Sunday, 31 March 2019

Christianity's Triumph


Did Christianity Triumph?

There are many different religions in the world today; the largest, based on the number of believers, is Christianity (theregister.co). Within Christianity there are numerous sects but the three major ones are Orthodox, Protestantism, and Roman Catholic. The term Roman Catholicism” can cause confusion since it seems like a combination of two sects that are very different in nature. That being said, which one triumphed in the end? The Roman Empire? Or Christianity?

            In the end, Christianity did triumph over Roman Catholicism. Instead of stating random facts as to why this conquest occurred, the focus of this post will be aimed as to how Christianity came to be in the first place; only then will it become clear as to why it dominated the Roman Empire in the end. Christianity began as a Jewish sect, or in other words, a small movement of people following the teachings of Jesus Christ and his apostles. These people lived in the Roman Empire and were able to practice their beliefs since the Romans were very tolerable when it came to other religions, so long as everyone would make sacrifices to the Roman deities. This was fine for a while, but the Christian population soon began to increase throughout Rome and they stopped sacrificing to the Roman Gods, making the Roman rulers very unsettled (History.com). Many Romans started to become anxious with Christianity’s slow rise in power except for one main ruler, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, also known as Constantine the Great.

Image result for arch of constantineConstantine started out as a war General, but his power and influence increased more and more until he gained the title of Emperor. His path towards Christianity began when he had a dream to put chi rho, the first two letters of Christ, across his soldiers’ shields in Greek before they fought in the Battle of Milvian Bridge. Constantine won that war and an arch was erected, one of the highest recognitions, to commemorate his successes in leading the army to victory. After his triumph “Constantine became the Western Roman emperor. He soon used his power to address the status of Christians, issuing the Edict of Milan in 313. This proclamation legalized Christianity and allowed for freedom of worship throughout the empire (Biography.com).” This was a huge step for Christians since it restored their property that had originally been taken by Diocletian, another Roman emperor. But Constantine did not stop there, he “continued to proclaim his adherence to Christianity, and his reign established influence over religious conflicts within the church. Not wanting questions about the divine nature of Christ to sow discord, Constantine summoned church officials to the Council of Nicaea in 325. Out of this came the Nicene Creed, which affirmed that Jesus was a divine being (Biography.com).”

Although, “Constantine ends not converting, technically, to Christianity, but becoming a patron of one particular branch of the church. It happens to be the branch of the church that has the Old Testament as well as the New Testament as part of its canon. Which means that since this branch of Christianity includes the story about historical Israel as part of its own redemptive history, it has an entire language for articulating the relationship of government and piety (pbs.org).” Finally, because of Constantine's constant influence and the rising number of people joining this religion, Theodosius the First made Christianity the official religion of Rome. As the new official religion, Christianity needed to improve Rome for the better, and it did just that.

Image result for Ravenna Mosaic, Christ MilitantChristianity was now the new norm; however, it did not completely change the Romans way of life, it simply modified it to a more “Christian” lifestyle through injecting added morals to the rules and regulations Rome already had in place. Saint Augustine, a 4th century theologian, gave a good explanation in his book, The Confessions of Saint Augustine, as to what some Roman morals are. From that, one can also determine Christian morals since they are very similar and some are even the same. For example, instead of claiming loyalty to Rome, they now claimed loyalty to the church, and worshipped God instead of plural gods. A picture was created, by Bishop Pietro II in 494-495, that had Christ displayed as a Roman Emperor. This picture demonstrates how serious Christians were in only worshiping one God, yet still allowing some leniency and accommodation for the Romans’ beliefs. One thing that did not have to change was the peoples respect to authority and family. Both cultures thought family was extremely important and both were very obedient to their respective authorities. Although major changes were made by Christians, like morals and religion, there were also smaller ones in regards to everyday life.

