CHRISTIANITY  James the Greater

ORIGINS AND BELIEFS  James the Lesser

START
- Began as a sect of Judaism in the easterm
Mediterranean region encompassing most of the
Roman province of Judaea and region of Galilee
- Religion attributed to the belief and worship of Jesus
of Nazareth as:
1. Son of God
2. Messiah
Jesus
- As a Son of God: denotes that Jesus is a divine
being, son of the Biblical God who took human dorm
(flesh)
- As Messiah: Jesus is the “annointed one by God”
(Christos or Messiah)
o prophesied in the Bible; physically descended
from the line of King David
o prophesied to rule the people of the united tribes
of Israel and herald an age of peace and
prosperity
- Divine Origins of Jesus
o Virgin Birth – Jesus was conceived by Mary
from Nazareth while remaining a virgin
o Annunciation – announcement by the Archangel
Gabriel to Mary that she would give birth through
divine intervention
 Archangel Gabriel: “Hail Mary, full of grace!
The Lord is with Thee! Blessed art Thou
among women!”
 Mary: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord! Be
it done to me according to thy word!”
- Historical Origins
o Nativity – Jesus was born in Judaea (province of
the Roman Empire); born in Bethlehen in 0 CE
 Church of the Nativity – site where Jesus
Christ was born
 Jesus was born in a manger
 Wise Men/Kings from the East witnessed the
birth of Jesus
o Jesus Christ – raised in Nazareth from 0-33 CE
as the son of a carpenter
- Ministry
o Start – baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist at
the Jordan river
o Center – in Galilee: 1. North of Judaea; 2. Along
the sea of Galilee
o Apostles – Galileans whom Jesus invited to join
him in his ministry
o 12 Apostles
 Peter
 Andrew
 John
 Philip
 Bartholomew
 Matthew
 Thomas
 Thaddeus
 Simon
 Judas
o Methods – preaching, teaching, healing
 Preaching – “repentance” for the Kingdom of
God is at hand
 Teaching – general ethics (Beautitudes
delivered at the Sermon on the Mount)
 Beatitudes
o Blessed are the poor in spirit for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven
o Blessed are those who mourn for
they will be comforted
o Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst after righteousness for they will
be filled
o Blessed are those are persecuted for
seeking righteousness for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven
o Blessed are the meek for they will
inherit the earth
o Blessed are the merciful for they will
obtain mercy
o Blessed are the pure of heart for
they will see God
o Blessed are the peacemakers for
they will be called the children of
God
 Commandments
o 1-5: One should love God with one’s
heart, soul, mind, and strength
o 5-10: one should love one’s neighbor
as one would love oneself
 Manner of preaching and teaching –
parable – story that illustrates a lesson
o Parable of the Prodigal Son –
forgiveness
o Parable of the Good Samaritan –
help those in need regardless of
race, religion, etc
 Healing – removal of sickness and disease
 Making the blind see
 Cleansing the leper
 Making the lame walk
  Raising the dead to life o Significance – originally called Saul (from
Beliefs Tarsus) who persecuted Christians but
- Apostle’s Creed – statement of belief in Christianity converted to Christianity
o Creed – often recited as part of a religious o Conversion:
service  While going to Damascus, Saul was struck
- Trinity – that there are 3 persons in one God – God from his horse by a great light and a voice
the Father, Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and asked "Why do you persecute me?"
