CONSTANTINE & CHRISTIANITY
DIOCLETIAN’S REORGANIZATION OF EMPIRE:
TETRARCHY 284-305 AD “rule of four”
Motive: military defense of frontiers
orderly succession
Four rulers:
two Augusti (Diocletian as Senior Augustus)
two Caesars (adopted successors)
Four Prefectures and their capitals: none at
GAUL
Capitals:
| | |
(near
near
Rulers: West
East
|
|
Senior
Caesar
Augustus Augustus
Caesar
Constantius Maximian
Diocletian Maximianus
|
| (abdicate
in 305 AD)
son
son
|
|
305 Abdication of Diocletian and Maximian; their Caesars become Augusti
306 - 312 battle for succesion among
all of the above, except Diocletian;
plus addition of Licinus in 308
312
defeats and kills Maxentius at
313 Licinius consolidates military hold on East
323 Battle of Adrianople: defeat of Licinius by
324
moves capital to Constantinople (former Byzantium)
CHRISTIANITY: Jewish origins
Hebrew Bible, Book of Genesis
Adam & Eve, fall from original state
Covenant between God and the Jewish people
Messianic religion: expectation of Messiah, savior
Story of Christ: New Testament
Christian Gospels:
Matthew, Mark, Luke & John = Evangelists
Life of Christ: birth, preaching, death
Acts of the Apostles: accounts of Jesus’ followers
Peter as the head of twelve apostles
Epistles of St Paul: letters to Christian groups in Empire
Christianity on nature of man, salvation and history
especially St. Paul’s Epistles
original
sin: corruption of human nature
including intellect (mind) & will (choice)
redemption
through divine grace
versus Jewish covenant and law
Christ's
Incarnation and Crucifixion
as source of grace
break in historical time, salvation now possible
Baptism as symbol and instrument of grace
sign of Christian conversion
Eschatology = study of things pertaining to last days, end times
Christian Gospels: idea of Second Coming of Christ
rejection of material world:
"My Kingdom is not of this world“
Asceticism: fasting, celibacy, suspicion of sex
Roman persecution of Christians as new religion
not able to be assimilated into polytheistic
site
of martyrdom of Peter & Paul: pilgrimage site
Christian view of
Doctrine of Apostolic succession: scriptural basis Matt 16:18:
"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
Christianity as persecuted sect in 1-3rd centuries:
intermittent persecution from Nero to Diocletian
260-302 period of toleration of Christianity, followed by
302-312 renewed persecutions under Diocletian (284-305)
martyrdom: reverence for bodies of dead;
cult of saints, relics
Christian attitude to classical culture 2cd - 4th C:
EPISTEMOLOGY = theories of knowledge
study of principles by which man knows
Gradual change:
1) early Christian rejection of Greek philosophy
as rationalistic, "only human,” not divine
Tertullian (155-222) "Credo
quia absurdum est.”
“I believe because it is absurd"
FIDEISM: faith as superior to reason
2) Origen of Alexandria (185-254) acceptance
of
Greek learning
& "Pax Romana“ as
conditions for spread of Gospel
effort to reconcile reason and religion
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
CONSTANTINE as first Christian Emperor
Conversion during military struggle with rival Emperor Maxentius
from worship of sun god Apollo to Christianity
312 BATTLE OF MILVIAN BRIDGE –
sees cross inscribed on sun;
hears
voice "In hoc signo vinces.”
“In this sign you shall win."
Constantinople as "new Rome" and "capital of Christianity":
330 capital moved to Byzantium/Constantinople -- religious,
military
& administrative reasons, capital until 1453
380 Christianity becomes official religion of Empire
under Emperor Theodosius I (378-395)
pagan sacrifices outlawed,
including in city of Rome
325 COUNCIL OF NICEA:
1st ecumenical (world-wide) council
of Christian Church
called by
CAESAROPAPISM: Caesar acts as
Pope,
fusion of Church and State
council condemns as heresy
(incorrect doctrine)
he view of the Trinity taught by
ARIANS: followers of Arius
Christ as son is lesser being than Father
Nicene Creed : orthodox
definition of Trinity stated by Council of Nicea
Son is of “same substance” with the Father
(Greek = homo-ousia)
CHRISTIANITY IN
Early Christian martyrs (those who died for the faith)
St. Peter: first of the Apostles, Bishop of Rome
Apostle to the Gentiles (= non-Jewish people)
converted on road to
author of Epistles (Letters) to Romans, Corinthians
DOCTRINE OF PAPAL PRIMACY IN
East: CAESAROPAPISM -- "Caesar acts as Pope"
pattern set by
Emperor calls church
councils, decides doctrinal disputes
West:
Roman church resists Imperial control from the East
evolve doctrine of papal primacy within Church
Pope as primus inter pares (first among
equals
among Christian Bishops)
tension between church and state in West
Doctrin of APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION from Peter
gatekeeper of Heaven, holds "keys
of kingdom"
Scriptural foundation of Peter's authority: Matt 16:18=
"Thou art Peter & upon this rock I will
build my church.“
body in
pallium (symbol of Papal authority) placed
on tomb
of St. Peter by each newly chosen pope
CHRISTIANITY IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE:
313 Edict of Milan: toleration of Christian worship
324 Capital moved to
Christian city, free of Roman paganism
337 deathbed Baptism of Constantine
Theodosius the Great
380 suppression of pagan worship
including the city of