The History of Christian Art and Structure

As I write this post, a recent memory springs up in my mind. Earlier this year, my dad had an art show at the Steffen Thomas Museum focused on Christian Art. One afternoon, Chris and I decided to go over there so I could look at his show. I am always amazed at my dad's art and this was no exception. As we went from painting to painting, I could not imagine the countless hours he spent on each one of these paintings.

of people and the major beliefs of the society. Hagia Sophia and the Dome of the Rock are two

Christians were persecuted in the early centuries after Christ. When we hear about the persecution of Christians, you hear about genocide or Christians being dragged out of their homes to be eaten by wild animals. Christians were seen as traitors and were also blamed for the cause of every public disaster. Around 115 C.E, there was an emperor named Trajan. Trajan stated that if Christians refused to make sacrifices to the Roman gods then they would be punished by death. On page 88 it also stated, “...Christians would not go along with the sacrifices necessary for the good of the empire, and so were traitors of the empire.” Another known emperor was Nero. Emperor Nero was also involved in the persecution of Christians. Nero had caused a great

As we talked about previously Christians were heavily persecuted throughout the Roman Empire. Although Christianity was growing rapid there was an enormous amount of people that did not like Christians. The citizens of Rome did all that they could to stop the spread of Christianity. The Christians were thrown in jail, spit on, beat, stoned, and killed all because they believed in God. Christianity showed us that when you are living in unbearable situations trust God even if it seems

During the reign of Diocletian, Christians were severely persecuted because of their unwillingness to give up religion. Emperor Diocletian issued “The Edicts of Persecution” which were a series of laws that took away the rights of Christians and demanded them to comply with traditional Roman religious practices. The first edict ordered that churches be destroyed, Holy Scriptures burned and dishonored those who continued to work in a Christian profession and denied them freedom2. He later commanded that all the rulers of the churches in every place should be “first put in prison and afterwards compelled by every device to offer sacrifice”3.

p 12). The new building walls were finished in smooth white stucco, as can be seen in Fig 11. The cinema complex is accessible via the third floor of the Santa Monica Place courtyard through glass entry doors.

The Byzantine Empire can be traced back to 330 A.D. when the Roman emperor Constantine I decided to form a “new Rome” on the site of the ancient Greek colony of Byzantium. The century after the death of Justinian in 565 A.D. was difficult for the eastern Roman Empire. The Persians attacked, there were many rebellions and riots, Bulgars and Muslim attacked. Also plagues and famines on top of weak rulers put the eastern Roman Empire in peril. During this period, there are two fundamental changes that transformed the eastern Roman Empire into the civilization known as Byzantine. Which was taken from the word “Byzantium” which was the ancient Greek name for the capital city, Constantinople. In 600 A.D., the empire still had claims along both the

Since the time of the first apostles, Christians had been dealing with persecution. There would be times of peace, but the persecution would resume. The Roman

“Under Caesar’ Sword,” a report funded by the Templeton Religion Trust, is the very first systematic global study of Christians’ response to persecution. For three years, 14 scholars studied religious persecution and the responses to abuse of religious freedom in more than 30 countries, the Catholic News Agency details.

With the decline of ancient Rome, a new Second Rome was being established in 324 AD in the East. Constantinople was the new capital and its Emperor, Constantine the Great, began to lay the groundwork for the Christianization of the Roman Empire. His eagerness to promote Christianity and provide places of veneration led to the building of churches, basilicas and mausoleums. After his death in 337 his sons took power. Next, Emperor Theodosius ruled and at his death in 395, divided the Empire into an East and West between his two sons. Fast-forward to the sack of Rome by nomadic German tribes in 410, Ravenna (present day Italy) was made the new Western capital. Meanwhile, the Byzantine Empire in the East survived and in 527, Justinian I became its new emperor.

The portrayal of Christ has been developed throughout the centuries, and is very much influenced by the socio-political and cultural environments. The Byzantine Empire has become a great influence on the use of Christian religious art and architecture, which will be continually built upon and developed through history. Though still influenced by the Classical tradition, Christian art will evolve into a new and widespread style under the rule of Justinian and Theodora. Christ as the Good Shepherd in the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, shows the development of the portrayal of Christ from a humble shepherd to a royal deity, that reflects the influence of the Byzantine Empire, and his role as a ruler over his people.

Christian Studies Research Paper- Constantine Constantine was Roman Emperor from 303 to 337 and has become an important historical figure, as he was the first ever-Christian emperor. It is unsure what motivated him to be a Christian. Many argue that his mother, Helena, had influenced him. On the other hand, others say that Christianity came to him gradually as he only declared to be a Christian after he was 42.

Centuries ago, the Jews hated living under the Roman rule. Christians formed a little group in which everybody was content; however, as soon as it became a new religion, “claiming universal validity and acceptance, it was set down as unlawful and treasonable.” This is where the Christians were now accused of doing everything including “preaching in their assemblies all acts of abominations, even incest and cannibalism.” People began making up false tales about the Christians and started “going strongly against the new religion because it started to affect mercenary practices.” The group was becoming so large that it was beginning to attract attention everywhere, even “in old Roman families”. Eventually, the Jews were kicked out of Rome because they were beginning to cause great problems “under the instigation of Chrestos.”

In the Roman Catholic faith, a basilica is a parish that has been officially recognized by the Pope as an important place of pilgrimage and worship. Churches of spiritual and cultural significance are chosen as basilicas due to their architectural and historical importance. Once named, a basilica serves as a treasured historic site for Catholics, many of whom will travel to visit and pay tribute to the honored places of worship. There are less than 1,500 such churches in the world, making the title of “basilica” a cherished and prestigious nomination.

The lighter in color and less decorated middle section has somewhat calming effect after the stimulating bottom section. The central part has five arched openings, but only the middle three contain windows. The side tower has two arched windows each. On relatively large area in this section we can see how the building material was arranged. The arrangement of darker and lighter material on the top of this section creates interesting pattern, which is different on the central section than on the two outside