the Holy Spirit  Saul asked who spoke. Christ identified
- Death of Jesus Christ – “He was conceived by the himself with his Church: "I am Jesus whom
power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. you are persecuting. “
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, o Writing epistles (means “letter”) to:
and was buried. He descended to the dead.”  Romans
o Church of the Holy Sepulchre – where Jesus  Corinthians
Christ was buried  Galatians
- Resurrection of Jesus Christ – “on the third day,  Philippians
he rose again. He ascended into heacen and is  Thessalonians
seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come  Colossians
again to judge the living and the dead.”  Hebrews
- The Holiness of the Church – there is one, holy, o Passionately spread the Christian faith
catholic, and apostolic Church o Result: Spread the Christian faith in the Roman
- Communion of Saints – that there is a spiritual Empire
union of all members of the Church living and the - Early Centers of Christianity:
dead, those on earth, in heaven and those also who o Rome
are in that state of purification, all of them being part o Corinth
of a single “mystical body” with Christ as the head o Galatia
- Second Coming of Jesus Christ/ Day of o Philippi
Judgment/ Resurrection of the Dead – that the o Thessalonika
final judgment by God will take place after the o Colossia
resurrection of the dead and the Second Coming of Response of the Roman Empire
Christ - Roman Empire
o Initial response: Viewed Christianity as a
EXPANSION Jewish sect rather than a distinct religion
Christianity (practiced only in Judaea)
- Spread from Jerusalem throughout the Roman o Later response: Imposed persecution because
Empire of refusal of Christians:
- Apostles – heeded the message of Jesus to “Go  To worship Roman gods
therefore and teach all nations” --- traveling to all  To pay homage to the emperor as divine
parts of the known world to spread Christianity - Roman Mythology
- 33-325 CE: “Apostolic Age” o Belief in a body of gods pertaining to ancient
o Peter: Rome Rome's legendary origins and religious system
o Andrew: Byzantium derived from the Greeks
o James: Jerusalem, Spain o Jupiter – greatest of the gods
o John: Ephesus o Juno – wife of Jupiter
o James the less: Jerusalem o Neptune – god of the sea
o Matthew: Antioch o Minerva – goddess of victory
o Philip: Phrygia, Asia Minor o Mars – god of war
o Bartholomew: Armenia o Apollo – god of light and the sun; truth and
o Thomas: Chaldea prophecy; medicine, healing, and plague; music,
o Thaddeus: Armenia poetry, and the arts
- St. Paul o Venus – goddess of love, beauty and fertility
o Diana – goddess of the hunt and the moon
o Vulcan – god of fire
 o Vesta – goddess of the hearth, home and family  Baptism
o Mercury – messenger of the gods  Confirmation
o Ceres – goddess of agriculture, grain crops,  Eucharist
fertility and motherly relationships  Penance
- Imperial Cult  Matrimony
o Grant of divine authority to Roman emperors  Extreme unction
o Developed during the time of Octavian when the  Holy orders
Senate granted him the honorific of Augustus  Weekly gathering (Holy mass):
- Persecution of Christians Reenactment of Jesus Christ’s Last Supper
o Imprisonment: St. Paul  Prayer: Christian tradition of communicating
o Beheading: with God to bring the faithful closer to God
 St. Paul  The Lord’s Prayer
 St. Cyprian  Seasonal Prayers (Advent)
 St. James (Apostle)  Seasonal Prayers (Lent)
o Crucifixion:  Hymns: Rendering of prayer into song
 St. Peter (Gloria in Excelsis Deo)
 St. Philip (Apostle)  Genuflection (kneeling): Physical gestures
 St. Andrew (Apostle) to accompany certain rituals
o Fed to lions: St. Ignatius of Antioch  Sign of the cross: Physical gestures to
o Stoning to death: St. Stephen accompany certain rituals
o Hanging: St. Luke (Evangelist)  Language: Hebrew text of the New
- Response of Christians Testament was translated to Greek which
o Hiding in the catacombs (tunnels) of Rome was widely spoken in the Mediterranean
Strength and Resilience of Christianity region
- Christianity  Holy days:
o Grew and expanded despite the many  Sunday
persecutions suffered by the Christians o was made a festival in honor of the
- Factors for the Rise of Christianity resurrection of Jesus Christ
o Teachings: Preached goodness and kindness o Sunday religious services were held
to one’s fellowmen (appealed to the Gentiles or o Sunday regarded as a day of
non-Jews) recreation
o Scripture: Compilation of liturgical canon called  Architecture: Construction of churches
New Testament based on Jesus Christ (different Basilica Church rectangular in shape
from the Old Testament)  Basilica Church
 Consisted of the Gospels of St. Matthew, St. o Had a high central section called
Mark, St. Luke, St. John nave
 Consisted of the epistles (“letters”) of St. o With a large dome
Paul  Dome – structural element in
 Corinthians (Corinth) architecture that resembles the
 Romans (Rome) hollow upper half of a sphere
 Ephesians (Ephesus) o Significance: Followed two Roman
 Galatians (Galatia) architectural traditions