Image result for renaissance artImage result for roman artNot only did this change to a new religion help with morals, but it also brought about better art, and from this, the renaissance began. While the Christian religion introduced the celebration of Christ’s birth into the Roman culture, it was the Romans, and the combining of their old traditions with their new beliefs, that was the foundation of the celebration of Christmas. Saturnalia “was an enduring Roman festival dedicated to the agricultural god Saturn which was held between the 17th and 23rd of December each year during the winter solstice. Originating from archaic agricultural rituals the Roman festivities came to include a general round of gift-giving, merrymaking, and role-reversals so that it became one of the most popular celebrations in the calendar and certainly the jolliest (ancient.eu).” This was the one holiday where masters would serve their slaves, so no one was willing to give that up, so instead it was made into a celebration of Christ. Saturnalia may not have evolved into the Christmas we know, but the two holidays do hold many similarities and Christians have taken many customs from this pagan celebration. 
Image result for saturnalia christianity

In conclusion, Christianity triumphed over the Roman Empire. One can tell this is true since Christianity is still around today while the traditional Roman Empire is not. Christianity may have begun as a small Jewish movement but through time it weaned its way into Rome and slowly pushed out other religions until it became the one and only recognized religion in the state. Overall, although it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when Rome was officially conquered by Christians, and although there is no arch erected from the triumph, it is apparent that Christianity overcame the Roman Empire.

Citations:
Juan, Stephen. “What Are the Most Widely Practiced Religions of the World?” The Register, Biting the Hands That Feed It, The Register, 7 Dec. 2018, www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/06/the_odd_body_religion/.

Editors, History.com. “Christianity.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 13 Oct. 2017, www.history.com/topics/religion/history-of-christianity. 

“Constantine I.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 23 Jan. 2019, www.biography.com/people/constantine-i-39496. 

Ungerleider, Samuel. “Legitimization Under Constantine.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/why/legitimization.html. 

“Confessions and Enchiridion.” Ed. & trans. by Albert C Outler, Christian Classics Ethereal Library, www.ccel.org/ccel/augustine/confessions.iv.html. 

Chirst Militant Mosaic Described, orderofcenturions.org/Christ_militant.html

Cartwright, Mark. “Saturnalia.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 28 Mar. 2019, www.ancient.eu/Saturnalia/.

Monday, 4 March 2019

Suicide: Then vs. Now


Kelly Sherman
Amy Robert Insalaco
CL CV 201 Sec 001

Suicide: Then vs. Now

            Suicide is never an easy subject to address, but at times it is necessary, especially since it is such a big problem in Utah, which has the fifth highest suicide rate in the United States, according to the Salt Lake Tribune (slttrib.com). Since suicide is such a big issue, it would be worthwhile to step back and see what that means about the society in which we live. That being said, although it is a problem now, it was also an issue back in ancient Greece. Does this mean our society is reverting back to ancient ways? Or has the human population really not learned enough and continues to treat others in a way that causes suicide? By looking at the literature and paintings of ancient Greek times, we can come to learn the type of societies that were present in the past and the “why” to people choosing to die by suicide.
             By reading literature, such as The Essential Homer or The Portable Greek Historians, describing ancient Greece, one can tell how important honour is to them. In the early Greek culture, honour was gained by sacrificing oneself to a greater cause, such as war, or save another’s life.  One could choose to live a simple life and not worry about honour but then they wouldn’t be respected in the same type of way. If one had honour and lost it, that pretty much meant the end of their world since they could expect to be treated poorly and with no respect. Take Ajax for example, “Ajax expected to receive the armor of Achilles upon the latter’s death in combat. Instead the armor was given to Odysseus, and this enraged Ajax. In his madness he osImage result for suicide of ajaxtensibly killed his comrades, only to wake up from a dream to find that he had slaughtered a group of sheep. Realizing the implications of his actions, Ajax buried his sword in the ground and impaled himself on it” (Neer, Richard T. Greek Art and Archaeology). He was once a great, courageous war hero until one fateful day when he decided to end it all in a last-ditch effort to redeem himself. This is all depicted by Exekias, on his beautiful black-figure vase in which he portrays the heart wrenching psychological moment of Ajax right before his death. Ajax felt the only way to redeem himself was to take his own life; that says a lot about the type of society he lived in. According to the world's view at that time, if you embarrassed yourself or did something against the norm, your last act of redemption could only be suicide. This belief of suicide being the last resort, is perfectly summed up by Callinus of Ephesos when he states “A man, as he dies, should make one last throw with his spear.” The “last throw” is one final decision to die in a way that could be honoured by others, even after you're gone, while regaining and maintaining one’s pride. 

