The roots of Christianity are well known by many. Its origins can be traced back to the first century, its doctrines based on the life and teachings of Christ, a charismatic Jewish teacher. Jesus was born during a tumultuous period of Jewish history, during which the Jews were being crushed under Roman oppression. The teachings of Christ attracted many followers, many of them among the poor and outcasts of society because he offered them spiritual freedom, as well as a place in the future Kingdom of God. Jesus taught his followers to love one another, that love was the foundation of true religion. He was eventually tried and executed by the Roman authorities, at the bidding of the Jewish elders. Persecution of the Jews, as well as the efforts of early missionaries, caused Christianity to become widespread throughout the Roman Empire and much of the then known world. The teachings of the Christian faith declared that Jesus was the incarnate Son of God, conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin named Mary. It stressed that salvation can only be found through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
The purpose of the essay is to discuss Christianity in light of the cultural artifacts it helped to produce. There are a wide number of artifacts and symbols linked to the early development of Christianity. The veneration of icons and symbols, the observance of rituals and the practice of certain customs associated with Christianity, often serve as inspiration or are featured in these works of art or cultural artifacts. One of the cultural artifacts produced by Christianity is the church, a structure now ubiquitous in almost every part of the world. During the infancy of the now widespread sect, believers gathered in homes or synagogues, churches having not been established yet. When Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, emperors like Constantine commissioned churches that rivaled the pagan temples both in size and splendor (Bishop 118). These early churches were modeled after the basilica, a Roman building that was used for a wide array of functions by the public. Churches consisted of a narthex, a wide shallow entryway, a wide central hall called a nave, a transept, and an apse which had a half dome that decorated with religious imagery. St. Peter’s basilica design was to come become the basic pattern of Latin Christianity’s greatest churches (Bishop 118).
Another cultural artifact that brought about by the advent of Christianity is iconography, a set of sacred symbols and images. Iconography developed from rudimentary religious art, that was largely adapted from Greco-Roman traditions (Bishop 113). These icons and images had underlying meaning and religious significance, which were often pagan in origin. These were borrowed and then altered to fit Christian ideologies. Stories of Jesus, the Saints, Angels, important biblical events, parables, as well as other important events throughout the history of the Christian church often served as inspiration for these iconic images. One popular symbol used in iconography was the Good Shepherd, which was most likely employed as a reminder of Christ, who is called the Good Shepherd. Notwithstanding, pagans could have interpreted the same icon as Hermes, a guide to the souls of the dead, whilst a Christian would have seen it as Christ, the shepherd of souls (Bishop 112).
Another cultural artifact produced by Christianity are hymns, carefully arrange musical compositions adapted for singing in religious services. The Roman world had an abundance of musical styles and instruments (Bishop 126). This music pervaded every aspect of Roman society, especially spectacles orchestrated for public entertainment. For this reason, instrumental music was associated with paganism and idolatry and therefore banned from church services. Thus, early Christian music was almost entirely vocal and would remain so for centuries (Bishop 126). Early Christian music consisted of an assemblage of chanted hymns and eloquent psalms, which shadowed the psalms and hymns sung in Jewish places of worship. Two methods of singing psalms and chanting are precursors to the forms now ingrained into Christian musical tradition, responsorial singing (when a choir responds to a soloist) and antiphonal singing (when two choirs sing alternating verses).
This essay has done its best to highlight the important cultural artifacts brought about by the advent of Christianity. It has delineated their origins, as well as their significance to Christianity. These artifacts have become ubiquitous cornerstones of Christian culture, pervading every aspect of people’s lives down through the centuries.