Loading...Persecutions of Christians did not become “empire-wide” or generally threatening until the middle of the third century, over 200 years after Jesus’ death. It is a mistake to think all Christians had to go in hiding in the early years/decades/centuries of the church because they were seen by the Roman state as an impending threat.
Here I continue with this short series describing the imperial persecutions of Christians, from my book The Triumph of Christianity (Simon & Schuster).
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Valerian (ruled 253-60 CE)
Two years after Decius
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Thank you for this clear explanation of the early persecutions and the helpful reminder that Christians in the Roman Empire were not constantly under threat everywhere. Your discussion of the sporadic nature of persecution is particularly illuminating.
In Japan, however, the historical experience was quite different. From the early 17th century Christianity was systematically suppressed by the Tokugawa government. Many believers were executed, and others were forced to renounce their faith. Some Christians continued to practice their faith secretly for generations as the so-called “Hidden Christians” (Kakure Kirishitan), preserving elements of Christian belief underground for more than two centuries.
However, because their tradition was transmitted largely orally and without clergy or scriptures, their beliefs gradually changed, sometimes quite significantly. In that sense, it may offer an interesting parallel to how Christian traditions could evolve in the period before the New Testament canon was fully established.
Yup, very interesting.
A nice companion to your book is classist Edward J Watts’ The Final Pagan Generation, from 2020. Watts defines “final” as the last group of pagans who reached their majority and assumed their places in society before Constantine converted. He follows four figures for which there remains a substantial literary record. Two from the Western empire, two from the East. Two became Christians, two did not. Watts also has a chapter on the next generation, the children of these final pagans who were being raised right after Constantine’s conversion. Interesting stuff.
Yup, it’s an interesting book.
“The cult revering Saint Laurence was to become a major feature of Roman Christian worship.” Please explain how some time! thanks.
He became an extraordinarily “popular” saint in the Catholic church. He was martyred in 258; when Constantine converted over a century later a shrine wsa built over his tomb and later that was expanded and became the San Lorenzo fiuori le Mura (Basilica of St. Lawrence Outside the Walls), still a popular site. His feast day: August 10!
Dear Dr Ehrman-I beg your pardon for this rather silly and random question, but may I ask what your views are regarding the Christology of the Ebionites. From what I understand, in the past you have said that they held that the man Jesus, having been anointed with the Spirit, accepted the task given to him by God, namely to die for others. In reward for his suffering he was raised from death and enthroned in heaven. If I may ask,does this remain your view of Ebionite Christology, and on what sources do you base this conclusion?(Ebionite sources are notoriously rare)
Yes, I still hold that view; I’d say it’s fairly common. The sources of information, as you say are scant, principally “Jewish Christian Gospels,” some of the Pseudo-Clementine literature, and polemics of church writers who attack both “Judaizing” and Jewish Christian groups. The complexities of the Gospel traditions are laid out briefly in my book The Other Gospels but thoroughly in A. F. J. Klihn Jewish Christain Gospel Traditions.
Part of Diocletian’s motive to persecute Christians was that, because of them, he wasn’t in full control of his empire. Christians, working at odds to him, had infiltrated his administration including his own household. Diocletian’s haruspices (pagan priests) blamed the presence of Christians within the imperial household for the failure of their divination rituals and inability to read oracles.
Women seemed to play a significant behind-the-scenes role. Constantine may have been converted by his mother, Helena. Eusebius reported him converting her, but the sincerity of Constantine’s conversion is highly doubted. Helena, however sincere her conversion, was very active in promoting Christian devotion, including pilgrimage tourism to the Holy Land by developing tourist destinations there.
Those of us who are skeptical might see this imperial Christian conversion activity as being more about claiming (and thus allying with) rising Christian demographic power than being about belief in a foreign religion.
Christians as persecuted and martyred is the lesson taught every Christian child. “Onward, Christian Soldiers” is a 19th-century hymn that uses military metaphors to represent the Christian life as a united, active, and spiritual journey, rather than a literal war. It calls for perseverance, faith, and unity in facing spiritual challenges, with Jesus as the lead, but to Christians it’s like the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Today America is in the lead in a religious war against Iran, the leader of Shia Islam, the thousands of Iranian dead martyrs in the Great War Against Satan. The Prince of Peace as a warmonger? Fundamentalist and evangelical Christians today believe Christians are at war against a mortal enemy, be they domestic (cultural) or foreign (non-Christian), the precedent for the war set 2,000 years ago by the persecution of Christians by Rome for their religion. Enough, already! Jesus was crucified by the Romans for being a troublemaker to the Romans, crucifixion being the typical punishment for troublemakers, not by Jews for being a heretic. Paul succeeded in making Jews enemies of Christians for killing Jesus, and the rest is a sordid history.
Very good point Dr. Ehrman. I think of the Roman empire as experiencing the same policy oscillations of Democrats and Republicans. It’s the Roman Emperor Phillip the Arab that was said to be the first Christian emperor – he just also worships Dushara. Dushara’s epithet is likely “The Great Life” per Dr. John Healey.
John the Baptist’s followers, the Mandaeans also worship a deity called The Great Life/The Living One, but aren’t fond of claims for Jesus’ divinity. In the original Mesopotamian religion that they most closely resemble, a human and a god are different things, but in its iterative form, a human version of Ea, The Living One first appears in an Ur text where he feeds the masses.