Why Rome Converted? - Rise of Christianity Explained

[@InvictaHistory]

I can't recommend enough the program "Miro" which allows you to create infinite digital white boards for personal and collaborative projects. I use it all the time (including in this video) and so does our team. Check it out using our link: miro.pxf.io/c/5922091/1391984/16613

[@DB5652-v3r]

Moses Deuteronomy 6:4 hear o israel the lord our God is one lord Jesus Matthew 22:36 He said, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord Church our lord is 3 in 1 and mystery John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. Church = no jesus is god Matthew 15:24 But He answered and said, ‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel'” (NKJV). In this context, Jesus was responding to a Canaanite woman seeking healing for her daughter, highlighting His primary mission to the Jews church = no he came for everyone church logic do everything opposite of jesus

[@guderian557]

You should have had the foremost expert on the early roman empire and christianity, Richard Carrier, on as a guest instead.

[@alltheframes9015]

Is there a place that we can look up the credentials or any academic papers that Kimble might have published? I would want to learn more as to what kind of research is being done, as well as a transparent way of verifying the credentials of the experts that are invited. I have looked through the description and I have the feeling I might have missed it.

[@robmarney]

Props for actually using Miro in this video. Great sponsorship choice

[@yohanneslong1970]

@@InvictaHistory read Alqur'an. It is the only uncorrupted book that is uncreated. Mashallah

[@Colddirector]

Boy I bet this comment sections going to be polite and uncontroversial.

[@TrumpCarson]

🗿DEVS VVLT

[@nexus7860]

fat virgin prot vs chad orthodox roman☦

[@Quentin94]

Redditors be like: "AKKKCSHCUUUUUULLLYYYY, Christianity is a fairy tale written by men." - and they refuse to think any deeper than that. Don't expect them to understand basic philosophy, they won't.

[@Colddirector]

@@Quentin94 the irony of you posting that after the guy posting the tired crusader meme.

[@Quentin94]

The deus vult memers actually understand basic philosophy though.

[@awesomehpt8938]

One smart decision that increased Christianity’s popularity was not requiring circumcision to be Christian. All apparently due to St Paul.

[@JustinCage56]

St. Paul was that bridge between the Hebrew and Greco-Roman world. Not only was he a Roman citizen, he was a former Pharisee too, which was a plus for both sides when he and other Apostles helped finded churches throughout the Empire, mainly in the eastern regions.

[@Colddirector]

@@JustinCage56 also you’re not going to get a lot of takers if you’re asking men to cut part of their junk off

[@AndrewTheMandrew531]

@@awesomehpt8938 This comment is implying that the decision was completely arbitrary. Which it was not.

[@Colddirector]

@@AndrewTheMandrew531 what do you mean by arbitrary?

[@AndrewTheMandrew531]

@@Colddirector I mean that by this person saying that “it was a smart decision that helped spread Christianity,” it implies that the decision the Apostles came to was completely arbitrary. arbitrary Dictionary Definitions from Oxford Languages adjective based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system. Ex. “his mealtimes were entirely arbitrary"

[@HorizonOfHope]

As Mary Beard noted: the religion the Romans tried hardest to destroy was the one most truly Roman. Christianity sprung up in cities, wasn’t fixed to any particular land or temple, travelled along roads, was tied to merchant routes and was multi-ethnic and multicultural.

[@TrumpCarson]

Yup

[@Bern_il_Cinq]

The word "pagan" itself comes from the latin word "pagus", meaning countryside. These were the stubborn holdouts... those not exposed to the readings and writings of urban clergy; those who had to keep a keener eye (and worship) of nature to survive. Rome was a city that built an empire and this centralization and logistics network was pretty foundational for the spread of Christianity. Christianity is more streamlined in design than Roman paganism and its inclusivity in comparison to other monotheistic practices like Judaism facilitated its acceptance throughout the Empire, the Mediterranean and beyond.

[@HorizonOfHope]

@ To say nothing of the fact that it began in a Roman province. Even Roman pagan religions probably began before the city did, somewhere in Etruscan cultural history. It might be the only major religion that actually began in the Roman world.

[@dennisquaid6509]

In witch book she write about it

[@markgarrett3647]

Because the old Roman Gods imperiled them in so many ways.

[@jcavs9847]

One really important thing you forgot to mention was the impact of different philosophical schools on roman religion. By the late empire it had a much more "neoplatonist" (and therefore monotheist) bend. And christianity was also hugely influenced by neoplatonism. Other schools that competed in this "marketplace" include stoicism, epicureanism, neopythagoreanism, etc

[@gazlator]

Absolutely; well said - an aspect that really shouldn't be overlooked

[@VesperOfRoses]

Neoplatonism isn't really monotheistic, but you can arrive at monotheism from it. Nearly all of the major neoplatonist philosophers were polytheists.

[@scrumbobulus]

@@VesperOfRoses I was just about to say this. The most influential Neoplatonist philosophers were all pagans and believed in the gods.

[@sotiriosdrokalos]

The whole picture they gave is deeply flawed. The Roman Empire was such only politically, as culturally there was an overwhelming Greek dominance. Even Christianity was spread in Greek, not in Latin.

[@wesleyfilms]

When you conquer the entire world and get conjured by a very powerful carpenter.

[@jamesdean3352]

With fishermen and tax collector as sidekicks.

[@EM-vb8gx]

@@wesleyfilms Jesus is the king of the new kingdom promised in Daniel that would rule the world. We still think it’s physical but it’s spiritual

[@BraveGisgo]

​@@EM-vb8gxok grandpa lets get u to bed

[@daveoelke857]

@@EM-vb8gx The Jews were waiting for a physical kingdom. Their messiah would overthrow Rome and the Jews would rule the world. That was their prophecy.

[@ezrajeremiah8631]

​@@EM-vb8gx The Early Christians would say otherwise. And people like Eusebius, who had the ear of Constantine, called it silly by 325. New Jerusalem is coming. And it isn't Christendom. Rome tried to kill Chritianity, it couldn't, so Rome Co-opted it

[@olefredrikskjegstad5972]

Rome was christianized, but christianity was also Romanized

[@michaelrocha7159]

@@olefredrikskjegstad5972 elaborate please

[@profkingthing]

I imagine they refer to the ways in which rituals and holidays were conflated.

[@MeanBeanComedy]

​@@michaelrocha7159 He's got nothing. Low-Church Prot claptrap.

[@eddyr1041]

Rome was in the core never really pagan.... more related to greek actually... I guess pagan more related to indigenous religiion that have change to worship to lots of god and often hv horrible practice of human sacrifice

[@olefredrikskjegstad5972]

@eddyr1041 In this case "pagan" just means "literally anything non-christian"

[@fhnhockey25]

Perfect timing for Christmas 👍

[@MuhsinShah-k5v]

@@fhnhockey25 Don’t forget Saturnalia and Yuletide.

