New
New
Year 4

Early Christianity's story

I can tell the story of how Christianity grew in different ways.

New
New
Year 4

Early Christianity's story

I can tell the story of how Christianity grew in different ways.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Early Christians were persecuted in the Roman Empire, but under Constantine, the faith was encouraged and it spread.
  2. The division of the Roman Empire led to slightly different Christian traditions in each part.
  3. The Byzantine Empire carried on after the fall of Rome, but did not recognise the Pope's supremacy.
  4. A separate Christian tradition also emerged in the African kingdom of Aksum.
  5. A good story about the way Christianity grew will use knowledge from across this unit.

Keywords

  • Persecution - persecution is the unfair and cruel treatment of people because of their beliefs

  • Constantine - Constantine was the first Christian emperor of the Roman Empire

  • Tradition - a tradition is the beliefs and behaviours of a group of people that develop over a long period of time

  • Pope - the Pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church

  • Missionary - a missionary is a religious person who is sent to other places to tell others about that religion

Common misconception

The only Church to emerge from the Roman Empire is the Roman Catholic Church.

Two Christian Churches with slightly different ideologies emerged: the Roman Catholic Church was a product of the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Orthodox Church developed in the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire.

Arrange a visit to a Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox Church to observe some of their traditions.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is a missionary?
Correct answer: a religious person who is sent to places to tell others about that religion
a historian who writes about ancient and modern religions
an explorer who discovers new religions and gods
a religious person who is sent to places to teach others about all religions
Q2.
In the 4th Century, where in north-east Africa did Christianity spread to?
the Kingdom of Kush
the Egyptian Empire
the Carthaginian State
Correct answer: the Kingdom of Askum
Q3.
What appeared on Aksumite coins that shows the spread of Christianity?
images of Jesus
Correct answer: Christian crosses
stories about Jesus
images of Frumentius
Q4.
Complete the sentence. The Ezana stone tells the story of King Ezana’s to Christianity.
Correct Answer: conversion, converting
Q5.
What was King Ezana's stele?
a large church inscribed with Christian imagery
a large temple inscribed with Christian imagery
Correct answer: a large obelisk inscribed with Christian imagery
a large tablet inscribed with Christian imagery
Q6.
Complete the sentence. Churches carved into mountains with Christian were found that tells us that Christianity continued in Askum after King Ezana's reign.
Correct Answer: paintings, Paintings

6 Questions

Q1.
Complete the sentence. To be treated unfairly and sometimes harmed because of your beliefs is called .
Correct Answer: persecution, Persecution
Q2.
Which Roman emperor was the first Christian emperor?
Caesar
Nero
Augustus
Correct answer: Constantine
Q3.
Which Christian traditions developed from the division of the Roman Empire?
Correct answer: Eastern Orthodox Church
Anglican Church
Correct answer: Roman Catholic Church
Methodist Church
Q4.
Complete the sentence. The head of the Roman Catholic Church is called the .
Correct Answer: pope, Pope
Q5.
What was the major difference between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church?
The Eastern Orthodox Church did not use the Bible as their holy book.
The Eastern Orthodox Church did not have bishops, priests and deacons.
Correct answer: The Eastern Orthodox Church did not recognise the pope's supremacy.
The Eastern Orthodox Church did not believe in the Holy Trinity.
Q6.
Where was one of the earliest Christian kingdoms in the world?
Correct Answer: the Kingdom of Askum, Kingdom of Askum, kingdom of Askum, askum, Askum

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