Gregory Aldrete

If you're a loyal Roman, this is something you should want to do. And many of the early Christians I think would have been fine with that, but it took the form of what they were asked to be do was to basically worship another god. And that was the sticking point.

If you're a loyal Roman, this is something you should want to do. And many of the early Christians I think would have been fine with that, but it took the form of what they were asked to be do was to basically worship another god. And that was the sticking point.

And this is where I think movies have kind of warped some of our images of Roman history that Hollywood loves to depict very early Christians. And I'm talking like first 200 years here after the ministry of Christ. As a group that all the Romans were obsessed with, that they were constantly trying to persecute and all this.

And this is where I think movies have kind of warped some of our images of Roman history that Hollywood loves to depict very early Christians. And I'm talking like first 200 years here after the ministry of Christ. As a group that all the Romans were obsessed with, that they were constantly trying to persecute and all this.

And this is where I think movies have kind of warped some of our images of Roman history that Hollywood loves to depict very early Christians. And I'm talking like first 200 years here after the ministry of Christ. As a group that all the Romans were obsessed with, that they were constantly trying to persecute and all this.

And honestly, I think the Romans at that point were more just sort of indifferent or didn't know what was going on. And if you look at some of the primary sources at that time, I mean, there's this very famous letter by a guy named Pliny.

And honestly, I think the Romans at that point were more just sort of indifferent or didn't know what was going on. And if you look at some of the primary sources at that time, I mean, there's this very famous letter by a guy named Pliny.

And honestly, I think the Romans at that point were more just sort of indifferent or didn't know what was going on. And if you look at some of the primary sources at that time, I mean, there's this very famous letter by a guy named Pliny.

who was a Roman governor of a province in the east, and he has the habit of writing letters to the Roman emperor at the time, who was Trajan, every time he had a problem with being governor. And so this is great. This is the two highest governmental officials in the Roman world sort of hammering out policy between them, right? The emperor and one of his governors.

who was a Roman governor of a province in the east, and he has the habit of writing letters to the Roman emperor at the time, who was Trajan, every time he had a problem with being governor. And so this is great. This is the two highest governmental officials in the Roman world sort of hammering out policy between them, right? The emperor and one of his governors.

who was a Roman governor of a province in the east, and he has the habit of writing letters to the Roman emperor at the time, who was Trajan, every time he had a problem with being governor. And so this is great. This is the two highest governmental officials in the Roman world sort of hammering out policy between them, right? The emperor and one of his governors.

And so this is about 100 years, 100 AD about. And Pliny says, hey, emperor, I had this issue. I had these people come before me called Christians. I don't quite know what to do with them. What should my policy be? And here's what I know about them. And what he knows is almost nothing. I mean, it's this –

And so this is about 100 years, 100 AD about. And Pliny says, hey, emperor, I had this issue. I had these people come before me called Christians. I don't quite know what to do with them. What should my policy be? And here's what I know about them. And what he knows is almost nothing. I mean, it's this –

And so this is about 100 years, 100 AD about. And Pliny says, hey, emperor, I had this issue. I had these people come before me called Christians. I don't quite know what to do with them. What should my policy be? And here's what I know about them. And what he knows is almost nothing. I mean, it's this –

It's almost comic like garbling and they have this weird thing where they get together on some day of the week and they sort of swear oaths to one another not to do bad stuff, which is of course his garbled understanding of the Ten Commandments. And then they have breakfast together and they eat food and this is communion, but he doesn't get that that's what's going on.

It's almost comic like garbling and they have this weird thing where they get together on some day of the week and they sort of swear oaths to one another not to do bad stuff, which is of course his garbled understanding of the Ten Commandments. And then they have breakfast together and they eat food and this is communion, but he doesn't get that that's what's going on.

It's almost comic like garbling and they have this weird thing where they get together on some day of the week and they sort of swear oaths to one another not to do bad stuff, which is of course his garbled understanding of the Ten Commandments. And then they have breakfast together and they eat food and this is communion, but he doesn't get that that's what's going on.

And so he's really ignorant. But I think that the broader point is, okay, this is one of the best educated, best traveled Romans who has the most experience in the empire, has been all over the empire. And what does he know about Christianity? Basically nothing.

And so he's really ignorant. But I think that the broader point is, okay, this is one of the best educated, best traveled Romans who has the most experience in the empire, has been all over the empire. And what does he know about Christianity? Basically nothing.

And so he's really ignorant. But I think that the broader point is, okay, this is one of the best educated, best traveled Romans who has the most experience in the empire, has been all over the empire. And what does he know about Christianity? Basically nothing.