Year 4 - History
Early Christianity
The Romans: what is the story of Christianity's rise?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils learn about the history of early Christianity's changing fortunes: from a persecuted faith to the official religion of the Roman Empire. They also learn about three great centres of this religion: Western Europe, the Byzantine Empire, and the East African kingdom of Aksum.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe the story of the early days of Christianity in the Roman Empire.
Key Notes
- Christianity began in the 1st Century CE when followers of Jesus Christ began to spread their new religion.
- Early Christianity spread from Judea throughout the Roman Empire, reaching Roman Britain in the late 2nd century CE.
- At first Christians were persecuted in the Roman Empire as their faith worried the Romans.
- Christians were scapegoated and punished severely, often by being attacked and killed by wild animals in amphitheatres.
- Many Christians were killed for their faith, making them martyrs.
Vocabulary To Learn
- religion: a religion is a belief in a god or gods and the practices the belief says to live by, such as praying and worshipping in a church, temple or mosque
- follower: a follower is a person who believes in the teachings of a leader
- Judea: Judea is the mountainous region of ancient Palestine and once a kingdom of the Jewish people
- scapegoat: a scapegoat is someone who carries the blame for others' mistakes and wrongdoings
- martyr: a martyr is someone who would rather die or suffer than give up their religious or political beliefs
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Christianity started with the birth of Jesus Christ.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.
Christianity began in the 1st Century CE when followers of Jesus Christ began to spread their new religion. Early Christianity spread from Judea throughout the Roman Empire, reaching Roman Britain in the late 2nd century CE.
2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'religion'
a religion is a belief in a god or gods and the practices the belief says to live by, such as praying and worshipping in a church, temple or mosque.
3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.
Mistake: Christianity started with the birth of Jesus Christ. Correction: Christianity developed after the death of Jesus when his followers continued to spread his teachings.
More Lessons In This Unit
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