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What were the characteristics of early Christian art?
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Nov 21, 2023 · Lesson Summary. Frequently Asked Questions. What are the most important characteristics of early Christian art? Early Christian art includes mosaics, frescoes, sarcophagi, etc. They mostly...
Nov 16, 2020 · The beginnings of an identifiable Christian art can be traced to the end of the second century and the beginning of the third century. Considering the Old Testament prohibitions against graven images, it is important to consider why Christian art developed in the first place.
Christian Art (c.150-2000) History and Characteristics. Contents • Introduction • Historical Background • Early Christian art in Rome (c.150-450) • Byzantine Art: Icons, Mosaics (c.450-1450) • Medieval Art: Illuminated Manuscripts (450-1200) • Romanesque Church Architecture (c.1000-1150) • Gothic Architecture, Book Painting (c ...
- Key events
- The spread of Christianity
- Christianity as a mystery cult
- Monotheism
Two important moments played a critical role in the development of early Christianity:
1.The decision of the
to spread Christianity beyond the Jewish communities of Palestine into the Greco-Roman world.
2.When the Roman Emperor Constantine accepted Christianity and became its patron at the beginning of the fourth century.
As implicit in the names of his
, Paul spread Christianity to the Greek and Roman cities of the ancient Mediterranean world. In cities like Ephesus, Corinth, Thessaloniki, and Rome, Paul encountered the religious and cultural experience of the Greco-Roman world. This encounter played a major role in the formation of Christianity.
Christianity in its first three centuries was one of a large number of mystery religions that flourished in the Roman world. Religion in the Roman world was divided between the public, inclusive cults of civic religions and the secretive, exclusive mystery cults. The emphasis in the civic cults was on customary practices, especially sacrifices. Since the early history of the polis or city-state in Greek culture, the public cults played an important role in defining civic identity.
Christianity in its first three centuries was one of a large number of mystery religions that flourished in the Roman world. Religion in the Roman world was divided between the public, inclusive cults of civic religions and the secretive, exclusive mystery cults. The emphasis in the civic cults was on customary practices, especially sacrifices. Since the early history of the polis or city state in Greek culture, the public cults played an important role in defining civic identity.
As it expanded and assimilated more people, Rome continued to use the public religious experience to define the identity of its citizens. The
of the Romans allowed the assimilation of the gods of the people it had conquered.
Thus, when the Roman Emperor Hadrian created the Pantheon in the early second century, the building's dedication to all the gods signified the Roman ambition of bringing cosmos or order to the gods, just as new and foreign societies were brought into political order through the spread of Roman imperial authority. The order of Roman authority on earth is a reflection of the divine cosmos.
For most adherents of mystery cults, there was no contradiction in participating in both the public cults and a mystery cult. The different religious experiences appealed to different aspects of life. In contrast to the civic identity which was at the focus of the public cults, the mystery religions appealed to the participant's concerns for personal salvation. The mystery cults focused on a central mystery that would only be known by those who had become initiated into the teachings of the cult.
These are characteristics Christianity shares with numerous other mystery cults. In early Christianity emphasis was placed on
, which marked the initiation of the convert into the mysteries of the faith. The Christian emphasis on the belief in salvation and an afterlife is consistent with the other mystery cults. The
of Christianity, though, was a crucial difference from the other cults. The refusal of the early Christians to participate in the civic cults due to their monotheistic beliefs lead to their persecution. Christians were seen as anti-social.
Additional resources
Learn more about early Christianity in a Reframing Art History chapter "Building new Romes: The Eastern Romans, Umayyads, and Carolingians."
Introduction to the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) from Open Yale Courses.
By Dr. Allen Farber. By the beginning of the 4th century Christianity was a growing mystery religion in the cities of the Roman world. It was attracting converts from different social levels. Christian theology and art was enriched through the cultural interaction with the Greco-Roman world.
Religion. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps. Art, Early Christian. views 1,211,878 updated. ART, EARLY CHRISTIAN. Early Christian art comprises the architecture, painting and mosaic, sculpture, and minor arts of the first four centuries of Christianity. After the fifth century, it was replaced by Byzantine art.