[@yohanneslong1970]

@MuhsinShah-k5v and don't forget lick Hajar Aswad the way pre Islamic Arabia do👅🪨

[@ruth4019]

​@MuhsinShah-k5v God took the pagan Abraham and changed him into His instrument. Moses made a snake from the staff and Egyptian wizards also made snakes from the staffs but a distinction is considered between the both. Saturn worshippers observe Saturday from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday and Jews also observe Sabbath on Saturday from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday but a distinction is considered between the both. If pagans eat food and drink water and you also eat food and drink water, does this mean that you are following paganism? BTW, the English language you are conversing in is a language of pagans.

[@ruth4019]

​@MuhsinShah-k5v God took the pagan Abraham and changed him into His instrument. Moses made a snake from the staff and Egyptian wizards also made snakes from the staffs but a distinction is considered between the both. Saturn worshippers observe Saturday from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday and Jews also observe Sabbath on Saturday from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday but a distinction is considered between the both. If pagans eat food and drink water and you also eat food and drink water, does this mean that you are following paganism? BTW, the English language you are conversing in is a language of pagans.

[@yakovmatityahu]

As an Indian Christian who has nothing to do with Roman empire or pope,but its interesting to know Christian history 😊, Merry Christmas 2024.

[@andrewstallings6548]

@@yakovmatityahu Merry Christmas friend! I’m American and feel the same way.

[@yakovmatityahu]

@andrewstallings6548 Merry Christmas 2024 😊

[@MeanBeanComedy]

Back atcha, brother! 😎👉🏻👉🏻 Merry Christmas! 😁👍🏻👍🏻

[@yakovmatityahu]

@@MeanBeanComedy Merry Christmas 🙂

[@sultanpoppa3735]

St. Thomas the Apostle (“Doubting Thomas”) went to India, so Christianity is Indian as well

[@AdithiaKusno]

As a subdeacon in Byzantine Catholic Church who grew up in a Dutch Calvinist tradition, I think the easiest route to understand where Christianity developed out of constellations of countless religious beliefs at that time is by seeing it in the sub-category of Hellenized Judaism. Or in other word to make sense how Christianity introduced virgin birth narrative and resurrection parallels is by seeing it in the background of neo-Platonic ideas. St Maximos and St Palamas for examples heavily influenced by St Dionysius of the Aeropagite which is indistinguishable from Proclus or Iamblichus. The reason why this direct approach better is because Christians wouldn't be negatively reacting to your approach because St Augustine and many other early saints themselves admit publicly that they were neo-Platonists. No Jews believe that a prophecy has two layers, one apply immediately to Isaiah's virgin daughter who gave birth to Hezekiah's son then another one apply 8 centuries later to a fatherless son to assume the throne of David solely from maternal ancestry without paternal lineage. No Jews believe this or speculate that this was possible. That's why Jews were taken by shocked. I hope this video can be reframed not only by language and approach that not offensive to Christians but by irenic approach using internal evidence Christians themselves admit. I hope this is not seem as criticism but as encouragement for better approach to have dialogue with Christians using internal testimonies. That way many Christians who happen to watch this video wouldn't be negatively opposed but rather would be interested to hear what early Christians themselves admit that they were neo-Platonists. That way this approach explains why Christianity was widely accepted instead of Bacchian, Mithraic, or Manichean cults that eventually failed and died out. Seeing Christianity as inclusive Platonic version of Judaism best explain how Christianity accepted spread in Roman culture that already accepted Platonic beliefs. Let me know if you find this approach helpful for you.

[@HistoriaMoneta]

Love these collaborations with scholars. The channel is going in a great direction!

[@Schwizinberg]

Hell yeah, that is exactly a question I've been searching to answer in last months, why Christianity became dominant in the Roman Empire

[@QuincyJacobs-i8h]

People were secretly Christian so the officials had no idea how many there were

[@samic2170]

Great video, I haven’t watched all of it yet but I like it so far. While there are a few oversimplifications, I think that’s very understandable considering the complexity of the topic and the fact that this is a KZbin video intended for the general public. Would it be possible for you to inform us about Kimble’s exact qualifications or full name? She seems very knowledgeable on this topic and I would like to see more of her work. Thank you in advance, and keep up the good work!

[@markp44288]

Right? Seems weird to have a guest with no credentials or a real name. But besides that she does seem well spoken.

[@Aureus_]

Well you see Invicta.. there was this bridge in Italy...

[@usergiodmsilva1983PT]

Long story short 😂...

[@alpyhaWQFwef]

A lot of Christians were terribly persecuted on the road to Christian Rome.

[@lechevalier-ns2pt]

Kinda but not really

[@crispybacon9917]

@@lechevalier-ns2pt seriously...did you forget nero's christian candles?

[@CelesteO-h6w]

@@lechevalier-ns2pt What about all the ones that got fed to lions??

[@humbleopulence]

In actuality there were barely any Christian oersecutions. No more than 13 years, in fact. The rest is myth. Even the neronian persecutions are total myths and likely attributable to Judean Zealots and not Christians, a word which wouldn't exist for another 100 years

[@Colddirector]

@@crispybacon9917 Christian persecution is generally believed by historians to be a lot more sporadic and localised. It only got really systemic under Diocletian

[@awesomehpt8938]

I’m sure Edward gibbon would like this video if he was alive.

[@nexus7860]

fat virgin prot vs chad orthodox roman☦

[@dewd9327]

He'd be quivering and spitting like a rabid Chihuahua

[@HorizonOfHope]

@@awesomehpt8938 It’s funny cos his actual history skills are a bit lazy (he is so thin with citations and isn’t always being clear of his sources) and his approach, beginning with a hypothesis and reverse engineering the evidence that fits, is not sound. And yet he makes a really compelling case.

[@C-Farsene_5]

Faiths that tend to allow some syncretism and are actively proselityzing tend to be successful

[@Bern_il_Cinq]

You know, it's funny. Despite the dominance of Christianity Christmas falls on Wodin's-Day this year and follows a tradition of late year pagan celebrations like Saturnalia and Yuletide. During the French Revolution the revolutionaries desired to uproot all traces of religion and connection to the past - they changed the calendar and the holidays and the names of the days. Crazy stuff. But modern Christianity from its adaptation of Roman and Germanic and Jewish traditions managed to preserve the history of the evolution of its own faith without destroying entirely what came before. For the "complete" erasure of paganism we'd have to eliminate the name of Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, etc. August and July are named after Roman rulers. But it seems pretty annoying and frivolous to do so, doesn't it?

[@Dayvit78]

What was more syncretic than Roman paganism?

[@rizkyadiyanto7922]

islam?

[@joebollig2689]

Enculturation, not syncretism, is what Christianity does.

