CONSTANTINE AND CHRISTIANITY                                                                  

I. EARLY CHRISTIANITY:
            social traits: cosmopolitan, egalitarian, communal
A. 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
B. 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
C. 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
D. 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
E.. 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 306-337 (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 (incl Xtianity)

          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 Xtianity = official religion of Empire under Emp. Theodosius I 378-395

     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;
              NICENE CREED = orthodox statement on Trinity