Third Century Christian Persecutions

The spread of Buddhism in East Asia had great success when the region became a center of learning for monks and scholars. Merchants in Central Asia came to the region for trade, and as they learned about Buddhism, they accepted this cultural adaptation. When the Chinese had their first contact with Buddhism through people from central Asia, who were already Buddhist, this religion expanded itself through the Chinese empire. As an interest was established for Buddhism in China, monastic orders were established causing political disputes between the emperor and Buddhists for the centuries to come. During the Han Dynasty, Buddhism enjoyed a great state support; however, after the collapse of the Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty influences

This is relevant because people had lost their lives because they believed in certain religions. Document one states that “In Europe, crusaders sometimes turned their fury against jews, massacring entire communities.” This is interesting because When christians and muslims had gotten

Many other European countries centuries later (i.e. Spain) would mirror the same evangelism to spread their religion and ideology to other cultures. Individuals or sectors who would resist would often times be martyred or subjected to slavery, in the America’s at least. The difference between the evangelism in the Americas in the 1500’s and the evangelism in Ancient Africa is that many people in Roman Egypt and other colonized Roman colonies, who were oppressed, sought out to find faith through Christianity and were killed for it. They saw hope, and promise through this Christianity. But the Romans saw the Christian church as a threat to their empire (Shillington, 74.)

Despite all of these changes however continuations of the religion of Christianity still existed. One of the changes reside in the fact that interregional

People of faith were tortured, shot, sent to camps, exiled or turned out into the streets without food and

Even though Christians were persecuted on and off during the Roman Empire, Christianity flourished. In the early Roman Empire, when Claudius, Nero, Domitian, and Trajan were emperors, Christianity was banned and Christians were persecuted. Nevertheless, Christians found ways to spread Christianity, and many people converted. As trials occurred and the Empire lost good leaders, the people took security in Christianity and other religions. Christianity grew during the Roman Empire because Constantine helped create the Edict of Milan, Constantine had imperial favor toward The Church, and there was trade routes to spread Christianity to different areas.

Near the beginning, there were an estimated 300,000 Christians in Japan. The ban forced Christianity underground. “ In this effort to

Diocletian tormented many of the Christians until they perished (Alchin). After about three hundred years, it became easier for the Christians. Constantine, the emperor of Rome at the time, converted to Christianity. This resulted in the end of the persecutions and the beginning of Christendom. In the year 313, Constantine issued to Edict of Milan.

Only a few Buddhist centers survived after the invasion of Muslim armies. On the contrast, Christian churches preserved and spread Christian teachings and the achievements of Greco-Roman civilization. This laid the foundation for future development of the western civilization. The history of Christianity is inseparable from the history of western culture and of western

Not only were Christians persecuted in Rome two thousand years ago, but they are also being harassed all around the world to this day. Christians continue to fight to preserve religious freedom not only for themselves but also for all

“Mongol Responses to Christianity in China: A Yuan Dynasty Phenomenon.” Asia Research Institute Working Paper Series Number 63. National University of Singapore and Mayr-Melnhof Institut fur den Christlichen Osten Internationales Forschungszentrum Salzburg, Austria.

Similarly, in Exodus Chapter 5, it mentioned that the Lord would strike people with plague or with the sword if they did not respect him or sacrifice to him. Then in Exodus Chapter 9, it mentioned that the Lord would smite the people with pestilence again. They make me think of the great Ancient Roman Plague. I think the stories from the Bible may have influenced the people in this period too.

Which translates to say, the Act for the Burning of Heretics of 1401 was reinstated. The Burnings began in February of 1555. The enforcement of this heresy law resulted in the burning of over 300 protestants as heretics. The majority of people had changed religion assuming it was their duty to do as their sovereign told them. However, they had great respect for those willing to be martyrs.

Historically, Christianity was banned by the Japanese government for centuries forcing believers to worship secretly (Jenkins, 1). This historical event established a wedge between Christianity and the Japanese people. These previously forbidden practices also created

Nations such as Nigeria, Korea and China annually send thousands of missionaries around the world. Christianity is a global movement, expressing itself in the languages and cultures of the majority of people groups worldwide. Mark Shaw, in his book Global Awakening: How 20th Century Revivals Triggered a Christian Revolution, states that ? [t]o miss the rise and significance of the new World Christianity would be like a concerned Christian in sixteenth-century northern Europe missing Luther and the Reformation? (Shaw 2010, 11).