Andrew's Audio Tours of Early Christian Rome Andrew Garnett

Subsequent episodes are an on-the-ground guide to various sites in Rome, explaining what you’re seeing and how it intersects with the Christian story. This episode is a bit different, and today we’ll cover three things. First, we’ll talk about the purpose and the format of these podcast tours. Second, you’ll get a crash course on Roman history. Finally, we’ll end with a brief overview of the origins of Christianity.

Standing between the Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum is a good spot to experience two events which had a tremendous impact on the Christian faith. In the Colosseum we see a structure built by the emperor Vespasian, who captured Jerusalem and destroyed its Jewish temple. In the arch we see a monument to the emperor Constantine, who began the Christianization of Europe.

Trajan’s column and basilica—it doesn’t get more Roman than this. Standing among the ruins of one of Rome’s greatest emperors, you’re also deeply connected to Christian history. This tour has two stops; at both we’ll examine the Roman persecution of Christians. You’ll end your tour very close to Trajan’s market, and there is a separate tour for that site. You might consider tagging a stop at the markets onto the end of this tour.

Trajan’s market was built by one of Rome’s greatest emperors, and it’s a fascinating piece of ancient engineering. But it also is one of the best places to come to terms with the economic might of ancient Rome—and with the criticism of that economy that is found in the New Testament book of Revelation.

Listener Donald Griffith wanted to know if there was a connection between the Circus Maximus and the New Testament book of James. The Circus Maximus was the oldest and largest stadium in the city of Rome, and even today its 600 meter length dominates the area. But does this site intersect at all with the New Testament? There may not exactly be a connection, but there is an interesting contrast between the way that the two represent generosity and concern for the poor.

Santa Pudenziana is a site that’s a bit obscure, and it’s certainly not one of Rome’s most visited churches. But it’s an ancient place, and quite significant in its own way. Here you can examine the origin of Rome’s church buildings, and see some of the earliest remains of Christian worship anywhere in the world.