A New Religion: Reversal of Fortune
It was apparently Emperor Diocletian's caesar Galerius who convinced Diocletian to initiate persecutions of Christians. Galerius continued this policy wholeheartedly when he became augustus (senior emperor) of the east in 305. Then, in 311, Galerius was struck with an incapacitating and quite painful disease. Possibly fearing that the Christian god was wreaking vengeance on him for his unstinting harassment of Christians, Galerius issued, with some reluctance, an edict of toleration on April 30, 311.
(He died not long afterwards.) This was the beginning of an important change for Christians and Christianity in Rome -- but it was only the beginning.
The true hero of the Christian cause in late imperial Rome was the emperor Constantine. On his way to power, Constantine won a significant battle (the Battle of Milvian Bridge) using the sign of the cross as his standard. From then on he professed Christianity, and as emperor he did much to increase the power and prestige of the religion within the empire -- starting with the Edict of Milan in 313, which guaranteed religious tolerance.
Some scholars have questioned the true depth of Constantine's faith, and he may indeed have chosen to profess Christianity because he viewed the move as politically expedient. But there is no denying that the emperor did everything he could to support not only the Christian religion, but Christians themselves. He returned the property that had been taken from Christians during the persecutions of his predecessors to their rightful owners or to their heirs.
He appointed Christians to positions of authority. Decurions (cavalry officers) could avoid duty by joining the clergy. He allowed bishops to hold civil courts, giving Christian clergy an important role in secular society. All of this made it suddenly advantageous to join the Christian religion, and citizens converted to Christianity in droves.
Constantine also helped the Christian Church as an entity increase in prestige. He built magnificent churches, modeled largely on traditional Roman public architecture. He allowed the Church to receive legacies, and he granted it considerable agricultural land, the revenues of which supported the institution. It wasn't long before the Christian Church became the most powerful land owner in western Europe.
Furthermore, Constantine took a direct interest in the organization of the Christian Church, calling the first ecumenical council at Nicea in 325. Councils had been called before to deal with specific matters of doctrine, but these had been local conventions to address specific problems of concern to those local bishops. The council of 325 was convened specifically to deal with the problem of Arianism in Alexandria, yet all bishops were called to be present, and nearly all who could make it to Nicea did attend. The Council of Nicea dealt with a variety of doctrinal matters, including rules for ordination, Episcopal elections, excommunication, and the question of the proper date of Easter. It set an important precedent for future councils.
Through these measures, Constantine initiated a sea change in the status of Christianity, and almost all of the emperors who followed him in the fourth century would take up the Christian faith and promote it, as well.
The Roots of Medieval Civilization - A New Religion
Introduction
Part 1: The Founders of Christianity
Part 2: The Spread and Survival of Early Christianity
Part 3: Divisions and Conflict in Early Christianity
Part 4: Reversal of Fortune
Part 5: The Consolidation of Christian Thought
Part 6: The Establishment of the Papacy
The links below will take you to a site where you can compare prices at booksellers across the web. More in-depth info about the book may be found by clicking on to the book's page at one of the online merchants.
The Early Church
(The Penguin History of the Church)
by Henry Chadwick
The History of the Church: From Christ to Constantine
(Penguin Classics)
by Eusebius; edited and with an introduction by Andrew Louth; translated by G. A. Williamson
Early Christian Doctrines: Revised Edition
by J. N. D. Kelly
Early Christian Fathers
(Library of Christian Classics)
by Cyril Richardson
(He died not long afterwards.) This was the beginning of an important change for Christians and Christianity in Rome -- but it was only the beginning.
The First Christian Emperor
The true hero of the Christian cause in late imperial Rome was the emperor Constantine. On his way to power, Constantine won a significant battle (the Battle of Milvian Bridge) using the sign of the cross as his standard. From then on he professed Christianity, and as emperor he did much to increase the power and prestige of the religion within the empire -- starting with the Edict of Milan in 313, which guaranteed religious tolerance.
Some scholars have questioned the true depth of Constantine's faith, and he may indeed have chosen to profess Christianity because he viewed the move as politically expedient. But there is no denying that the emperor did everything he could to support not only the Christian religion, but Christians themselves. He returned the property that had been taken from Christians during the persecutions of his predecessors to their rightful owners or to their heirs.
He appointed Christians to positions of authority. Decurions (cavalry officers) could avoid duty by joining the clergy. He allowed bishops to hold civil courts, giving Christian clergy an important role in secular society. All of this made it suddenly advantageous to join the Christian religion, and citizens converted to Christianity in droves.
Constantine also helped the Christian Church as an entity increase in prestige. He built magnificent churches, modeled largely on traditional Roman public architecture. He allowed the Church to receive legacies, and he granted it considerable agricultural land, the revenues of which supported the institution. It wasn't long before the Christian Church became the most powerful land owner in western Europe.
Furthermore, Constantine took a direct interest in the organization of the Christian Church, calling the first ecumenical council at Nicea in 325. Councils had been called before to deal with specific matters of doctrine, but these had been local conventions to address specific problems of concern to those local bishops. The council of 325 was convened specifically to deal with the problem of Arianism in Alexandria, yet all bishops were called to be present, and nearly all who could make it to Nicea did attend. The Council of Nicea dealt with a variety of doctrinal matters, including rules for ordination, Episcopal elections, excommunication, and the question of the proper date of Easter. It set an important precedent for future councils.
Through these measures, Constantine initiated a sea change in the status of Christianity, and almost all of the emperors who followed him in the fourth century would take up the Christian faith and promote it, as well.
Next: Part 5: The Consolidation of Christian Thought
The Roots of Medieval Civilization - A New Religion
Introduction
Part 1: The Founders of Christianity
Part 2: The Spread and Survival of Early Christianity
Part 3: Divisions and Conflict in Early Christianity
Part 4: Reversal of Fortune
Part 5: The Consolidation of Christian Thought
Part 6: The Establishment of the Papacy
Sources and Suggested Reading
The links below will take you to a site where you can compare prices at booksellers across the web. More in-depth info about the book may be found by clicking on to the book's page at one of the online merchants.
The Early Church
(The Penguin History of the Church)
by Henry Chadwick
The History of the Church: From Christ to Constantine
(Penguin Classics)
by Eusebius; edited and with an introduction by Andrew Louth; translated by G. A. Williamson
Early Christian Doctrines: Revised Edition
by J. N. D. Kelly
Early Christian Fathers
(Library of Christian Classics)
by Cyril Richardson
The Roots of Medieval Civilization: A New Religion: Reversal of Fortune is copyright ©2012-2014 Melissa Snell. Permission is granted to use this feature for personal or classroom use only, as long as the URL below is included. Permission is not granted to duplicate this content on another website. For publication permission, please visit About's Reprint Permissions page.
The URL for this feature is:
http://historymedren.D106/od/General-Histories/a/Reversal-Of-Fortune.htm