Ajax is not the only one who chose death over life. Another great example is Socrates, who chose to die to prove a point. Ancient Greek laws were very strict, with death being a very likely scenario for violating them. This was very apparent when Socrates was condemned for corrupting the youth of Athens with strange gods. He had the opportunity to escape and start anew but rather than bImage result for socrates deathreaking the law or showing weakness, he chose to drink poison hemlock and kill himself. This can be seen encapsulated in the painting “The Death of Socrates” by David, Jacques-Louis and Plato’s Crito. In the Crito Socrates even says, “Listen, then, Socrates, to us who have brought you up. Think not of life and children first, and of justice afterwards, but of justice first, that you may be justified before the princes of the world below. The society in which these people lived, because of the high issue of pride, placed such a high value on honour and being honourable that death was preferred over being dishonourable.



            Fast forward to the present and we have the same issue, people dying by suicide, but the question is why? There are many reasons but it seems it can be boiled down to two main reasons: not being able to live up to expectations (i.e. being dishonoured) and mental illness, according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH.ca). In the world we live today, everyone relies on someone or something that is not themselves, whether it is a church, family member, job/school or social media outlet. Each of these, have expectations of how a person should live or think and if they fail to live/act in such a manner then a crushing weight of disappointment would be felt, whether it was meant or not. Some may be able to live with this disappointment but others may think they’ve failed for the last time and there can be no redemption. Reading papers such as Selfies and Teenage Body Image (phys.org) or blogs like Why Good Parents Feel Inadequate (rolereboot.org), assumptions can be made as to why different age and gender groups commit suicide. For example, teenagers comparing themselves to social media stars and always failing to look as pretty as them or act as decent; men failing to provide for their family even when they are trying their best; or moms failing to live up to the expectation of the ‘perfect mother’ who is happy, cleans and bakes and makes
Image result for mental healthevery day special for her children. Suicide is tricky and for many “it's difficult to understand how a person could ignore survival instinct, disregard the good things in life, and foreclose every possibility of future happiness. Why can't they see that they're good people? Why don't they understand that things will improve?” (Psychologytoday.com) Another major factor that plays into suicides today is mental illness. In extreme cases, depression, anxiety, PTSD and many other disorders can lead a sufferer to believe that the only way out is through ending one's life (CAMH.ca). Mental illness is no one’s fault and at times it may seem all is lost, but one can get help and get better, one just has to believe there’s a way to get better.

            In our society today, while talking about mental health issues are more normal, people still often get uncomfortable on the subject of suicide and instead of addressing it we shy away and ignore it. Of course, major celebrities or public suicides get put on the news, but for the most case, many deaths are ignored. What does this say about us? We shrink away out of shame, we see suicide as being dishonourable and cowardly or rather we don’t know how to react so we brush it under the carpet so we don’t have to deal with it.

            In conclusion, ancient Greece and America today seem to have similar standards of people. In both societies one must work way too hard to achieve respect and if we can’t quite meet the standards then were out! Many people can’t deal with the thought of being alone or unloved and feel the only option to escape those feelings is suicide. In reality though, there is always another way, society may be harsh but we need to be harsher. Whether it’s living in ancient Greece or in today's society, suicide should never be the option and help is available, one just has to be willing to seek it out.

