The Rise of Christianity in Rome

Active learning works for this topic because the spread of Christianity in Rome is a story of human choices, networks, and conflicts, not just dates and names. Students need to analyze evidence, debate causes, and map connections to grasp why a small movement became a global religion.

• 6th Grade
• Ancient Civilizations
• 3 activities
• 20 min–45 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the social and political factors that led Roman authorities to perceive early Christianity as a threat.
2. Explain the methods and routes through which Christian missionaries effectively spread their message across the Roman Empire.
3. Evaluate the significance of Emperor Constantine's conversion and the Edict of Milan on the growth and establishment of Christianity.
4. Compare the perspectives of different groups within Roman society, such as Roman officials, Jewish communities, and early Christian converts, regarding the new religion.

Structured Academic Controversy

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Structured Academic Controversy: Why Did Christianity Spread?

Groups of four research and argue two competing explanations: Christianity spread because of its message of spiritual equality and community, versus because of imperial adoption and Constantine's institutional support. Groups must argue both sides before forming a composite explanation, modeling how historians construct multi-causal arguments.

Prepare & details

Analyze why Christianity was initially perceived as a threat to the Roman government.

Facilitation Tip: During the Structured Academic Controversy, assign clear roles (e.g., historian, debater, recorder) to keep all students engaged in the argument.

Setup: Pairs of desks facing each other

Materials: Position briefs (both sides), Note-taking template, Consensus statement template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Roman Government's Dilemma

Present a Roman governor's perspective: Christianity is growing, members refuse to sacrifice to Roman gods, but they follow Roman law otherwise. Should they be persecuted? Students write their initial reasoning, discuss with a partner what the governor's actual options are and their consequences, then share with the class.

Prepare & details

Explain how the message of Christianity spread so rapidly through the empire.

Facilitation Tip: For the Think-Pair-Share, provide a primary source excerpt from a Roman official or Christian text to ground the discussion in real evidence.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Gallery Walk

⏱ 30 min·Individual

Gallery Walk: Spread of Christianity Map

Post a series of maps showing the spread of Christianity from 30 CE to 380 CE at roughly 100-year intervals. Students annotate each map noting which routes Christianity traveled, which cities were early centers, and what political events correlate with changes in pace. Closing discussion asks students to identify the most important factor in the spread, with evidence from the maps.

Prepare & details

Evaluate the role of Emperor Constantine in the survival and growth of the Christian church.

Facilitation Tip: In the Gallery Walk, place large maps at stations and give each group a different colored marker to trace one route of Christian spread and annotate reasons.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Start by teaching the topic as a puzzle: why did a persecuted minority become the empire’s religion? Use primary sources—Paul’s letters or Pliny’s letters to Trajan—to show how Christians lived and were perceived. Avoid presenting Constantine as a sudden hero; instead, connect his actions to earlier patterns of Christian growth and Roman responses.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students using historical evidence to explain why Christianity spread, identifying Roman dilemmas, and locating key regions on maps with clear reasoning. They should move beyond memorizing facts to analyzing patterns and drawing conclusions.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Structured Academic Controversy, watch for students assuming Roman persecution was constant and uniform.

What to Teach Instead

Use the activity’s debate format to present specific examples of persecution (e.g., Nero’s fire, Decius’s edict) and periods of tolerance, asking students to argue whether these were signs of policy or crisis.

Common Misconception

During the Gallery Walk activity, watch for students attributing the rise of Christianity solely to Constantine’s conversion.

What to Teach Instead

Have students annotate their maps with pre-Constantine spread routes (e.g., Paul’s travels, Mediterranean ports) and discuss how Constantine’s policies built on existing networks rather than starting them.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After the Structured Academic Controversy, provide index cards and ask students to write one reason early Christians were seen as a threat, one method of Christian spread, and one impact of Constantine’s actions on the third.

Discussion Prompt

During the Think-Pair-Share, pose the question: 'Imagine you are a Roman citizen in the 2nd century CE. Based on what you know about Roman society and the early Christian message, would you be more likely to join the new religion or see it as a danger to the empire? Explain your reasoning.' Facilitate a class discussion where students share their perspectives using evidence from the activity.

Quick Check

After the Gallery Walk, display a map of the Roman Empire and ask students to point to or name key cities or regions where Christianity likely spread first (e.g., Judea, Antioch, Rome) and explain why, using vocabulary like 'Mediterranean ports' and 'Roman roads'.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask students to research and present a case study of how a specific Roman province (e.g., Gaul, Egypt) responded to Christian growth, using both Roman and Christian sources.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence starters for the Think-Pair-Share, such as 'As a Roman governor, I might see Christians as a threat because…' or 'I might tolerate them if…'
• Deeper exploration: Have students compare early Christian art or symbols (e.g., fish, chi-rho) found in different regions and infer what these suggest about community identity and spread.

Key Vocabulary

Judea	A Roman province in the ancient Near East where Christianity originated in the 1st century CE.
Messiah	A savior or liberator of a people, a central figure in Christian belief who is identified as Jesus of Nazareth.
Edict of Milan	A proclamation issued by Emperors Constantine and Licinius in 313 CE that granted religious tolerance throughout the Roman Empire, particularly for Christianity.
Imperial Cult	The official worship of Roman emperors and their families, which early Christians often refused to participate in, leading to conflict.
Persecution	Hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of race or political or religious beliefs; Roman authorities sometimes persecuted Christians.