Before:
The physical and political founding of the Church was surrounded by empire rule. Under the Roman Empire the great commission navigated systems that punished insubordination by death, and many early Christians were met with this fate. Interaction with Roman rule set the foundation for the Church’s understanding of existence. As more of the Roman Empire was converted to Christianity, the converts brought philosophies and values which entered into the conversation such as gender roles and house codes, thus beginning the longstanding history of controlling bodies.
After:
The Christian Church’s founding occurred under Roman Empirical rule--the Romans dominated the Middle East entirely through establishing local governments and force. Even under the Roman Empire’s strict guidelines, the Apostles journeyed far and wide. Under the great commission--Jesus’s decree to the faithful to go out into the world and make disciples of all nations--believers navigated systems that punished insubordination by death. Existence under Roman laid the Church’s foundational identity. As Christianity spread, converts brought new philosophies and values into the Religion’s basic nature through gender roles and house codes--a Roman understanding of household hierarchy. In this way, Christianity slowly morphed from a radical religion built on inclusion and established itself to fit in as it became more popular.