Importance of Anatolia and Yalvac in the Development of Religions
Importance of Anatolia – Anatolia’s generous heart and warm embrace were the tolerant setting for historical events related to the birth and spread of religions.
The development of Christianity and many of the elements crucial to it make up an important part of Anatolia’s cultural treasures.
In Palestine, the place of its birth, the new Christian faith was unable to make much progress and its adherents headed in the direction of Asia Minor-Anatolia-instead. In the next
Importance of Anatolia – Christianity began to spread and organize itself in Anatolia; and four cities-Antioch, Ephesus, Tarsus, and Antiocheia (Antiocheia in Pisidia, ie Yalvac) were targeted for this.
Development of Christianity in Yalvac St Paul undertook three important missions to propagate the new faith in Anatolia. Choosing this city of Antiocheia as his center, it was here that he proclaimed the new religion to all who would listen. It was from Yalvac (Antiocheia) that Christianity began to radiate all over the world.
Christian religion
One of the first four apostles of the Christian religion, Paul was also its first theoretician. His knowledge of religion was deep. An eloquent speaker with the ability to command respect and enormous drive, he played a crucial role in the spreading of the new faith.
Importance of Anatolia – At the time, Yalvac (Antiocheia) was a city where one could find living side by side the devotees of oriental mysteries, Jews, idolaters, and pagans. There was also, however, a class of well-off people for whom monotheism, the belief in a single, all-powerful supreme being, had a strong appeal.
This was the setting that Paul found himself in when he arrived here to preach the new religion. Paul was driven by the love for God that he bore in his heart to teach it to others and believed it was his duty to do so. And his conviction gave him the strength to travel great distances under the most difficult conditions, preaching and making converts.
