...converted to Christianity, he was always very sympathetic and tolerant toward Christians. In 312, Constantine converted to Christianity, after having a vision of a cross superimposed against the sun. With his conversion, a great change in the Roman Empire occurred. Christianity witnessed a great expansion within the Empire, as many citizens followed Constantine’s movement. The Christian population witnessed its biggest growth from about 5 million in the year 300 to about 300 million in 410AD under his influence. Christianity became the religion of the majority. During this time, Constantine had a personal mission to convert the Roman Empire to Christianity. Due to the fact that his religious conversion took place at the same time the he was establishing his control over the western provinces of the Empire, a link was created between the church and the state, placing a lot of power in the hands of Christian religion. Constantine’s first great contribution was in the year 313AD; Constantine, alongside his co-emperor in the East, Licinius, granted universal religious freedom through the Edict of Milan. This gave legal equality to all cults and restored confiscated property to the Christians. With the great acceptance of Christianity and its intermingling within the political aspects of the Empire, great changes within the church also took place. Bishops gained judicial responsibilities and worked alongside bureaucrats, both allowing the church t3o have an influence on secular...
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...History of Christianity Constantine: A Rulers effect on Christianity Since the beginning of time, the ancient Romans worshipped hundreds of gods and goddesses. Many of those deities came from foreign lands that the Romans had conquered. As different faiths sprang up across the ever-expanding empire, they were more or less tolerated. Such open attitude, however, was not the case for Judaism and Christianity. Both religions pointedly refused to honor Roman gods and to idolize Roman emperors. As a result, the Jews and Christians endured centuries of hardship. That was until Constantine took control of Rome introducing tolerance throughout the empire. Throughout this paper the research will show how Constantine’s conversion to Christianity shaped and has continue to shape how Christianity spread throughout the World. Christian Life Before Constantine Before we can dive into how Constantine shaped the Christian world we need to talk about the life of a Christian before Constantine was emperor. A Christian’s life was not fully marked with persecution, as it is commonly believed. While Diocletian was sole emperor Christians lived in relative peace with the Roman government. Eusebius who described the time with extraordinary terms “the glory and the liberty with which the doctrine of piety was honoured” documented this fact. It was not until Diocletian shared the throne with Galerius that the empire began persecuting Christians again. The two of them convened in Nicmedia in...
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...of Europe and Western Civilization for centuries to come. His recognition and support of Christianity was one of the most important moments in world history. Moving the government of the Roman Empire to Constantinople and founding New Rome was one of the most significant decisions made by a Roman ruler. This is just one indication of his importance in history and the honor in which he was held by his people. Constantine was born in Naissus, a town in Serbia, on February 27 probably sometime in the 270’s CE. His mother was named Helena who would later become a Christian. Because of her good works, she was made a Christian saint after her death. Constantine’s father was a career military officer named Constantius. Constantine was married at least twice and had four sons Crispus, Constantine II, Constantius, Constans. Constantius, his father, was in charge of the Roman Province of Britannia. When Constantius died Constantine, was immediately proclaimed emperor by the army. However, it took many years of political struggle and actual civil war before he could consolidate his power. Constantine finally became the ruler of the Roman Empire in 323 CE. Constantine’s major accomplishments, the most important were his recognition of the Christianity. In 313 CE, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan which allowed full freedom for Christians to practice their faith. The edict made Christianity equal to the religion of the Roman Empire. The Edict of Milan also ordered the return of...
