Persecution and martyrdom: the reasons for persecution, Jewish and Roman opposition, the major persecutions, the place of the martyrs, and the effect of persecution on the Church to AD 325.

What this dot point is asking

You need to explain why the early Church faced persecution, the forms of Jewish and Roman opposition, the major persecutions, the place and example of the martyrs, and the effect of persecution on the Church up to AD 325, and then evaluate whether persecution strengthened or weakened the Church. Persecution is a major theme of AS 4, shaping the Church's identity, leadership and theology in its first three centuries.

Why the Church was persecuted

Jewish and Roman opposition

The place of the martyrs

The effect of persecution and the end of it

Persecution shaped the Church profoundly. It forged a strong sense of identity and witness, gave the Church heroes and feast days, and tested and refined its leadership. But it also caused the painful problem of the lapsed (the lapsi), Christians who had sacrificed or handed over scriptures under threat, and the Church divided over whether and how they could be readmitted. Persecution effectively ended when Constantine and Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in AD 313, granting toleration to Christianity, shortly before the Council of Nicaea (AD 325).

Evaluating the effect of persecution

A model evaluation paragraph might run: "There is strong evidence that persecution strengthened the early Church: the calm courage of the martyrs in the arena impressed pagan onlookers and, as Tertullian claimed, the blood of the martyrs proved to be the seed of the Church, winning converts and binding believers together with a powerful sense of identity and witness. Yet it would be sentimental to deny the real damage persecution did: it killed leaders and ordinary believers, destroyed scriptures and buildings, and, above all, produced the agonising problem of the lapsed, those who gave way under torture, which divided the Church bitterly over whether they could be forgiven and readmitted. The judgement, therefore, is that, taken over the long run, persecution strengthened the Church's witness, identity and resolve, so that it emerged larger and more confident by 313, but this was achieved at a heavy human cost and left hard internal questions that the Church then had to resolve."

Try this

Q1. What does the word "martyr" mean? [2 marks]

• Cue. It comes from the Greek for "witness" and refers to someone put to death for their faith.

Q2. Explain why Christians' refusal to worship the emperor led to persecution. [6 marks]

• Cue. It was seen as disloyalty to Rome and a threat to the pax deorum, the peace with the gods believed to protect the empire, so Christians appeared dangerous and subversive.

Q3. "Persecution strengthened rather than weakened the early Church." Discuss. [12 marks]

• Cue. Weigh the witness of the martyrs and the strengthening of identity against the deaths, the destruction and the divisive problem of the lapsed. Reach a judgement.