[@nekosila]

@@joebollig2689 they literally incorporated pagan rituals and slapped a coat of paint on it because they knew they couldn't make the partitioners drop the traditions. Slapped a coat of paint on it and claimed it as something that never existed among Christ's followers for hundreds of years. Nah. First guy was right

[@yanickschmid765]

You should’ve edited out the “ammms”. There’s one at the end of every sentence and it’s easy, but tedious, to edit them out

[@Artur_M.]

This sure is an interesting video. Unfortunately, I don't think I have the time to watch the whole thing today. 😅 But I promise I'll go back to it. Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays!

[@drumjjj777]

@@Artur_M. check out the three dot menu when you're in this position and add it to your watch later playlist :)

[@ameer6458]

I enjoyed the detailed and fascinating explanation that Kimble offered in this video, Thanks so much Kimble we want more videos on roman history from you.

[@xHASSUNAx]

I would say that human psychology has a lot to do with this topic. People want hope and to believe, and given everything that was happening at the same time: economic collapse, immigration citizenship crises, invasions, plagues and politics, you have a growing want for hope and need for salvation, and a Middle Eastern Monotheistic face filled that role

[@ColGesso]

Lmao

[@linming5610]

The crisis of the third centruy contributed a lot to Christianity.

[@thesimp3266]

This very true. You'll understand a Christian hope when living in third world country. It make things bearable.

[@josecipriano3048]

​@@thesimp3266 that's why Marx called it the opium of the people.

[@mreajamorgana]

Christianity spread over 3 continents, not only Rome. Also the tribes that conquered Rome converted to Christianity as well.

[@ReasonableRadio]

The intro is extremely high quality. I couldn't imagine a better way to summarize the various relevant aspects of the question.

[@shulamitebeautifulbride]

The seeds were sown by the blood of the martyrs.

[@lechevalier-ns2pt]

@@shulamitebeautifulbride all two of them

[@brian5001]

@@shulamitebeautifulbride "what are one of the ways we know they worship a narcissist for $200, Alex?"

[@eee9034]

@@shulamitebeautifulbride martyred for a lie

[@awildtannerwasfound5045]

@@shulamitebeautifulbride amen

[@BraveGisgo]

Edgy

[@Onezy05]

The two most important factors for why it spread: 1) It was exclusive. You HAD to give up your belief in polytheism to worship one god. Jesus couldn't just be slotted onto an existing pagan pantheon, which gave Christianity a unique identity. 2) It was evangelical. Unlike Jews or pagans, Christian missionaries were actively seeking out converts which meant the faith wasn't just confined to the existing group which sprung out of the Levant. Think of it like this. Say there's a crowd of 100 pagans and a Christian and pagan preacher try to convert them. Let's say they both convert 50 followers. Well, the Christian has gained 50 and lost none, while the pagan has lost 50 and gained none. Christianity was a consuming religion which, even before Constantine, had managed to convert about 10 percent of the Roman population.

[@rainbowkrampus]

Ehhh, this doesn't really capture the complex and competitive nature of cultic activity at the time. People moved between groups fairly regularly. Often for things as trivial as who was serving the better communal meal on a given day. Also, christianity wasn't unique in premise. It was a mystery cult with all the features pertaining thereto. It only seems to have gained an advantage due to plagues sending the powerful people to the countryside, leaving christians to proselytize in the cities with weakened competition from the dominant cults.

[@Onezy05]

@rainbowkrampus Christianity's only real 'cult rival' was Mithraism, which was exclusive for men. So Mithraism had already cut out a substantial number of potential female converts. By contrast, Christianity's evangelical, universal approach didn't have such limitations. I mean, on the topic of women, the evidence seems to suggest that a high proportion of early Christians were women. Granted, I do acknowledge that other factors (such as early Christians care for the downtrodden and sick via their own religious institutions) were important too, but it was the exclusivity and evangelicalism that were arguably the two MOST important factors.

[@mnk9073]

It was even more novel in that the Romans and most if not all pagans didn't have "faith" in the jewish or christian sense but more of a transactionary ritual relationship with representations of the perils of daily life; You want a safe journey? Drop by the Mercur temple, catch up on the news from the roads and leave a donation. Need to take a ship? Give Neptun a visit, talk to the captains there and leave a sacrifice. You're going to war? Mars is your man, bring a lamb to the temple with your mates, sacrifice and eat it while chatting to the veterans. Have a problem with your pregnancy? The Priestesses of Juno know a thing or two. The blind and unquestioning devotion monotheism had where you essentially just sit in the dark and talk to yourself joping that your problems magically go away was widely seen as superstitious foolishness.

[@fij715]

The only one factor for why it spread: 1) Because Catholicism is true.

[@rainbowkrampus]

@@fij715 Didn't watch the video. Too scared to even engage in the conversation in an honest manner. Only interested in asserting and maintaining your social boundaries and dogmas. Sad.

[@Beanbag753]

The End Times theology of Early Christianity may have played a role as Rome endured political and economic challenges.

[@77milea]

Next.. Could you explain how Arian ( Visigoth, Lombard etc ) converted to Catholic?

[@FirstnameLastname-py3bc]

@@77milea and a video about what theological change the Franks brought to the Catholic Church

[@josecipriano3048]

They wanted to pretend they were Romans.

[@stevenheckman-oz3mp]

He does not once mention the sect of jewish people known as the essenes, They already lived across the entire Roman Empire they structured their communities to weigh the early Christian community structured themselves and they were pretty much a sect of jews that claimed they knew the Christ had come so if they knew that Christ had been born and then 33 years later you start seeing a postle show up these places are where the apostles came to visit when they came to the communities in Rome. That's the way that Christianity spread so quickly throughout the Roman Empire.

[@Chyoonz]

@@stevenheckman-oz3mp No! I think you mean the Judean People's Front!!!

[@mikechannel5026]

yeah i think it makes sense that early convert have been Jews and it screed so fast because that. Question is why have been jewish sects everywhere.

[@Userinterfaceexperience]

Just looked up Modern Essenes-it’s a cult.

[@DrWolves]

This was very well presented and incredibly thorough. The views presented here are a result of very extensive research.

[@dramirezg70]

Examples of forced conversion to Christianity include: the Christian persecution of paganism under Theodosius I,[77] the forced conversion and violent assimilation of pagan tribes in medieval Europe,[78] the Inquisition, including its manifestations in Goa, Mexico, Portugal, and Spain, the forced conversion of indigenous children in North America[79] and Australia[80]

[@evertaj2438]

Christ is King ☦️

[@DylanMcCullough-dh3fe]

@evertaj2438 nooooo ,I am, and so are you !!

[@ehfoiwehfowjedioheoih4829]

Communist troll

[@curtisowen3233]

​@@evertaj2438you're thinking of Vishnu.

[@mreajamorgana]

You're mostly talking about the Catholic Church which was corrupted by the wild tribes who conquered Rome. There was no such thing as force conversion in the real Church. Orthodox church is not recruiting, it was always rather hard for outsiders to join.

[@mohamednashar9859]

@invicta is there a space where you could share the Miro board presented a long with its sources? Thank you?