 Thessalonians (Thessalonica)  Basilica
 Colossians (Colossia)  Dome
 Philippians (Philippi) o St. Peter’s Basilica
o Hierarchy: Appointment of bishops, elders and  Location: Rome
deacons as spiritual authorities over Early Christian Art
geographical areas - Art
o Rituals (sacraments): External and physical o Theme: Intense passion for Christianity
signs/practices designed to give grace, blessing o Subject matter:
or sanctity  Religious - due to pious nature of society
 o Characteristics: Favored a symbolic approach
- Art Forms
o Fresco: Oil painting on walls
o Icon: Painted image of sacred figures
o Relief: Raised/embossed images
ISLAM
FOUNDING
Islam
- Founder: Muhammad
- Muhammad
o Born into a minor branch of a powerful family in
Mecca (Quraysh)
 Mecca – located in the Hejaz region in
Arabia (located in Western Arabia)
o Early life:
 Orphaned at the age of 6
 Raised by his grandfather and uncle
 Received little schooling (probably never
learned to read or write)
o Saw a vision while meditating in a cave outside
of Mecca --- the appearance of the angel
Gabriel
o Was commanded by the angel Gabriel to begin
preaching about Allah (God)
- Hegira
o Denotes the event (in 622 CE) marking the
escape of Muhammad from Mecca to Yathrib
(north of Mecca)
 Yathrib
 Where Muhammad attracted many
devoted followers
 Where Muhammad won great political
influence:
o The people accepted Muhammad
as their leader and king
o Muhammad established all laws
and settled all disputes
 Where Islam began to flourish:
o Muhammad taught the people that
they owed their loyalty first to Islam,
second to their families, and only
thirdly to their own tribes
o Muhammad taught the people to be
united the people under his rule
and authority
 Renamed “Madinah” which means “City
of the Prophet”
- Mecca
o Conquest:
 Occurred in 630 CE with the return of
Muhammad
 Marked by Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, the leader
of the Quraysh in Mecca, conceding defeat
to Muhammad and his followers and
accepting Islam
 Marked by the destruction of idols in the
Kaaba
- Sacred scripture: Qur’an
o Means “recitation” of divine revelation to
Muhammad
o Importance: Constitutes the direct, literal word
of God who revealed to Muhammad who in turn
uttered them at God’s bidding
o Arranged in “suras” (verses)
- Teachings: Consists of five duties also known as
the “Five Pillars of Islam”
1. Shahada: profession of faith
 “There is no God but Allah; Muhammad is
the Messenger of Allah”
 To believe in the Prophet and in whatever
he said
 To obey him in whatever he commanded
 To stay away from or avoid whatever he
commanded Muslims not to do
 To follow or emulate him in worship,
manners, and way of life
 To love him more than loving one’s self,
family and anything else in the world
 To understand, practice, and promote his
habits in the best way possible, without
creating any chaos, enmity or harm
2. Salat: daily prayer
 To communicate with Allah (God)
 Constitutes a ritual prayer:
o Prescribed conditions
 In a ritually clean environment
 Wearing clean clothes with the body
covered in reasonably loose-fitting
garments
 Performance of ablution before
conducting prayers
o Prescribed procedure
 Recitation of prayer in properly
pronounced Arabic
 Standing upright
 Raising the hands up to the level of
the shoulders, or earlobes with the
fingers slightly apart
 Prostration – the action of lying
stretched out on the ground.
o Prescribed times
 Dawn to sunrise
  Noon  west (Egypt, Libya)
 Afternoon  north (Judaea, Syria, Cyprus, Armenia, Iraq)
 After sunset until dusk  east (Eastern Arabia, Iran)
 Dusk until dawn - 661-750
 Attire: o Added by Umayyad Caliphate
o Men  west (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Spain)
 Ankle-length tunic with slacks  east (Afghanistan, northwestern India)
 Head covering - Expansion of Islam
o Women o Impact: Conquest of great ancient empires:
 Long flowing gown  Spain (Visigoths)
 Hijab  Libya (Carthaginians)
3. Sawm: fasting during Ramadan  Egypt (Pharaohs and Ptolemy)
 Refraining from eating, drinking and having  Judaea (Jews and Christians)
sexual relations from dawn until sunset  Iraq (Babylonians)
during the month of Ramadan  Iran (Persians)
 Aims:  Northwestern India (Indo-Aryans)
o To teach Muslims about patience and o Significance:
humility  Accomplished with blinding speed (622-
o To seek nearness to Allah 750)
o To increase one’s spirituality and piety  Able to defeat ancient empires (in Africa,
 End: ending the fast through ritual eating Europe and Asia)
 Eid ul Fitr – Holiday marking the end of Factors for Expansion of Islam
fasting - Expansion of Islam
4. Zakat: almsgiving o Factors
 Giving surplus wealth, usually 2.5% of one's  Passion for the Islamic faith
possessions to charity (to the poor and  Islamic Empire – empire built on faith
needy)  Teaching by the Qu’ran that wars fought for
 Payable in any of the following: Allah were just
o Agricultural produce  Warriors killed in a holy war (jihad) were
o Gold or silver promised immediate entry to paradise
o Gold or silver ornaments  Eagerness to move into more bountiful
