Constantine: The Development Of The Early Christian

Improved Essays
There are several great men who were instrumental in the development of the early Christian church, Ignatius pastor of the church at Antioch, and Origen the great teacher to name a couple. However, from a place of political power, none were more influential than Constantine, the Emperor of Rome. In this paper I will discuss a few highlights from the life of this gallant leader.

Reading from the textbook has provided great insight into the life of Constantine. Early on in his life it is likely that he was exposed to high level leadership, as his father, Augustus Constantius Chlorus, was also a ruler in the Roman Empire. Perhaps Constantine’s support for Christianity was inspired by his father. During a time when it was decreed by the throne

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    1. The conversion of Constantine. Brookes claims, “Persecution breeds heroes” and defends Constantine’s conversion based on “the establishment.” Although Constantine at first held tight as a pagan priest, he appeared to favor Christians when he ordered it a capital crime to worship idols. In 312 A.D., Constantine made sure every soldier wore the monogram of Christ on their shield.…

    • 487 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Through political, social, and spiritual reforms, the empire grew and fell. While both men were deemed “Augusti”, the most efficient Augusti was Constantine. He removed the fear of being persecuted for one’s religion with the Edict of Milan, and moved the capital of the empire to a more central…

    • 1034 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    When we consider the vast differences between the mainstream Christianity of today and the original Christianity of Jesus Christ and the apostles, we can trace much of that change to Constantine and the religious system he put in power. These changes resulted in a growth within the Christian Church and of Christians in positions of power. Constantinian Christianity provided many benefits that the church welcomed, but it also brought with it many temptations and raised…

    • 1997 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Christians who traded or crafted would share the gospels wherever they went, bringing faith to many within the Roman empire. These “”roads greatly facilitated that church organization and brotherhood which strengthened the church to overcome the empire””. Finally, Rome influenced Christianity through Peace. “An outstanding characteristic of the Roman Empire is “peace.””…

    • 1419 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Constantine had become emperor of Rome in 306, and was considered the most powerful in that part of the world. When he converted to Christianity had most drastic effects on the common practice of the Christian religion and including the factions. When Constantine converted to the Christian religion it was during a war with his own brother and co-emperor named, Maxentius. Before an important battle of Milvian Bridge, Constantine was convinced that he should have seek assistance and guidance from a divine higher power. While Constantine was praying for guidance, he had received a vision from God which had consisted of a cross of light at midday which had an inscription which said, in hoc signo vinces, (in this sign you will be victorious).…

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Roman Emperor that I have chosen for this essay is Constantine. Constantine ruled the Roman Empire from 306 – 337 A.D. He was the most important emperor of the Late Antiquity. His powerful personality had laid down the foundations of the post-classical European civilization.…

    • 448 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Religion is a set of beliefs held by a group of people that help a person develop a strong moral character in order to do good deeds. It was an important factor that played a major role in the Roman Empire. While Diocletian eliminated all Christians due to their religious differences, Galerius and Constantine issued the Edict of Tolerations to protect them. Even though the Romans believed the rise of Christianity posed a threat to society, people started to change their beliefs when they gain different experiences about this new religion. During the first four centuries, Christianity was originally rejected though it promoted peace among people and helped spread the teachings of Jesus Christ to non-believers.…

    • 1065 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    His justified argument continues that almost every other action in his life was executed as a calculated decision made for political reasons. Defeating rivals, his involvement with the civil court system, killing family members, allowing pagans and Christians to live in peace, building new churches while leaving pagan temples intact, moving the heart of the Roman empire to Byzantine, forming a consul in Nicaea to unify the faith are all viewed from the same perspective per Potter. Constantine was a man who was born with a special ability to lead and developed a special skill-set that led to him making a series of judgements throughout his life that contributed to the growth of his personal faith but also the expansion of what is today a powerful world religion in…

    • 1066 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Constantine tried to unite both empires with Christianity, and he was the one that supported the religion causing it to spread all over Europe and Asia more vehemently. The Roman Empire was based on a state-sponsored polytheistic belief system that entailed cults, ceremonies, and worshipping multiple Gods; before the rise of a new religion. Christianity caused concern among the ruling class by how fast it was expanding, thus they opposed it until the fourth century C.E. when legal protections were given to…

    • 681 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    And while trust in human reason and hope for happiness in this world faded during the last centuries of the Roman Empire, a new view of the world began to establish its roots - Christianity. This view had emphasized escape from the world of coercion and a growing connection with higher existence. In response to the decline of Hellenism, Christianity offered a reason worth living to the spiritually disappointed polytheistic followers and the Greco-Roman world: hope in personal immortality. Triumph of Christianity marked a break with classical antiquity and a new stage in the evolution of the West because there was a fundamental difference between the classical and the Christian understanding of God, the individual and the purpose of life.…

    • 947 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Roman history, there were many leaders treated Christian very bad, they regarded Christian as evil. Because they thought Christian is a threat to their traditional religion and their dominant position. So they started persecute, to frame and even killing Christian. On the basis of Tacitus which is a Rome historian’s record and narrate. Nero deliberately incendiary in Rome city and fabricate it against Christians.…

    • 924 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “The Council of Nicaea established the equality of Father and Son and documented this in a creed, or universal statement of faith” (“National Geographic, 1”). At this meeting, the basis for a Christian ideology was established. The Christianity that we are familiar with today is based upon that things that were agreed on during these meetings with Bishops at the Council of Nicaea. A majority of Constantine’s successors practiced Christianity, which ultimately led to the disappearance of the Greek and Roman Gods. Constantine also began changing the pagan feasts and festivals to a Christian’s festivities, symbols and oracle were replaced by saints and bishops (Dutton, Marchand, & Harkness, 178).…

    • 1041 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Ignatius of Antioch and his Letter to the Magnesians Ignatius of Antioch was a key figure in the development and defending of orthodox thought in the beginnings of Christianity. Sentenced to death for his Christian beliefs, Ignatius wrote seven letters on his way to Rome to be put to death. These seven letters offered encouragement, instruction, and inspiration to the new Christians in communities he passed through. In his “Letter to the Magnesians”, specifically chapters eight and nine, Ignatius warns of the dangers of false doctrines and fables, but also encourages the people on their Christian journey.…

    • 1598 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    The recent disasters in Rome in 410, is reflected in Saint Augustine works from the City of God. These works will be discussed and analysis in order to gain a clearer picture of Augustine’s response to the Pagans, who suggest that the Christian faith had caused the recent disasters in Rome. However, Augustine does not go into too much detail of the recent disaster itself, but he does use Rome’s disaster as an example of the sins committed by the Romans Empire from the past, in order to make his case against the Pagans. Saint Augustine was born in the North Africa town of Thagate. When he got older, he was set to Cartage to study, there he got involved in with the Manichees.…

    • 1998 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Abelard and Augustine: Devout Sinners and Christians Abelard and St. Augustine felt compelled to write of their mistakes and misfortunes reflective of their lives. Despite the fact they did so in efforts to confess their sins, the two differ in a multitude of ways. Some of which include their approach for convincing people religion can provide them with salvation, or their attitudes towards religion in their earlier life. St. Augustine wrote within the first century where Christianity was a competitor when it came to religion. Up until this time, Roman Paganism was undoubtedly the main religion within Europe.…

    • 1671 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays