St. Constantine Turning Point

Saint Constantine the Great was the first Christian Emperor of Rome, the builder of Constantinople, and the founder of the Byzantine Empire. St. Constantine was also an infamous military and political leader who brought an end to the persecutions of Christians. Scholars credit the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in the spring of 312 A.D. as the turning point in St. Constantine’s life. An historian, The author of, The Conversion of Constantine argues, “One day saw Constantine a pagan, the next a Christian, all thanks to the vision of a refulgent cross burning above him”, (Eadie, 80). Before the battle began, St. Constantine had a vision from the Christian God promising him victory, and afterwards he converted paganism to Christianity. However,
Constantine established many changes to the Empire. Dam argues, “St. Constantine […] “to Christians and to everyone else the free power to follow whatever religion each person prefers”, (5). In February 313 A.D., St. Constantine and Emperor Licinius signed the Edict of Milan, granting religious freedom to every Roman citizen. Each subject of the Roman Empire had the liberty to choose any religion they wished. As a result, Christians were no longer outlaws, nor enemies of the State. “He [also] abolished executions by crucifixion, called a halt to the battles of gladiators as a punishment for crimes, and in 321 [A.D.] he made Sunday a public holiday”, (Shelley, 100). St. Constantine demonstrated his allegiance to the Christian church by choosing Christians as his advisers. Towards the end of his life, St. Constantine wished for all of his subjects to be members of the Christian faith, and he desired for the Church to be united. At the age of 65 when St. Constantine knew his death was eminent, he decided to be officially baptized into the Christian
Constantine’s conversion was a fluke. According to Defending Constantine, the author argues, “Constantine had a history of mystical experience”, (Leithart, 73) purely political maneuver. Although, Raymond Van Dam also argues another skeptical view, “the vision as merely one more example of his relentless political opportunism”, (4). After all, St. Constantine was a strategist and won all his battles in time of war. Secondly, it was St. Constantine who established Sunday as the holy day of worship. In the Great Controversy, Ellen G. White argues, “In the early part of the fourth entry the emperor Constantine issued a decree making Sunday a public festival throughout the Roman Empire. The day of the sun was referenced by his pagan subjects and was honored by Christians […] the conflicting interest of heathenism and Christianity”, (53). Historians say that this decision was because St. Constantine was once a "sun worshiper". Although St. Constantine did claim to be a Christian, St. Constantine still seemed to carry these "sun god" ideologies with him. From 312-320 A.D., St. Constantine minted coins with the phrase Usurper Magnentius on one side to honor Christ, and the other side with the figure of the sun god. Eadie argues, “Yet the coins give no positive evidence of any conversion, but only of a gradually changing attitude towards the old gods”, (77). This explains St. Constantine's approach that he still continued to support Christianity and