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...BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY The Impact the Alleged Conversion of Constantine the Great had on Christianity Submitted to Dr. Gregory Tomlin, in partial fulfillment of the degree requirements for the completion of the course CHHI 520-D02 History of Christianity I By Jerome O. Holmes May 4, 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 CONSTANTINE BACKGROUND 2 CONSTANTINE’S CONVERSION 3 THE AUTHENTICITY OF CONSTANTINE’S CONVERSION 4 CONSTANTINE CONVERSION AND ITS IMPACT ON CHRISTIANITY 6 CONCLUSION 12 BIBLIOGRAPHY 13 INTRODUCTION In an effort to create a, “new Rome,” out of the declining Roman Empire, Constantine the Great implemented many changes that included, but not limited to, openly embracing and supporting the Christians who had been persecuted under Roman emperors for three centuries. Edward A. Johnson, in his article, Constantine the Great: Imperial Benefactor of the Early Church stated that Constantine was an important figure in Roman history because, “…he ended the imperial persecution of the Church and unified the declining Roman Empire. Not much is known about Constantine personally. Much of what has been written regarding the emperor was writing by the historian Eusebius of Caesaria; and he presented Constantine in the best possible light. Constantine, as stated, is best known for his support of Christianity by the decisions he made and the edicts he passed. However, many scholars have criticized his...
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...differences have created new societies and even sparked domestic and international conflicts. Beyond these areas of influence, religion has affected art in the form of the colloquial idea of art as well as literature, sculpture and architecture. Two structures where religion plays heavy influence, in differing time periods are the Arch of Constantine in Rome, Italy, and the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral in Paris, France. The two exhibit the different views of Christianity in their respective time periods. While, the Arch of Constantine was constructed during the rise of Christianity and the Notre Dame de Paris was originally constructed during a time when the norm was to build extravagant pieces as a tribute to God. The political, cultural, religious and economic climates all had a hand in creating the similarities and differences between the two structures. This analysis will show that regardless of temporal period religion plays a significant role in architecture during the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. The construction of churches and religious-themed buildings was common in the newly emerging city-states and the already well-established areas. The arch was commissioned by the Roman Senate in the fourth century A.D., in the Italian city of Rome situated between the Coliseum and the Palatine Hill. The beginnings of Christianity, or the Flowering of Christianity as Sayre describes it, saw the construction of the Arch of Constantine in Rome. The triple arch is dedicated to...
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...Constantine. The six decades between the Council of Nicaea and the Council of Constantinople in 381, Arianism experienced many victories. There were periods where Arian bishops constituted the majority of the visible ecclesiastical hierarchy. Primarily through the force of political power, Arian sympathisers soon took to undoing the condemnation of Arius and his theology. Eusebius of Nicomedia and others attempted to overturn Nicaea, and for a number of decades it looked as if they might succeed. Constantine adopted a compromising position under the influence of various sources, including Eusebius of Caesarea and a politically worded “confession” from Arius. Constantine put little stock in the definition of Nicaea itself. During the reign of Constantine the creed of Nicaea was sacrosanct, although the Arian leaders who had been exiled returned and Eusebius of Nicomedia became the leader of the anti-Nicene coalition. Due to Constantine’s view of the creed Eusebuis of Nicomedia policy was to not attack the creed but the personality behind it; The Emperor Constantine. Arius along with two other Bishops Eusebius and Theognis refused to sign the creed of Nicaea and were consequently excommunicated however, soon after their banishment, wrote a declaration that they had changed their opinion, and now agreed in the belief that the Son and the Father are of the same substance. Although...
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...Emperor Constantine the Great, (312 to 337 A.D), who was both the inward life and outward strength of the Church. The Roman Catholics present him as laying the foundation for the Papacy, Protestants see him as the one responsible for leading the early Church away from the simplicity of the pure gospel and turning it into an institutional Church. Thus this short paper seeks to explore the life of Constantine and his contribution to the Christian church. Family and Birth of Constantine: Flavius Valerius Constantinus, known as Constantine the Great, was born on February 27, c. 280, in Naissus, in the province of Moesia Superior (Serbia). Constantine's mother was named Helena, described as a barmaid, and his father was a military officer named Constantius. Constantius would become the Emperor Constantius I (Constantius Chlorus) and Constantine's mother would become famous as the canonized St. Helena. Helena is thought to have found a portion of the cross of Jesus.Constantine had for siblings, three half-sister and three half-brothers, the products of his father's marriage to a second woman of less shady background than Helena's. On October 28, 312, Emperor Constantine met Emperor Maxentius, his major rival to the imperial throne, in battle just outside the city of Rome at the Milvian Bridge. The day before the battle, Constantine appealed to the God of the Christians to give him victory over the pagan Maxentius. In response, God gave him and his army a vision of a shining cross...