[@KerrikkiLurgan]

I am half way through this video and am impressed by the research (as always by Invictus). The description of the religions as a market place has made me think. I am reminded of the current political situations all over the world. "I promise I will give you what you need.". The western world is mainly Christian, but Christian religions have lost most of their power in the modern world. Churches were once the center of every town and city. The churches were centers of community life in more than a place to pray. Now people are no longer entering churches and they are falling into ruins in small parishes. Sorry, I am preaching against loss of historical buildings. Back to my original statements; the research is very thorough and I was sad to see the top comment was a troll. These people work very hard to give us factual information and do not deserve mockery from vain attention getters

[@monikagrosch9632]

Is there a way to block out the background music? It’s distracting

[@wirezts]

I've been doing my own research on this question, I asked the ether for this video, and synchronicity provided it. Thank you so much for the hard work and the free, incredibly presented information 🙏

[@RizzenMurray]

Where's your research been taking you? I've spent some time with Tom Holland's work.

[@wirezts]

@RizzenMurray not there so I'll look into it, thanks!

[@carloscampo9119]

Synchronicity. That’s how Christianity became predominant. As in, synchronicity is simply a modern name for destiny and the path defined by the Holy Spirit to each one.

[@karter_nyx]

1:14:12 Kind of wild to think about the Romans having more accessibility options in religious buildings more than modern day America (at least, from my Bible Belt perspective)

[@developmentcom]

With the use of economic terms, such as speaking of the different religions as commodities, it made me wonder about the merchant class at the time and what kind of information there is about a merchant class in Roman period.

[@aureliot.4256]

Despite the persecutions the crhsitians had to endure throughout the centuries, you forget to mention how they, when they came to power, were brutal and unforgiving towards all other pagan religions present in Europe and beyond. Despite many converting to christianity, the majority was ether forced, executed or had to flee. It was a bloody process.

[@spookyariel1]

Or how they continue to persecute each other for interpreting the words wrong.

[@lightupthedarkness6762]

Absolutely not. Rome perverted Christianity into Catholicism which was created to protect the power of the state from enlightenment, which cannot be governed, as Jesus proved. The same entity which persecuted Pagans also persecuted Christians who did not acquiesce to their gatekeeping of Christ's teaching.

[@winterroadspokenword4681]

Unrelated to what happened early on though. And were the people who did such things even really Christians?

[@HighRiseNation]

​@winterroadspokenword4681 there are plenty of examples in the Old Testament where God literally told his chosen people to slaughter another group for one reason or another: like the Caananites and the Amelikites. I'm sure even after the events of the new Testament, it didn't take much for people to claim "divine directive"

[@mirusere5639]

@@winterroadspokenword4681 Yes, they were most definitely christians.

[@angiegee1773]

The speaker lady sounds nervous, and awkward…. it took away from the information she was providing

[@elephantman2854]

True, but academics are often like, you shouldnt weigh the words of confident people more than those of nervous ppl. We do, but it causes many bad things

[@leebone1]

Great guest speaker and discussion. Absolutely abysmal situation in the comments section. I had no idea the audience for this channel was so cooked lol

[@DarrenMoore-le6pg]

I think the reason why, or rather one of the reasons why Christianity gained so much traction in the Roman empire is because they were so many slaves. Christianity offered more hope to the slave than the pagan gods.

[@CountesssBathory]

audio for the interview is insufferable! Couldn't get past it

[@economichitman]

Host's voice is nasal snd psuedo intellectual

[@myxomatosisification]

@@CountesssBathory make the effort

[@CountesssBathory]

@@myxomatosisification no

[@user-zo2ge3oe8d]

I need to use the word “insufferable” more

[@calebr7199]

4:25 lol 0 AD, no such thing!

[@96smittyjr]

This is a wonderful deep dive into this topic I hope for more like his

[@VesnaVK]

1:07:30 @InvictaHistory poses the question "Why." The interviewee offers a few standard guesses, say she doesn't know, and then they move on. Literally that was the question I clicked on this video to explore. It is the name of the episode, after all. Sorry, but it is frustrating.

[@GizmoFromPizmo]

The only "WOW" mystery in Christianity is the one talked about by the Apostle Paul, most notably in the Book of Ephesians. The mystery is that the Gentiles may now participate in the religion of Abraham on an equal footing with Abraham's blood descendants. Catholicism, on the other hand, has LOTS of mysteries and indeed is a mystery religion. All mystery religions depend heavily on the doctrine of "because I say so". There are myriad doctrines in Catholicism that are not based on apostolic teaching but they exist as required Catholic beliefs "because I say so". Holy days of obligation, transubstantiation, the rule of the clergy (Papal Infallibility), Purgatory, Mariology, etc., etc., etc. None of that stuff is defined in apostolic writings but are part of mainstream Catholic mysteriology.

[@Shane_The_Confessor]

I agree with you, but I think she's including the later Trad Cat accretions as part of "Christianity".

[@GizmoFromPizmo]

@@Shane_The_Confessor - If she's including fiction, fables, and mythologies then it's not Christianity. Catholicism ≠ Christianity

[@timothyhilditch]

@GizmoFromPizmo largely in agreement although some of the Catholic teachings they have explanations for which you have to dig a bit deeper for. I would say Early Christianity operated kind of like a mystery cult. But not in a distinct way. It didn't stop people entering in. They taught what Jesus said but there is always more to learn, multifaceted open to many different levels. Merry Christmas.

[@conorhenderson8537]

majority of your christian bible is catholic hands material. Matthew first and Revelation last is the catholic sect doing.

[@conorhenderson8537]

christianity from jesus onward is a Mystery CULT.

[@tigertankerer]

This video would be 30 minutes shorter if you cut out all "yeah".

[@bigbluebuttonman1137]

Christianity compared to a lot of the pre-existing attitudes...was actually pretty nice. At its earliest, a lot of Romans would have known of the church as a charitable as well as religious institution, and that would have been in-line with its religious principles. Once the Romans started persecuting it, a lot of people wondered why "some of those nice folks" were getting stomped on, and became sympathetic. While obviously Christianity espoused a different style of religion and a pretty stern monotheism (trinity aside), it was much deeper and richer compared to its pagan counterparts, and for everybody who wanted in. A lot of what Christianity espoused would have been the purview merely of philosophers, a pretty elite section of society at the time.

[@Colddirector]

Public perception would've been a lot more mixed than that IMO. Some places Christians would've been considered nice folks with odd beliefs, other places they would've been considered cannibals (the Eucharist) with borderline treasonous beliefs (deifying someone executed by the state). People aren't monoliths. It's always important to try and keep that in mind.

[@IdoNomb]

They converted because they wanted xmas presents of December 25th lol jk

[@ethancoster1324]

Praise Sol Invictus.​@@IdoNomb

[@mnk9073]

Yeah, that "nice" religion was nice until you disagreed with it. The crackdown started after the local cults reached critical mass and mobs of Christians in the East started harrassing pagan festivities, trashing temples and burning everything they deemed pagan. We lost the Library of Alexandria to one such mob.

