CONSTANTINE AND CHRISTIANITY                                                                  

I. EARLY CHRISTIANITY:
            social traits: cosmopolitan, egalitarian, communal
      Church Organization --
            Bishops: head of local Christian community
            presbyters (Greek term = elders), later called priests
            deacons: laymen active in church charitable works
            catechumens: those preparing for Baptism through catechism

      Christianity on nature of man, salvation and history (Paul)
            original sin: corruption of human nature/intellect/will
            need for redemption through divine grace (vs Jewish law)
            Christ's Incarnation and Crucifixion= source of grace,
                        break in historical time, salvation now possible

      Eschatology = study of things pertaining to last days;
            Gospels: idea of Second Coming of Christ, along with
                  rejection of material world: "My Kingdom is not of this world"
            Asceticism: fasting, celibacy, suspicion of sex
      Rome as center of Christianity:
            site of martyrdom of Peter & Paul: pilgrimage site
            doctrine of Apostolic succession: scriptural basis Matt l6:l8:
             "Thou art Peter & upon this rock (petrus) I will build my Church"
            Bishop of Rome: "primus inter pares" (first among equals);
                        takes Roman title = pontifex maximus = POPE
      60-302 period of toleration of Christianity, followed by
      302-312 renewed persecutions at end of Diocletian's reign (284-305)
       martyrdom: reverence for bodies of dead; cult of saints, relics

Christian attitude to classical culture 2cd - 4th C: evolution in
       EPISTEMOLOGY = study of principles by which man knows
       1. early Christian rejection of Greek philosophy as "only human"
            Tertullian (155-222) "Credo quia absurdum / I believe because
            it is absurd" = FIDEISM: faith as superior to reason
       2. new attitude: Origen of Alexandria (l85-254)
             Greek learning & "Pax Romana" for spread of Gospel

   II. EMPEROR CONSTANTINE 306-307 (son of former Ceasar Constantius)

     Conversion during military struggle with rival Emperor Maxentius
          312 BATTLE OF MILVIAN BRIDGE -- Sees cross inscribed on sun;
             hears voice "In hoc signo vince/In this sign you shall win."
          313 EDICT OF MILAN: freedom of worship for all religions (including Christianity)

          324 conquest of Eastern Empire (vs Licinius)- power consolidated        
          330 Roman religion suppressed; public sacrifices prohibited

     Constantinople as "new Rome" and "capital of Christianity":
          330 capital moved to Byzantium/Constantinople -- religious,
              military & administrative reasons, capital until l453
         380 Christianity  becomes official religion of Empire
                           under Emperor Theodosius I (378-395)
             pagan sacrifices outlawed, including in city of Rome

     ARIAN HERESY (CHRISTOLOGY = study of the nature of Christ)
          Arius of Alexandria 250-336, priest and theologian
               318 theory that Christ is subordinate to God the Father
               popular spread due to "common sense" aspect of Arianism

         COUNCIL OF NICEA, 325  condemns Arianism as heresy;
                          first ecumenical council: oikoumen = "world" in Greed
                           representatives of all Christian churches
              NICENE CREED = orthodox statement on Trinity
                           written by Athanasius, Christian theologian
         Arians expelled from Empire, go to Germany where they convert
             various German tribes to Arianism (Vandals, Visigoths)

    CAESAROPAPISM: Caesar acts as Pope
             Eastern model of church state relations:
             Emperor as head of both church & state