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...Christ was a historical figure of staggering influence -Over 80 gospels were considered for NT, but Constantine the Great chose the 4 of Matt, Mark, Luke, John -Was Constantine a Christian? Hardly – He was a lifelong pagan who was baptized on his deathbed, too weak to protest -In Constantine’s day, Rome’s official religion was sun worship – the cult of Sol Invictus, or Invincible Sun – and Constantine was its head priest -After crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Christ’s followers had multiplied exponentially and Constantine changed religion to Christianity because he was a good businessman, because he could see that Christianity was on the rise and he simply backed the winning one -Historians still marvel at the brilliance with which Constantine converted the sun-worshipping pagans to Christianity -Fused pagan symbols, dates, and rituals into growing Christian tradition, he created a kind of hybrid religion that was acceptable to both parties -transmogrification the vestiges of pagan religion into Christian symbology are undeniable -Egyptian sun disks became the halos of Catholic saints; Pictograms of Isis nursing her miraculously conceived son Horus became the blueprint for our modern images of the Virgin Mary nursing Baby Jesus; and virtual all the elements of the Catholic ritual, the miter, the alter, the doxology and communion, the act of “God-eating” – were taken directly from earlier pagan mystery religions -Nothing in Christianity is original; the Pre-Christian God Mithras...
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...Roman art is seen as materialistic and Christian and Byzantine art are noted as spiritual. There is a distinct character to both the religious influence of Christianity and the declining Roman Empire. Art in many aspects of all of the above are imitations of reality and the reality concerning the Christian and Byzantine time was not so materialistic and possessed more intricate and mystical communications. The art during this period was amalgamated with the faith of Christianity making a clear distinction between Early Christian and Byzantine art difficult. Early Christian art was similar to Roman artworks there was no actual difference regarding technique only the content of the work. I found the artworks in the catacombs the most amazing...
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...the Roman Empire because the Romans felt that Christianity challenged and offended the Greco-Roman Gods and the Christians were prone to revolt against Roman rule. Christianity survived because it had many teachings that appealed to the downtrodden in Roman society, these teachings being that even though they were suffering they would gain equality and possibly superiority in the next life, Christianity gave them hope. When Emperor Constantine “converted” to Christianity, this conversion is not fact and often debated, after the Christian God gave him a vision that he would win a battle if he put the sign of Jesus Christ on his soldier’s banners. He did and won the battle decisively giving credit to the Christian God and then proceeded to favor Christianity over all religions in the Empire. Constantine’s favor was the turning point in the Christian religion. Under his rule Roman citizens converted in droves. When the Western Roman Empire collapsed around 476 A.D. all non-religious authority broke down throughout this empire and central Europe. Germanic tribes began to invade and take over these areas and the rule of law became almost non-existent. The Catholic Church maintained its organization giving the Christians a place to look for guidance during this dark time only increasing their power and influence. Because of the lawlessness of this era other hallmarks of Roman life dwindled including education (How Christianity rose to dominate Europe n.d.). The lack of education...
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...Roman Empire The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings around the Mediterranean in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Population: 56.8 million (25 BC) Capitals: Rome, Constantinople, Ravenna Area: 1.062 million sq miles Founded: 27 BC Continent: Europe Government: Autocracy, Stratocracy The Founding of Rome The Founding of Rome is very much embroiled in myth. Traces found by archaeologists of early settlements of the Palatine Hill date back to ca 750 BC. This ties in very closely to the established legend that Rome was founded on 21 April 753 BC, which was traditionally celebrated in Rome with the festival of Parilia. Two founding legends exist - Romulus and Remus and Aeneas. Rather than contradict each other, the tale of Aeneas adds to that of Romulus and Remus. King Numitor of Alba Longa was ejected by his younger brother Amulius. To do away with any further possible pretenders to his usurped throne, Amulius murdered Numitor's sons and forced Numitor's daughter, Rhea Silvia, to become a vestal virgin. However Mars, the god of war became enchanted by her beauty and had his way with Rhea Silvia while she slept. As a result of this Rhea Silvia bore twins, Romulus and Remus. An enraged Amulius had Rhea Silvia thrown into the river Tiber where she was caught beneath the waves by the river god who married her. The twins were set adrift...
