Lecture 15: The Extension of Christian Culture
o The kingdom of Armenia, a Roman client state adjacent to
Asia Minor, made Christianity the official religion under King
Tiridates III in 301 as a result of the influence of Gregory the
Illuminator; Armenia was, in fact, the first kingdom in history
to declare itself officially Christian.o The kingdom of Georgia, formerly a Roman province, made
Christianity the official religion under Mirian III sometime
between 317 and 327 (the dates are disputed).o In Yemen, at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula, a teacher named
Hayyan established a Christian school around 400; Christians
survived there until overrun by the Muslims in the 7th century.o Ethiopia became officially Christian in 330 under the ruler
Ezana of Axum.o The East German tribe known as the Vandals had some
members converted to Christianity in 364 under the emperor
Valens. In the 4th and 5th centuries, both the Visigoths and the
Ostrogoths converted to Christianity.• Several aspects of this geographical and demographical extension
are worth noting.
o The translation of the Bible into new languages (Ethiopic,
Georgian, Armenian, Gothic) was a key element in the
“Christianizing” of new lands and people. Christianity in its
new languages continued to be a literate and scriptural religion.o Christianity became even more catholic (in the sense of
“universal”) as it embraced new populations and cultures
beyond its original Jewish, Greek, and Roman roots.• The character of the “Christianity” that thus expanded also had
some ambiguous aspects.
o It was often superficial, with strong elements of indigenous
paganism remaining; even more than within the empire, small