 Works Cited:

Ramseth, L. (2017). Hoping to counter deadly trend, Utah officials confirm 425 suicides so far in 2017. [online] The Salt Lake Tribune. Available at: https://www.sltrib.com/news/health/2017/09/13/seeking-to-counter-trend-utah-confirmed-suicides-for-2017-utah-on-pace-to-beat-last-years-record/

Neer, Richard T. Greek Art and Archaeology. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2012. 145. As found at: Foarde, Chip. “Exekias and the Suicide of Ajax, by Chip Foarde.” Archaeology Students Speak, 30 Mar. 2012, archaeologystudentsspeak.wordpress.com/2012/03/29/exekias-and-the-suicide-of-ajax-by-chip-foarde/.

Exekias. Suicide of Ajax. Black-figure vase, 540 B.C.

David, Jacques-Louis. The Death of Socrates. 1787, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

"Crito.” Crito, by Plato, 360AD

“20132 Suicide.” Mental Illness & Addiction Index | CAMH, www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/suicide#header.

Piercy, Lindsey. “What a New Study Reveals about Selfies and Teenage Body Image.” Phys.org - News and Articles on Science and Technology, Phys.org, 30 May 2018, phys.org/news/2018-05-reveals-selfies-teenage-body-image.html.

Beisner, L. (2019). Why Good Parents Always Feel Inadequate - Role Reboot. [online] Available at: http://www.rolereboot.org/family/details/2013-01-why-good-parents-always-feel-inadequate [Accessed 23 Jan. 2013].


Smith, S. (2019). Why People Commit Suicide. [online] Psychology Today. Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ironshrink/201109/why-people-commit-suicide

Tuesday, 15 January 2019

The Me You Never Knew

Lover of Animals 

My whole life has revolved around animals ever since I was a little girl. It helps that I have grown up with at least one pet in the house my whole life, whether it be a dog, fish, guinea pig, etc.
I became so obsessed with animals that I often found I preferred spending time with them over actual human beings, I know, yikes. As I matured and started work I knew I had to find something that supported my love for my four legged friends, so of course I began working at McDonalds... Only so I could start a side business of walking, grooming and sitting pets around the neighbourhood. All these past events has led me here, to BYU where I study Wildlife Conservation and hope to someday, save the lives of many animals. I don't need to make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things, just a huge difference to the creatures I have rescued and only then will I feel like I've achieved something great.

Sister from the Stars 
Not to toot my own horn, but I am a pretty great sister. Aside from animals, family one of my main priorities. I am the youngest of three sisters and honestly it's the best feeling in the world (most of the time). Ask my sisters and they'll tell you I get so many more privileges but I make sure not to rub it in their faces... too much. Realistically though, I always want to make sure my sisters feel important and loved no matter what they go through, so I make sure to compliment them, call whenever I can and remind them what wonderful people they are. I'm not the only "sister from the stars" though since they are just as amazing and loving towards me. Although fights are inevitable, I love my family to death and would do anything for any of them.

Image may contain: 7 people, including Sam Stephenson, Kelly Sherman and Jennifer Stephenson, people smiling, people standing, people sitting, sky and outdoor
Advocate of Film 

Netflix is one of my favourite hobbies, I think that tells you how much I enjoy watching television. Movies and shows are a part of who I am, they are a way for me to escape into a new world or simply numb my brain after a hard day. Now I know I'm no professional, but when my friends or family turn to me for movie watching advice, I can't help but feel like I've developed a sense of what makes a film good or bad. All genres are fair game to me, go ahead, ask me if I've seen your favourite movie, more likely then not, I have.

Master of Confusion 

It's not what you're thinking... for the person I confuse the most, is myself. My friend once told me what she figured out about me, she said "as soon as you realize Kelly doesn't understand Kelly, you understand Kelly." Some may get insulted but I thought it was wonderful to hear what I had always thought be put in words. I may get confused a lot, but it also makes me a curious person since I like to find the answers I've been searching for. That also makes me determined and great at trivia since it's often random facts that I find the answers too. I may not understand my own feelings or thoughts at times, but at least I understand, what I don't understand; understand?