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...of are those of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. What most of us don’t know is that these weren’t the only ones written. Imagine the amount of people in that era who decided to write about Jesus’ trials. His life was recorded by thousands of followers across the land. A tale so interesting and compelling, but it was scattered and unorganized because people’s accounts on facts and occurrences differed. The word spread and about 300 years after the crucifixion of Christ, the number of his followers had multiplied which led to Christianity becoming a major movement throughout Eastern Europe. The Bible wasn’t a published book until someone with enough power and a clever plan got their hands on the loose pages that were the gospels. You may know him as Constantine the Great. He was the current Roman Emperor in 325 A.D. Few know that in his day, Rome’s official religion was a pagan cult based on sun worship— and Constantine was the head priest. The more Christianity expanded, the more of a threat it became as to omitting other religions, including Rome’s. The Emperor foresaw the...
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...Nwaneri CHPL 600 9/17/13 Abstract The free expression of religion has been an ongoing struggle since way back when and through the establishment of the First Amendment; a solution to the madness was created. Before the implementation of this amendment; societies’ involvement in trying to influence the U.S.’s practices of religion has become an ongoing controversy within the history books. Based on the first amendment, Hutson’s Church and State in America tells us that “The amendment simply states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This amendment prevented the federal government from establishing a national religion and allowed people to freely exercise their religious beliefs and practices. The amendment appeared straightforward, but in practice it was ambiguous and increasingly controversial.” Hutson emphasized in the earlier parts of the text how although there were several belief systems that existed during the 17th century like the Anglicans, Puritans and Catholics; there was a solution needed for the state to intervene and establish a central church for everyone to follow by force. As a result of Constantine’s efforts, the doctrine of exclusive salvation was established which stated that “uniformity of faith – for if all were to be saved, all must believe the same truth – and persecution of dissent. “The case for theological persecution, is unanswerable,” wrote a distinguished expositor of the doctrine...
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...LIBERTY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SEPERATION OF CHURCH AND STATE A NEEDED REFORM PROPOSED BY THE ANABAPTISTS SUBMITTED TO DR. TIMOTHY McALHANEY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR CHHI 525 – HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY 2 SECTION B13 BY DEAN GREGORY STUDENT ID # XXXXXXXXXX SUBMITTED ON TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 2 CHURCH AND STATE RELATIONS 2 THE BEGINNING 3 PRE-REFORMATION ABUSE 3 REFORMATION 4 POST-REFORMATION 8 CHURCH AND STATE SEPARATION 8 CONSLUSION 10 BIBLOGRAPHY 11 INTRODUCTION Constantine changed the relationship between the church and the state from seeing the church as a threat to seeing the church as a way to bind a nation together. Over time, the church and the state blended to the point of them becoming seen as one institution instead of two distinct institutions. As the church became more and more politically powerful, it was able to control state affairs to the point of being proclaimed the official religion of the state. This intertwining of the church and state eventually was seen by some radical groups, like the Anabaptist, in need of change during the Reformation period. It has been shown during the reformation that a state sanctioned religion has typically caused corruption in the religion, bloodshed in the name of God, and shows the Anabaptist desire to separate the church and state to be a superior model. This paper will argue the need of the church to be separate...
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...Man in Genesis: “Be fertile and increase, fill the earth and master it”. As Peter Berger, a social theorist notes that in this the idea of a secular world is sown as a God who stands outside of the Cosmos which is his creation. This opens the way for self making activity which Berger calls ‘historization’. Caesar was the emperor of Rome. In a famous passage Jesus said, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's". Some have thought that Jesus' statement established two separate realms, Caesar's and God's, and that people should render to each what they ask for in their respective realms. Later, during the rule of Roman Emperor Constantine 1 the two worlds were sought to be brought together. Christianity became a dominant religion of the Roman...
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