The reorientation of western cultural tradition towards christianity

Abstract

The transition from paganism to Christianity in the West was a fundamental shift in values driven by a new attitude toward life, centered on faith and hope for an afterlife. The initially predominant oral tradition was transformed into a written tradition due to the growth of congregations and the need to define orthodox doctrine in the face of heresies such as Gnosticism, Marcionism, and Montanism. Church Fathers, such as Origen and Augustine, systematized theology, fusing Greco-Roman knowledge with Christian tradition. Rivalries between ecclesiastical centers, such as Rome and Constantinople, influenced theological controversies. Christianity assimilated cultural elements from diverse traditions, such as Sumerian, Babylonian, Egyptian, Persian, and Greek, to become a dominant cultural organization.