o Cash lands:
o Trading goods  Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia
o Cows and buffaloes  Promise of abundant harvests in fertile
o Goats and sheep lands
o Camels  Weak resistance coming from enemies (like
5. Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca the Byzantine and Persian Empires)
 Must be carried out at least once in the  Islamic Empire – built by faith-driven
lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who Islamic armies
can afford to do so Caliphate Rule
 Aim: To demonstrate the solidarity of the - Caliph
Muslim people and their submission to Allah  Definition: Refers to the leader who followed
Muhammad
EXPANSION Orthodox Caliphate (632-661)
The Road to Expansion  Refers to the first four caliphs
- 622-632  Knew Muhammad personally (were either
o Arabia: friends or relatives
 western part of Arabia (Hejaz, Yemen)  Significance: Launched Islam’s wars of
 eastern tip of Arabia (Oman) conquest
- 632-661 First Four Caliphs
o Added by the first four caliphs: 1. Abu Bakr: ordered the writing of the Qur’an
 2. Omar: regarded as Islam’s greatest conqueror Ottoman Empire
(acquired Syria, Egypt and Persia)  Territory:
3. Uthman o Anatolia (Turkey)
4. Ali o Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Israel)
o Balkan Peninsula
Umayyad Caliphate (661-750) o Mesopotamia
 Significance: o Arabia
o Continued the wars of conquest o Egypt
 North Africa o Tunisia
 Spain o Algeria
 Central Asia o Morocco
 Indus River Valley  Significance: embraced three continents:
o Extended the Islamic Empire to over o Asia
5,000 miles o Europe
Abbasid Caliphate (750-1055) o Africa
 Origins:  Military success:
o Descended from Abbas (uncle of o Due to a strong army
Muhammad) o Due to adoption of weapons using
o Called themselves Abbasid (to show gunpowder
link with Muhammad)
 Found greatest support from the Persians
 Period when the Islamic Empire reached the  Political success:
height of its power and prosperity (during the o Due to stable, powerful, centralized
reign of Harun al-Rashid from 786-809) state
 Significance: Ruled over a large territory made
Expansion of Islam: Turkey up of peoples of different ethnicity, religion and
Turkey political orientation
 Significance: Home of the Ottoman Empire Topkapi Palace
Ottoman Empire  Significance: Residence of the Ottoman
 Significance: Heir of the Islamic Empire Emperor
Ottomans  Location: Located in Constantinople (Istanbul)
 Origins: Ottoman Empire
o Began in a principality in northwestern  Significance: Construction of great architectural
Anatolia (Turkey) monuments along the Ottoman style
o Founded in 1299 Suleymaniye Mosque
Ottoman Principality  Location: Istanbul
 Location: Located along productive agricultural  Built from 1550 to 1558
lands Suleymaniye Mosque
Ottoman Empire  Design: 4 minarets
 Founder: Osman I Selimiye Mosque
Ottoman Principality  Location: Edirne
 Significance:  Built from 1569 and 1575
o Able to attract soldiers/fighters  Design:
o Organized an army o 4 minarets
Ottoman Turks o Grand dome
 Significance: Laid siege to the city of Sultanahmet Mosque
Constantinople  Built from 1609 to 1616 during the rule of
Constantinople Ahmed I
 Significance: Capital city of Byzantine Empire  Location: Istanbul
Ottoman Turks  Significance: Also known as the Blue Mosque
 Significance: Conquered Constantinople in 1453  Design:
 o 5 principal domes  Cities: Cairo
o 8 secondary domes Cairo
o 6 minarets  Estimated 250,000 population

Expansion of Islam: Spain Expansion of Islam: Northern Africa

Islam Northern Africa
 Significance: Spread to a large part of the  Also known as “Maghreb”
Iberian Peninsula  Countries:
Al-Andalus o Libya
 Significance: Refers to the part of the Iberian o Algeria
Peninsula conquered by the Muslims o Tunisia
 Islamic cities: o Morocco
o Cordoba  Cities:
o Seville o Tunis
o Granada o Algiers
Cordoba o Marrakesh
 Location: Southern Spain o Fez
Great Mosque of Cordoba Tunis (Tunisia)
 Originally a Catholic basilica  Estimated 50,000-100,000 population
 784: converted into a mosque

Granada Algiers (Algeria)

 Location: Southern Spain  Defense against Spanish expansion into North
Alhambra Palace Africa
 Originally a Roman fortress
 1333: rebuilt into an Islamic palace Expansion of Islam: India
Mughal/Mogul
Expansion of Islam: Levant  Significance: Refers to the Muslim empire
Levant established in India
 Location: Located on the eastern shores of the Mughal Empire
Mediterranean Sea  Founding: 1526
 Countries: Babur
o Syria  Period: 1483-1531
o Palestine Humayun
o Lebanon  Period: 1508-1556
o Jordan Akbar
Syria  Period: 1542-1605
 Cities: Jahangir
o Damascus  Period: 1569-1627
o Aleppo Shah Jahan
Damascus  Period: 1592-1666
 Estimated 50,000-100,000 Aurangzeb
Aleppo  Period: 1658-1707
 Estimated 50,000-100,000 population India
Palestine  Mughal emperors:
 Cities: Jerusalem o Babur
o Humayun
Expansion of Islam: Egypt o Akbar
Egypt o Jahangir
 Location: Located at the eastern end of the o Shah Jahan
Mediterranean Sea o Aurangzeb
Jama Masjid
 Location: Delhi
Makkah Masjid
 Location: Hyderabad