identity. Given the ethnically diverse Rome, Christian communities incorporated some Greco-Roman symbols, such as the good shepherd and the Virgin Mary, as well as the crucifix and the crown of thorns. The symbols allowed Christianity to gain an identity and cultural cohesiveness (Ganshirt 2,3).
In fact, some of the symbols remain recognizable among Christians today. The Christian church’s adoption of the crucifix as one of its accepted emblems indicates the impact of the Roman context and thought since crucifixion was a common practice in Rome (Ganshirt 3). The church focused on creating a unique identity that pointed them to Christ, a scriptural reference, hence the use of the crown of thorns, an element not found in ordinary Roman art. Despite slight alterations of meanings, the Christian church adopts symbols, an aspect of Roman society.
The Leadership of the Roman Emperor Under Roman Law
Secondly, the impact of the Roman context through the Roman church and Roman laws is evident in the cultural and historical mission of the Christian church. The leadership of the Roman Emperor under Roman Law to conquer the world possibly cultivated a need among Christians in Rome to spread their faith across the universe. Thus, the historical context of the Christian church depicts a missionary nature in spreading the word of God. Through the influence of the need for universality, the Christian church established its jurisdiction and its body of rules strongly shaped by Roman law (Zimmermann 349).
Moreover, the making of contracts among the believers in Rome was primarily influenced by Roman law, where adherents sought to develop a guiding principle in making agreements. Under the leadership of popes and other church leaders, the Christian church provided leading principles based on the formality of covenants as directed by the Roma legal tradition (Zimmermann 350). The reliance on legal bindings led Christians to establish binding covenants with God through faith.
The Roman Moral Philosophy Guided Behavior Among Christians
Further, the Roman context under the Roman moral philosophy influenced behavior among Christians. The Roman moral philosophy provided basic terms against lying or breaking promises (Zimmermann 352). Moreover, the Christian church in Rome developed by interpreting some legal canons, such as those that governed property inheritance.
An estate owner was required to give provisions to an heir among his descendants upon his death. Christians who believed God was their father interpreted the canon to suit their faith. The Christians held that once they believed in God, they would be His sons and heirs through Jesus Christ (Zimmermann 356).
Others donated their property for pious purposes in the belief that the church would benefit, while such contributions served the salvation of the donor through the church. The aforesaid spiritual perspectives on property encouraged the church’s growth as requirements for signing wills were lessened to require fewer witnesses and fewer procedures for its validity (Zimmermann 358). Therefore, the Roman context greatly influenced the development of the Christian Church.
The Impact of the Persecution of Christians
Additionally, the Roman context provided a platform for the motivation of Christians to be resilient as they endured persecution. At first, the Romans viewed Christians as a divisive group of Jews before Christians in Rome separated themselves from Judaism. Upon separation and refusal to worship state gods, Christians lost legal protection and faced subsequent persecution from the Roman Empire (Rushmore 9).
Further, during the fall of the Roman Empire, Rome united the people of the earth by bringing about the church’s unity (Zimmermann 348). Most of the Roman context’s influence on the development of the Christian church remains evident in churches today. While Christians may not experience much physical abuse as those in Rome did, many fear for their lives, for instance, those living in Islamic or Hindu-dominated regions (Rushmore 10).
The rights of Christians who belong to the Christian Church, whether catholic or protestant, continued to be infringed upon across the world as they faced legal implications for applying their faith in some aspects of life. For instance, property owners forbid unmarried couples from residing on their property (Rushmore 10). The landlord’s actions to prevent fornication are considered discrimination, subject to legal implications. Therefore, the Roman context has significantly influenced the development of the Christian church, both in the past and in recent years, around the world.
Conclusion
Overall, the Roman context, a legal, political, and sociocultural perspective, influenced the development of the Christian church. Since the Christian separation from Judaism, persecution through discrimination and abuse became an agent for the growth of the Christian church. The orderly leadership of the Roman Empire influenced the Christian church’s development of its jurisdiction and rules that guide believers. Further, the cultural influence of the Roman territory led Christians to adopt and establish symbols of faith, such as the crucifix and the good shepherd.
Works Cited
Ganshirt, Tim. “The Greco-Roman Influence on Early Christian art Exhibit.” Department of Classics and Modern Languages, 2022. Web.
Rushmore, Louis (Ed). “Christianity in a Hostile and Challenging Environment.” In the Voice of Truth International, vol. 1, no. 13, 2022. Web.
Saiya, Nilay., & Stuti Manchanda. “Paradoxes of Pluralism, Privilege, and Persecution: Explaining Christian Growth and Decline Worldwide.” Sociology of Religion, vol. 10, no, 10, 2021, pp 1-19. Web.
Zimmermann, Reinhard. “Christian Church and Roman Legal Culture.” Studia Prawnicze Kul, vol. 2, no. 90, 2022, pp 345-368. Web.