Influence on Western Civilization & Culture
Christianity, without doubt, has had the most significance on Western civilization and culture, followed by Judaism and Protestantism. The death of Christ occurred in approximately the year 30. By the year 100 there were only 7,500 Christians in the Roman Empire (0.0126% of the population), but that number would dramatically increase by 400 to 34,000,000 or 56.5% of the population of the Roman Empire (Wright 1). Between 400 and 700 significant developments occurred in Judaism and Christianity. In Judaism both the Palestinian and the Babylonian Talmud were written and rabbinic academies were established. For Christianity, the last New Testament documents were written, Christians suffered periodic persecution from the Romans, and between 300-400 Constantine the Great legalized Christianity and the religion was made the State religion of the Roman Empire. As Williams argues, “In 312 half of the Roman Empire came under the political and social influence of Christianity under the rule of Constantine” (4).
The persecution of Christians by the Romans was significant because it caused Christians to migrate to many places that are now modern Europe, “The expansion of the Roman Empire across Europe caused migration as soldiers and officials moved to the conquered areas to provide defense and administrative services. Christians left the Roman Empire as a result of being persecuted. In 312 Emperor Constantine was converted to Christianity which ended the persecution of Christians” (Roman 1). By the 600s, Gregory the Great would consolidate the authority of the Pope. This analysis will discuss some of the impact of these religions on Western civilization and culture in the approximately 11 years following this consolidation of Papal power. The fall of Rome and the establishment of Constantinople as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire were known as the Byzantine Empire. The ...