[@Bern_il_Cinq]

@@IdoNombhappy birthday santa

[@meridio90]

What program is the one you use to gather material?

[@RichardEdwards40]

Christians were against abortion and child abandonment (which was common in rome). This (along with the adoption of orphans) allowed their population to rise rapidly.

[@Sabrina96]

More converts, more money

[@llla_german_ewoklll6413]

@@Sabrina96 Churches especially in the east would gather offerings before liturgy and dispense them to the clergy and to the poor to support them, and nothing was left after church on sunday. Money had no impact on the spread of christianity, as only 4 converts were needed per 100 people every year.

[@Colddirector]

@@RichardEdwards40 abortion was ironically popular with women at the time, mainly because it was way more dangerous back then and often forced on them by fathers and husbands.

[@I-am-Hrut]

Nope. Not this early. You don't get the doctorine of infant ensoulment until pretty late into early Christianity. Like Jews throughout history, early Christians (probably) would've followed the steps to obtain an abortion found in Numbers 5.

[@Userinterfaceexperience]

Anti-abortion was actually more of a recent thing in the last few hundred years.

[@mcmuffin3]

I'm new to the channel but so not sure if this has ever been addressed. Just wondering, did you do competitive speech in High School? You have a particular way of speaking that is familiar and your how you present the information make me think that as well.

[@NANO_333]

Missed the part where Armenia became the first Christian nation, adopting Christianity as its official religion. I believe its notable and should be in this video too.

[@olefredrikskjegstad5972]

@@NANO_333 not entirely clear. It might be Armenia, but it could also be Ancient Ethiopia

[@NANO_333]

@olefredrikskjegstad5972 it is very clear my friend. saint Gregory the illuminator. Not only is it clear it's a fact.

[@lookitsafish]

I don't like this Miro board format for presentations. It's good for project management or drafts for presentations but messy for live presentations

[@noahway13]

What religion would most people be today if the Romans had not embraced Christianity?

[@Colddirector]

hard to say, maybe mithraism or julian's version of paganism? i think the shift to monotheism was kinda inevitable though

[@twandepan]

@@Colddirectorcould also have been Islam probably considering how far the Rashidun Caliphate came. Maybe without the heavy christian opposition they would have expanded their beliefs further, Spain would be fully Islam and so would large portions of America and things could cascade from there.

[@Colddirector]

@@twandepan i'm pretty sure islam wouldn't exist without christianity. you might have something similar, but it wouldn't be abrahamic.

[@IdoNomb]

​@@twandepanislam was born from Christianity so Islam wouldn't probably exist as it is now.

[@KoiKoy56]

Monotheism was heavily on the rise in the region that eventually put a choke hold on the Roman empire. If it wasn't Christianity, it would have been something else. Yahweh was destroying the Roman pantheon. There were also many religions. It wasn't just Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

[@mikechannel5026]

I was really excited about this and listened almost to the end. But there is really very little information just alot of talk. Sorry but that's the fact. The girl maybe did the research but its very superficial. no ifor why no theory of why did Christian win, was it the slaves was it the soldiers why did it spread to the upper strata. nothing wtf

[@Andy-dh2sv]

I could not listen to the guest speaker, she says «um» before every single sentence

[@sisu413]

@@Andy-dh2sv yeah I had to stop listening 🫤

[@matiasschlotfeldt]

On the "Why", what about political convenience between having many gods to just having one god? And that, you, as a ruler, are a direct descendant of that only god? When did Rome meet the concept of an "only god", In Judea right? Interesting...

[@babakush9772]

Uhm

[@basil7292]

them mentioning rural areas being the holdouts of paganism reminds me that is the etymology of pagan

[@zaggy3110]

For economic reasons: Serving a single god is cheaper than serving a pantheon of godsrving

[@mast8536]

You can't actually talk about ancient religions in this kind of demystified and sterile way (as a "marketplace") and glean anything useful. Not only is it boring, it is totally divorced from how these people likely experienced these religions. No one shops a catalog of religions or weighs the pros and cons of each, as well this historian knows I'm sure. Really question the usefulness of this talk to actually understanding history, and it has a kind of naivete (arrogance?) of placing yourself in some kind of timeless and spaceless box that sits outside of history.

[@TunaTrunks]

Um

[@kevinwahl5610]

You should really consider publishing these videos on typical podcast forums

[@jimbodice2672]

"You mean to tell me we only need to pray to one god, and we don't have to sacrifice anyone? Sign me up."

[@oli9220]

Nice try. Greek and Roman religions do not sacrifice humans to the gods. READ.

[@hollyfraser3926]

When she was talking about Judaism and said "even when the government is being a bit annoying about it" I actually laughed out loud.

[@Shane_The_Confessor]

Christus Victor. She misunderstands baptism. There's no gnostic type revelation given when you're baptized.

[@evertaj2438]

There was and still is a period before baptism in which you first became a student or a "catechumen". The Orthodox Church still follows this teaching.

[@Shane_The_Confessor]

@@evertaj2438 I agree, and that doesn't equate to what she said.

[@sultanpoppa3735]

I had the same problem with her interpretation between sacrament and mysterion, I was hoping she was just nervous, but she repeats it. Her misinterpretation lies in confusing gnostic “we know it and we’ll tell you later”, vs mystery of the miracle that is revealed to mankind as it’s meditated on, ie. The Development of Doctrine “well can’t understand it all”.

[@evertaj2438]

​@Shane_The_Confessor Ah I thought she meant that, at least I was hoping.

[@roerich1848]

I think it’s important to understand that while the message of Christianity seems kind and loving today, most Greco-Romans of the first century probably would have found its message bizarre or even outright repulsive. The idea that they must worship a Jew (a people looked down upon for their strange beliefs) who was a carpenter no less, (Cicero once said that carpentry was “vulgar” and compared to slavery) was crucified (Most people at the time saw crucifixtion as a punishment fit for only the lowliest of criminals) who would come back and raise the dead bodily (Neo-platonic beliefs which were becoming more popular at the time said that people would become spirits after they died, not have a new body). Add to that a strict moral code, (No extramarital affairs, loving your enemies and staying faithful to only one God?) it’s almost a miracle in and of itself that Christianity was able to spread the way it did.

[@ISawABear]

Romans be like "Thoughts and prayers for the Library"

[@sanjivjhangiani3243]

The history of the Library of Alexandria is complex. It started to decline in the late Hellenistic Era due to struggles for power among the Ptolemnys. Later, Julius Caesar may have damaged it during his time on Egypt. And so forth. The final destruction was caused by Muslim invaders. In any case, it was just one library among many in the ancient world.

