CHRISTIANITY

REASONS FOR THE SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY

Despite the persecutions, the spread of Christianity was not deterred.

The following reasons may account for the spread:

1. The nature of the Roman Empire: At this time, the empire was torn
by strive and the disruption led people to seek refuge in the new
religion.
2. The doctrines of the new religion (Christianity) were like many
older religious in the empire e.g. it was in line with Jewish
monotheism.
3. Period of persecution which Christian followers experienced
reinforced the solidarity of the group and attracted many to join
the religion.
4. The emperor cult and pluralism of belief of the Roman Empire
meant that a coherent state ideology was lacking. Emperor
Constantine saw in Christian teachings a uniting ideology. It
granted freedom of worship to all citizens of the Roman Empire
and thus more people become Christians. Christianity’s adoption
by the Roman Empire. Christianity was made the official religion
of the Empire and forbade the worship of other religions.
5. The vastness of the Roman Empire made it easier than in earlier
times for people to travel and exchange ideas over wide areas. This
was an important asset to the early missionaries many of whom
were Roman citizens. They enjoyed the protection of the Roman
laws and profited from easy travel and communication which the
Roman rule made possible.
6. Christianity had special attraction for the under privileged such as
the poor and the oppressed who formed a sizeable population in
the Roman empire but who were kept out of the many other
religions because of their underdog status.
7. The excellent road network and relative peace created by the
Romans throughout the empire ensured that ideas and people
travelled faster. Thus, the spread of Christianity.

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8. Christian missionaries like Paul added ideas from Plato, the stoics,
and other Greek thinkers to Jesus’ message. Educated Romans
were attracted to a religion that incorporated the discipline and
moderation of Greek philosophy.
9. The wide use of Greek and Latin languages facilitated the spread
of Christianity through Christian literature and preaching.
10.Christianity’s organizational structures and hierarchy with
overseers and bishops was superior to many of the other religious
and thus was more attractive.
11.The work of Paul who took Christianity to gentiles or non-Jews.
He set Christianity on the road to becoming a world religion. In
letters to Christian communities, he explained and expanded
Christian teachings.