92 i PERIOD 2 Organization and Reorganization of Human Societies
The philosophy adapted traditional Chinese concepts of balance in nature, or yin (female,
submissive) and yang (male, assertive). According to Daoist philosophy, human under-
standing comes from following “The Way,” a life force which exists in nature.
In contrast to the Confucian respect for education and for orderly government, Daoism
taught that political involvement and education were unnecessary. Rather, in time, the
natural balance of the universe would resolve most problems. Chinese thought and practice
gradually blended both Confucianism and Daoism to include a concern for responsibility
for the community and time for personal refl ection.Judaism
Unlike other religions of the period, notably Buddhism and Christianity, Judaism was not
a missionary religion. Although the Jews had lived in Babylon for seventy years, with some
Jews remaining after most of the former captives returned to Babylon, they did little to
attempt to convert non-Jews. From the Jewish faith, however, would come another major
world religion: Christianity.Christianity
A key element of Judaism was the belief that God had promised to send the Jews a Mes-
siah, or a savior from their sins. Some of the early Jews felt that that promise was fulfi lled
when Jesus was born in the Roman province of Judea about 4 to 6 b.c.e. As an adult, Jesus
and his 12 disciples, or followers, went throughout the land of Judea, preaching the for-
giveness of sins. Jesus was also called Christ, meaning “anointed.” When Jesus’ teachings
were feared as a threat to Roman and Jewish authority, he was tried and put to death by
crucifi xion.
The network of Roman roads facilitated the spread of Christianity throughout the
empire. Missionaries, traders, and other travelers carried the Christian message of forgive-
ness of sins and an afterlife in heaven for those who believed in Jesus as their savior from
sin. The greatest missionary of the early Christian church was Paul of Tarsus. A Roman
citizen, he undertook three missionary journeys throughout the Roman Empire in the fi rst
century c.e. Accounts of Jesus’ life in addition to the missionary efforts of Paul and other
followers of Jesus are found in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.
Several Roman emperors considered Christianity a threat to their rule. Although some,
such as Diocletian, persecuted the Christian church, it continued to grow. In 313, the
Roman Emperor Constantine changed the position of earlier Roman emperors regarding
Christianity. In the Edict of Milan he permitted the practice of Christianity in the Roman
Empire. Christianity became the offi cial religion of the Roman Empire in 381 under the
Emperor Theodosius.
After its adoption as the state church of Rome, Christianity in the west began develop-
ing an organization under the leadership of the bishop of Rome, or pope. In addition to
priests who served local churches, monks and nuns withdrew from society to devote their
time to prayer and meditation. As it spread throughout the Roman world, Christianity
gained popularity because of its appeal to all social classes, especially the poor. Women
received new status as Christianity taught that men and women were equal in matters of
faith. After the fall of the western Roman Empire, Christianity spread to northern Europe,
the Balkans, and Russia.