[@SolInvictus-u5v]

The library of Alexandria consisted of multiple libraries, lecture halls, observatories, medical labs, etc. It was the basis of a university campus. Caesar damaged one building that wasn't an actual library and repaired it, Omar burned it down along with all the books. He said "if it did not spread the word of islam, burn it" in a letter to the general that captured Alexandria.

[@Noamchomsky1917]

@@sanjivjhangiani3243That is just not true

[@sanjivjhangiani3243]

@Noamchomsky1917 Which part? I am not denying that the Alexandrian Library was the most significant library of the ancient world, but there were others. Also, while the notorious incident of the Christians destroying it may be partly true, it has to be placed in the context of the Library's decline over the centuries.

[@Onezy05]

@SolInvictus-u5v ...Even though there was apparently no library by the time the Arabs showed up?

[@Siebert_Mechant]

While it is correct that the Edict of Thessalonica was very important for the growth of Christianity, it did however not make Christianity the state religion. My professor of Roman Law refuted this stating that it merely barred non-Nicene Christians from getting the exsequatur (a tittle which made a bishop’s court ruling backed up by the state). I now read the Latin text to be sure of this and what I found is that indeed when the document refers to aliquos (the others) in contradiction to the followers of Christianorum catholicorum it almost exclusively applies to the non-nicene Christians. Definitely because the edict talks about Haeredici Dogmatis (heretical doctrine). Still, Great work, continue the effort!

[@CloroxBleachCompany]

Protestants seething since their spinoff wouldn’t emerge until more than millennia after Rome

[@Bern_il_Cinq]

The decentralized nature of Protestantism could only be created by the centralized nature of the Catholic Church over a thousand years of divided states. Once Catholics had standardized the belief system and constituency Protestants were able to project Christianity beyond the purview of a domineering "THE Church". Protestantism is responsible for the evolution of individual freedoms and the separation of church and state that we enjoy in modern society.

[@GiarcraiGO]

​@@Bern_il_Cinq Separation of Church and State is a mistake.

[@bigbluebuttonman1137]

@@GiarcraiGOThe separation of church and state that we understand today is bourne of the nonsensical religious wars and persecutions that sprung up with the rise of Protestantism, a sword that cut down Catholics and Protestants alike. Many of the people who wanted what we understand as Separation of Church and State in fact would have been Christians or at least religious in some manner. Nobody came up with the idea to annoy Christians, it was a response to some pretty harsh history, and it took a long time before it became a serious idea, let alone widely accepted.

[@GiarcraiGO]

@@bigbluebuttonman1137 the failure to confront heresy, undermined Christendom and led to the rise of the secular west. The supposed freedoms celebrated in the west only existed due to the Christian notion of, people created by God, in His image, must be respected because there is hope for their repentance and salvation. The protestant ideology suggests it acceptable for men to meet God on their own terms, rather than His. The teaching of His Church, reduced to personal opinion/ interpretation. This idea bleeds into everything, creating an increasingly more diverse and divided system with no shared values outside of freedumb. "Freedom" to live as slaves to evil/ our own pride and vanity, isn't worth it.

[@bigbluebuttonman1137]

@@GiarcraiGO I know I'm calling the persecutions dumb (because they were, let's be real here), but they weren't nice affairs. People died brutal deaths or suffered horrible tortures. While persecution of Jews continued well after the advent of this idea of Separation of Church and State, the Church didn't really help the Jews much for like...most of its history. Say what you will about the Market of Denominations, but it's a pretty big improvement from the Spanish Inquisition, memes aside. As for the rise of secularism, well, it's a free society. Convince people to follow the ways of Jesus Christ. Christians did it before, I'm sure they haven't forgotten how to do so...

[@noahwood599]

You're getting really good at making videos.

[@BlackTyrannosaurus90]

everyone goes on and on about Christian persecution, but never about Pagan Persecution. Try being a Non Christian like Pagan or Jewish at that time in Europe then we'll talk

[@frenchspy9271]

Bro just admit you hate christians.

[@lettuceman9439]

Practically because Christianity effectively abolished European Slavery within Christian lands, The Pagan religions of Europe was also slowly eroding away but majority of the conflict between Christians and Pagans has always been a matter of political and territorial conflict. Ex Charlemagne's war with the Saxons. You also don't understand that pagans are often tolerated more than other forms of Christianity, Late Roman conflicts with the Germanic tribes was mostly against Arians and Nestorians while the pagan tribes were mostly seen as future convert i.e the reason why Heathen and Heretic have seperate meaning.

[@Colddirector]

I don't have a horse in the christian vs pagan race, but it's hard to care about pagan persecution considering they were mostly just taking what they previously dished out.

[@AbhayPeshin]

@@Colddirector the pagan rulers dished out the persecution not he common pagans. Christianity was far worse they completely changed the religious landscape of Europe in 300 years, if pagans had shown the same brutality christianity would have forever remain a small jewesh cult.

[@Almanzor07]

@@AbhayPeshin never heard christians feeding pagans to lions

[@TheHardTake]

1:09 eye witness testimonies and missions of those people saw give their lives for what they saw with their own eyes.

[@mcmain4]

@18:05 little talking tidbit, instead of starting with Uhm every sentence just take a pause and continue on.

[@Cizzzeron]

@@mcmain4 was kinda looking for this comment. It's something you don't hear yourself doing and will take a fair bit of work to train away. But it would really elevate her presentation if she decides to make the effort. Excellent and informative otherwise.

[@dajjukunrama5695]

Why Rome converted? I think I’m not allowed to talk about that… on account of not wanting to go to jail and such (I live in Western Europe).

[@chrisbolland5634]

The unintellegent engagement of Christians in the comments makes me, as a Christian, feel discouraged.

[@Colddirector]

well now ya know the secondhand embarrassment I feel when online atheists act like dickweeds for no reason lol the irony is that a lot of those "trad" christian guys are just as annoying as the reddit atheists they deride lol

[@Special_Tactics_Force_Unit]

@@chrisbolland5634 you only see the ones who discourage you. Not the one's who had the sense to say nothing at all. Which should give you at least some hope

[@fish5671]

What are you talking about man ? they are only talking about christian persecution. They arent nearly as bad as the neo-pagans that infest alot of comment sections

[@theyellowflashoftheleaf5896]

@@fish5671 'infest' lol. Says everything about how Christians view non Christians

[@Rynewulf]

@@fish5671I'd take someone with pop-history knowledge about Christmas Trees over the 'Of course we won, we are the correct and true worshippers of Christ the King of all the world who suffered under the Romans but saved their souls in the end' any day honestly

[@SahuMaculu]

