THE FIRST CHRISTIANS

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As the Roman Empire reached it's zenith, a new religion sprang up within its borders that challenged the values and ideals of ancient Rome--Christianity.  The Christian faith spread so rapidly that in just a few centuries it would go from  being a persecuted Jewish sect to the state religion of the Roman Empire.  The approach to happiness spelled out in the Gospels and in the early writings of the Church, however, would always be in conflict with the secular aims of the Empire as it continues to be even in our own time. 
As you read, be sure that you are able to answer the following questions:   
  1. How did the Christian faith spread in the years following the death of Jesus of Nazareth? What figure was mostly responsible for the early success of Christianity in the Roman Empire? (introduction, pp. 299-309)
  2. What events transpired to ultimately turn Christianity into the state religion of the Roman Empire? (introduction, pp. 299-309)
  3. What is agape and how is this idea central to the approach to happiness advocated by Jesus of Nazareth? (introduction, pp. 299-309)
  4. Reading the selections from the Gospels (pp. 311-318), what are the central values of Christianity as espoused by Jesus of Nazareth and Paul of Tarsus?
  5. What is the main point developed by Clement of Alexandria in "Who is the Rich Young Man that is to be Saved?" regarding the proper Christian attitude towards wealth and possessions? (pp. 319-323)
  6. According to Gregory of Nyssa, what is the right attitude that the Christian ought to have towards disadvantaged members of his or her own society? (pp. 324-327)