Review of 08312011 Class

Hey Everybody,
Just finished up the open house, and had some great conversations with some of your parents.

Today in class I collected the chapter 2 section 2 homework, which was pg. 141 #1-4.  I also gave you all the extended assignment schedule stretching out to next week.  As of today, our first chapter test is scheduled for Monday, September 12th.  Here are the other assignments:

1.  Read Economist article (see prior post) and answer the questions on the back of the second sheet of paper.  I'm really looking forward to see your answers for number five!  - Due Tuesday September 6th (we will work on this in class tomorrow, as well as have some discussion as to why the revolution began, generally.

2.  Section 3 on Rome and the origins of Christianity - due Wednesday, September 7th
Reading Check on pages 146, 147, 151
Section Review pg. 151 # 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8

3.  Section 4 on Islam, Holy Roman Empire, and the Renaissance & Reformation - due Friday September 9th
Reading Check pages 154, 155, 156, 157, 159
Section Review pg. 159 # 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8

There is also a chapter Assessment & Activities on pgs 162-63 that we will look at and do some problems from.  I haven't decided which problems yet, but will have that information for you soon.

Christianity after Jesus
- Emperor Nero persecuted Christians from 54 to 68, and Jerusalem was destroyed in 88 CE.  However, after 100 CE, persecution went down significantly.
- Christianity was popular because it was a personal religion, it included a belief in an after-life, it was easy to understand and pass along, and as a result resulted in many communities forming which practiced it regardless of wealth or status.
- Christianity was adopted by Emperor Constantine, who served from 378 to 395, as he himself was a Christian.  It then became a State Religion, and all other religions were banned.
- After the Roman Empire fell, Christianity became an important political institution in its own right.
- However, Europe was never united again after the fall of Rome in 476 CE.  This is quite unlike other civilizations like China and India.  (Just for reference, China's Han Dynasty was booted from power around 220CE, but it was reunited by the short-lived Sui Dynasty in 581-617, and then continued as the Tang Dynasty from around that time until 907 CE.  Unification of China came about through war.)