Effect of the Roman Empire on Christianity
How significant was The Roman Empire in Shaping Christianity both during the Pre and Post Nicean Age?
The Roman Empire obviously had a large effect on Christianity, up until the rule of Galerius from 98 AD to 117AD Christianity had been sporadically persecuted but with the relaxation of laws, there resulted in a steady conversion of the populace of Roman Empire even though roughly 10 percent by the year 300 AD were Christian1. This is why there was such surprise in the year 312 AD when the emperor Constantine told his forces to paint the Chi-Rho symbol on their shields before the battle of Milvian Bridge. It was not however until 380 that Christianity was made the official state religion during the reign of Theodosius but what pre Roman Christian values must also be investigated and the differences then have to be compared between that and the Church which remained after the fall of the Roman Empire. The effects which the Roman Empire had on Christianity can be seen in many ways firstly and maybe the most important was the theological change which were enacted by Constantine during the Council of Nicaea but also the theological change which occurred during the persecutions of Christians in the Roman Empire during the first few centuries A.D. This change in theology also impacted on many other aspects of Christianity that include the structure and hierarchy of clergy and also the conversion of the Roman Empire which was originally pagan allowed a partly unconscious but also in some cases conscious use of pagan imagery and religious rites which allowed even certain Pagan festivals to become reused by certain Roman Emperors who wanted a smooth changeover.2
When Christianity was in a period that is known as its Anti Nicene3 period, the theological belief of early Christians could be described as extremely diverse4 and there was a lot of variety from one part of the empire to the other. Yet collectively the term Christian was very loose, if they believed in one
The Roman Empire obviously had a large effect on Christianity, up until the rule of Galerius from 98 AD to 117AD Christianity had been sporadically persecuted but with the relaxation of laws, there resulted in a steady conversion of the populace of Roman Empire even though roughly 10 percent by the year 300 AD were Christian1. This is why there was such surprise in the year 312 AD when the emperor Constantine told his forces to paint the Chi-Rho symbol on their shields before the battle of Milvian Bridge. It was not however until 380 that Christianity was made the official state religion during the reign of Theodosius but what pre Roman Christian values must also be investigated and the differences then have to be compared between that and the Church which remained after the fall of the Roman Empire. The effects which the Roman Empire had on Christianity can be seen in many ways firstly and maybe the most important was the theological change which were enacted by Constantine during the Council of Nicaea but also the theological change which occurred during the persecutions of Christians in the Roman Empire during the first few centuries A.D. This change in theology also impacted on many other aspects of Christianity that include the structure and hierarchy of clergy and also the conversion of the Roman Empire which was originally pagan allowed a partly unconscious but also in some cases conscious use of pagan imagery and religious rites which allowed even certain Pagan festivals to become reused by certain Roman Emperors who wanted a smooth changeover.2
When Christianity was in a period that is known as its Anti Nicene3 period, the theological belief of early Christians could be described as extremely diverse4 and there was a lot of variety from one part of the empire to the other. Yet collectively the term Christian was very loose, if they believed in one
Bibliography: http://www.ucg.org/holidays-and-holy-days/constantines-impact-christianity/ Eusebius History of the Church Dorset Press (1986) Chris Wickham, Inheritance of Rome, Penguin UK, 2010 http://www.ucg.org/holidays-and-holy-days/constantines-impact-christianity/ Metzger, Bruce. The canon of the New Testament. 1997 Dodd, "The Bible and the Greeks", p 93 (1935).