Oldest Mithras temple in Britain was discovered in 1954 during construction work in the City of London and is believed to have been built around 240 CE. Mithras is an Indo-Iranian God. The first Indo-Iranians sent to Britain were the Iazyges, an ancient Sarmatian tribe. Marcomannian War of 175 C.E., after which 5,500 Iazyges were forcibly sent to Britain as armored auxiliary cavalry, not allowed to return after their 20 year term. The name Iazyges is said to mean "To Sacrifice", in regard to marriage, it is the custom that no maiden weds until she has killed a man of the enemy; and some of them grow old and die unmarried, because they cannot fulfill the law. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, the Sarmatians were the offspring of Scythians and Amazon women. McCulloch line shares the rare haplogroup R1a (R-BY32010). This haplogroup seems to trace back to the Sarmatians of the Central Eurasian Steppes. More particularly, this line might trace its arrival in Great Britain to the Iazyges Sarmatian soldiers who served as auxiliaries in the Roman occupation of Great Britain under Marcus Aurelius Sarmaticus. In 175 AD, the Romans defeated the Iazyges in the Marcomannic Wars. The terms of the peace treaty required the Iazyges to surrender 8,000 soldiers to the Romans. 5,500 of these men were ordered to Great Britain to pacify the unruly population. It is said that even after 20 years of service, these men were not allowed to return home. Inevitably, their descendants would eventually go local. The Sarmatians were Britain's first Knights in Shining Armour, the were the cavalry sent there by Rome. An inscription found at Ribchester, Lancashire, mentions a "Gordian's Own Unit of Sarmatian cavalry of Bremetennacum". Two gravestones found at Ribchester also support the presence of Sarmatians in Britain. Theories suggest that the Sarmatians were the basis for the stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. One theory is that Artorius led a unit of Sarmatians and fought against the Caledonians around Hadrian's Wall.

[@joshuabaughn3734]

““In your vision, Your Majesty, you saw standing before you a huge, shining statue of a man. It was a frightening sight. The head of the statue was made of fine gold. Its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, its legs were iron, and its feet were a combination of iron and baked clay. As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits. The whole statue was crushed into small pieces of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. Then the wind blew them away without a trace, like chaff on a threshing floor. But the rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth.” ‭‭Daniel‬ ‭2‬:‭31‬-‭35‬ ‭NLT‬‬ ““That was the dream. Now we will tell the king what it means. Your Majesty, you are the greatest of kings. The God of heaven has given you sovereignty, power, strength, and honor. He has made you the ruler over all the inhabited world and has put even the wild animals and birds under your control. You are the head of gold. “But after your kingdom comes to an end, another kingdom, inferior to yours, will rise to take your place. After that kingdom has fallen, yet a third kingdom, represented by bronze, will rise to rule the world. Following that kingdom, there will be a fourth one, as strong as iron. That kingdom will smash and crush all previous empires, just as iron smashes and crushes everything it strikes. The feet and toes you saw were a combination of iron and baked clay, showing that this kingdom will be divided. Like iron mixed with clay, it will have some of the strength of iron. But while some parts of it will be as strong as iron, other parts will be as weak as clay. This mixture of iron and clay also shows that these kingdoms will try to strengthen themselves by forming alliances with each other through intermarriage. But they will not hold together, just as iron and clay do not mix. “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever. That is the meaning of the rock cut from the mountain, though not by human hands, that crushed to pieces the statue of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God was showing the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its meaning is certain.”” ‭‭Daniel‬ ‭2‬:‭36‬-‭45‬ ‭NLT‬‬

[@Greek_moonwalker]

Why not?

[@forrestlin9590]

Well, we folks don’t believe in coincidences you see.

[@AndrewTheMandrew531]

@@forrestlin9590 For the Golden Throne?

[@JoeyP946]

Are you one of those guys who sees 3 pyramids with something that looks like an eye and says "That can't be a coincidence!"

[@forrestlin9590]

@@JoeyP946 More like ‘The Universe is life-permitting, it can’t be a coincidence’ ‘Life, and even sentient life exists, can’t be a coincidence‘ ‘My mum loves me, can’t be a coincidence’ An endless streak of testimonies from saints, martyrs and miracles, that lasted from 2000 years ago to the present day. Can’t all be elaborate hoaxes and mass hysteria. Do the homework and come into the Church bro, solid W.

[@forrestlin9590]

@@JoeyP946 More like ‘The Universe is life-permitting, it can’t be a coincidence’ ‘Life, and even sentient life exists, can’t be a coincidence‘ ‘My mum loves me, can’t be a coincidence’ An endless streak of testimonies from saints, martyrs and miracles, that lasted from 2000 years ago to the present day. Can’t all be elaborate hoaxes and mass hysteria. Do the homework and come into the Church bro, solid W.

[@forrestlin9590]

@@AndrewTheMandrew531 Erm actually, the more you think about it, the Emperor is literally the Antichrist😁 But for fun’s sake, yes, for the Golden Throne I suppose

[@kittykat6421]

I'm just glad i found a video narrated by a human and not ai ❤

[@Firmus777]

I think some religions are very badly explained. This goes for even some basic terms. At some parts it's puzzling. For instance, henotheism is really easy to explain, it is the worship of a single god even though existence of other gods is acknowledged. Yet here it is merely explained by being "more exclusive". I would recommend anyone who wants to learn more about ancient religions and religion in general to check out the Religion for Breakfast channel on youtube.

[@kaypeeoh2781]

One straightforward yet, not as provocative (in intellect) possibility is that God, the Divine is orchestrating these events. Christianity's rise against the odds could point to an invisible Hand at work (not talking about economics).

[@reeyees50]

Uh...um...um...uh...uh...for christ sakes you are supposed to be a proffesional historian

[@Benevolent_Fafnir]

This video is going to be great!

[@EzraB123]

Orthodox Jew here. We believe the spread of Christianity was G-d's way of bringing the Pagan world away from polytheism and hard idolatry. This was the belief of Maimonides, one of the greatest rabbis of all time.

[@voievod9260]

@@EzraB123 what is your opinion on Paul?

[@EzraB123]

@voievod9260 I can't say I have one.

[@JoeyGallo28]

No. It was satans way of corrupting the word of Jesus.

[@mreajamorgana]

As an Orthodox Christian that's what I think about Catolicism and Protestantism.

[@EzraB123]

@mreajamorgana Orthodox Christianity appears to me as the most authentic form of the faith, very reminiscent of my own.

[@FDroid01]

The real question : When did Rome convert, if they even did?? Was it Jesus' teaching that they converted to, or someone else's?

[@AlohaSnackbar-pc9gd]

Merry Christmas and never forget....Christ (and Rome) is eternal

[@Sweet-Rat-Milk]

Ironic, since both the Roman Empire and Jesus died.

[@EvilEgg332]

@@Sweet-Rat-Milk Jesus resurrected, unlike Rome which no one has been able to revive

[@AlohaSnackbar-pc9gd]

@@Sweet-Rat-Milk damn, talk about missing the target

[@Francis-qu2iu]

@EvilEgg332 On the contrary, Rome never truly died, it merely continues to evolve and take on new forms. Even after Rome fell to Odoacer, they still continued to be Romans. The Germanic tribes who conquered Roman lands adopted roman culture which transformed them into the modern peoples they are today. In the middle ages and renaissance Italian was viewed as the latest incarnation of the Roman language. So in truth, while the "roman state" does not exist, roman states do.

[@CMVBrielman]

@EvilEgg332 Rome is still going strong, with over a billion people today.

[@obiwankenobi6871]

Christ is King ☦️

[@trevorrogers95]

General Kenobi! ✝️

[@carloscampo9119]

Amen

[@artemo.shapovaloff5577]

Hey, Herod, have you heard that??? 😂

[@temptemp4174]

I don't agree with you, but I wish you a merry Christmas regardless. As a Muslim

[@flagpole974]

...of the jews

[@carolgebert7833]

Yes, Christianity was one of many resurrection cults, but it became popular at a very specific time: during the later part of the Crisis of the Third Century. Why then? At that time, Romans were becoming destitute at an alarming rate. Christianity offered free food and a promise that the poor were especially blessed. Also, Christianity’s pacifist message resonated with those tired of war and fearful of being drafted into the army.

[@TyHernandez-q9v]

The easy answer, Christianity is a religion to control the masses of peasants . It specifically teaches to obey, to give the government what it is owed, and that for doing so "the meek will inherit the earth" and "your rewards will be great within the kingdom of heaven." Its the perfect cult doctrine for the Roman empire that primarily focused on conquest, because it easily appeased the ignorant masses and told them if they are peaceful and accepted their rulers, then they would be rewarded with eternal life in heaven. Still works the exact same way today...

[@view1st]

The Chinese had also discovered this means of controlling the masses with Confucianism which, curiously, is an entirely secular philosophy rather than a theology. It's interesting to note the radically different ways in which the Chinese state solved the problem of citizen allegiance during the existential crisis their society went through in its formative years. I think it's one of the major contributory factors as to why Chinese civilisation has endured up to our own times.

[@kuafer3687]

That's ridiculous.

[@TyHernandez-q9v]

@@kuafer3687 Facts don't care about your feelings...

[@TyHernandez-q9v]

@@view1st Very correct, but Confucianism is also a religion for all intents and purposes. But it shows most religions are a means to an end to control the masses. "Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful." - Lucius Annaeus Seneca That is the general principle of all modern religions. Any religion which taught self-reliance and self-respect would breed rebellion. The modern religions are the ones the ruling classes deemed to be useful to control the masses. Another interesting thing, is that many scholars believe that Confucious never existed, that the writing attributed to the mythical person was written by hundreds of scribes and the name Confucious was a Pen name essentially. Which directly correlates to christianity, as there is not one single first-hand account of Yeshua, as such, he is likely also a mythical person whom the stories were attributed to. In all likelihood, neither Jesus nor Confucious ever existed.

[@Girito8thbarian]

I don't think christianity is fully completed yet?

[@crispybacon9917]

Hail Christ Who is King

[@NitraKing]

@@crispybacon9917 have you ever played Age of Empires 2?

[@LeeJDo]

Lame

[@flagpole974]

...of the jews

[@IdoNomb]

Hi I am Christ

[@col.barnsby8595]

Hail Hadrian Who is King

[@mliittsc63]

Sorry. Gotta point something out: at 1:06:15, the paragraph at the bottom of the slide is nonsense. The first sentence is a clear statement about what I understand to be a consensus. Whether Christianity has "penetrated" social elites does not in any way negate what the first sentence says. Note the word "predominantly" in the first sentence. The word used here is not "exclusively", but that seems to be how it is being interpreted. The highlighted sentence gives us a number. So what? We are given no number for the "slaves and women" from the first sentence. "Predominantly" implies comparison. We are given nothing to compare. Technically, any number equal to or greater than 11% for the "slaves and women", would make the "hypothesis" true. If I remember correctly, the Salzmann study used a survey of gravestones to get this estimate. Using gravestones for slaves isn't going to work for obvious reasons. I can't think of any methodology that would work. You simply can't make any comparison. Now, I don't know what sort of data might have inspired the hypothesis about the predominance of Christianity among slaves and women. I don't think there was any data to support this hypothesis, but that is why it is an hypothesis. It might be true, it might be false. We won't know without further data about BOTH groups. Oh, and it has to be the same kind of data. So the tombstone thing isn't going to work. A far greater proportion of social elites get gravestones than slaves do, and those elite gravestones are far more likely to survive to the present day. Though I do gotta say that such a high number surprises me for the 3rd century. In the box on the upper right, I'm okay for using "before" for the first line, but I'm getting confused for the second line, since it also includes all the dots from the first line, and I'm totally confused with the third line because that includes all the dots on the map.

[@KingMatthewXV]

Why Rome COVERTED(you spelled something on the thumbnail wrong)

[@InvictaHistory]

Thanks for that catch, fixed : )

[@NitraKing]

Thank you for the factual & theoretical analysis of this phenomenon. It's important to remember that rumor, tradition, and conjecture are not objective evidence.

[@JoeyP946]

In ancient history I doubt there are any objective facts like that. There's always a chance it's something else or you misinterpret

[@Bern_il_Cinq]

An analysis of early Christianity and why it may have been accepted by Romans over their state-sponsored pagan religion is inherently an exercise in why Christianity might be superior to paganism. Admittedly I have not watched the whole video but the timeline at the beginning of the video and an examination of the alternative faiths presents a good idea of why it was.

[@JoeyP946]

@@Bern_il_Cinq incredibly dumb and ignorant. good job

[@elKarlo]

Wish you covered Hellenic Judaism a bit more. As it was probably 10% of the empire before the first revolt. The fact that it fell off and stopped being viewed as a religion to convert to is very interesting

[@tomtaylor5623]

if you actually want to know how, search for the video titled the great theological war against rome

[@carlcastro7998]

Because eye witnesses saw what they say that day and preached it to the masses…the lessons stuck because they made sense

[@bonsaitomato8290]

Not a single eyewitness wrote or translated their words to anyone who wrote the New Testament. In fact, we have evidence that at least some of the words attributed to Jesus were actually made up by later church officials.

[@CheemsofRegret]

The answer why every other religious movement in ancient rome failed and why Christianity so quickly conquered the empire is simple: Because it's true.

[@I-am-Hrut]

The answer why every other religious movement in modern western world failed and why atheism/agnosticism is so quickly conquring the west is simple: It's untrue.

[@JustChill6519]

Something not discussed IMO is the horrible inequality that existed in the Roman empire, and that the appeal of Christianity is that it preached profound equality. But that's a difficult thing to talk about with academic certainty, so I get why it wasn't brought up.

[@tlaloqq]

and magically inequality was removed! Oh wait no things got WAY worse, cough cough the dark ages. God(s) I wish we saw a pagan europe.

[@chrisleranthonysilveira5464]

Christianity heavenly eroded the Roman Empire after it was declared the state religion the empire was never the same. It had the godlike emperors of ancient rome with more mortal emperors.