Romans and Christians AD 64 (PDF)

Romans and Christians AD 64 is an experiential learning module for use by youth ministers, campus ministers, and teachers of church history. It is designed to be used to present the subjects of martyrdom and persecution in the early church. It has been extensively play-tested and has proven very effective with junior-high and high-school students, and even with college-age students and older adults. This play-testing has determined that Romans and Christians AD 64 works best as an intergenerational learning experience or as "intergenerational catechesis."

Romans and Christians AD 64 has three components. First, it provides a general introduction to the subjects of martyrdom and persecution in the early church, complete with specific analyses of several important ancient documents and lists of primary sources such as apologies, martyrologies, and exhortations to martyrdom. Second, after laying this historical groundwork, the module explains how to play a role-playing game that offers a chance to reenact the famous Neronic Persecution of AD 64. Third, a DVD (an audiovisual "rulebook") accompanies the game. The DVD explains the game using words and real game footage. This "experiment in experiential learning" allows participants to work through in an entertaining and memorable format the historical dynamics that the early church faced.