Christianity Being Used As a Tool for Constantine - Essay

Christianity Being Used As a Tool for Constantine Stephen Aris RELS-3360A-001: Landmark Moments of Christianity Dr. Laura Jurgens December 8, 2022 Constantine the first was a powerful Roman emperor that would set in motion the conversion of the Roman Empire to that of Christianity, which his actions would begin to convert an entire nation from a form of pagan worship towards what would become early Catholicism. It can be considered that Constantine did not see Christianity in the same way that the early saints did, as early saints were more passive than a Roman emperor such as Constantine. Palladas wrote a poem which he makes a reference that Constantine converting from paganism to Christianity was due to the pagan cults rejecting him due to his crimes.1 Although this was a poem from a critic of Constantine, it is important to note, as it mentions that Constantine may have been using Christianity as a tool to absolve himself from sin and appear as a good man, also making sure that Christianity would unite his empire. Knowing these things, Constantine would use Christianity as a tool, rather than just a religion, eventually losing control to the group of bishops that he assigned to carry out his agenda, causing the bishops to push their own agenda instead, for better and for worse.2 Constantine’s empire would not be without its own issues, and with the change of an entire state from one religion to another, there were many issues that were bound to arise, with one of the most notable being the Arian controversy, which regarded two philosophies, one of Athanasius, and the other being that of Arius. Looking at the Nicaean Council, which occurred partially due to this controversy, it is important to note that although Athanasius’s philosophy 1 Woods. (2016). PALLADAS, CONSTANTINE, AND CHRISTIANITY. Journal of Theological Studies, 67(2), 576– 593. https://doi.org/10.1093/jts/flw125, 585. 2 Drake, Harold A. Constantine and the Bishops: The Politics of Intolerance. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 2002. 351 would triumph, the anti-Athanasius party existed, but was not monolithic.3 This event was massive, causing Constantine to call for the Council of Nicaea, but it also shows that even though Constantine had immense power and influence through the church and his empire, there was dissent and there would be issues arising throughout the growth of the Roman Catholic Church. Constantine’s church was not without issues, as seen with the Council of Nicaea, and there would be many more issues to arise over time. After Constantine’s death in 337, the whole of the Roman Empire was not Christian, as pagan worshippers still existed, with some issues arising as emperors passed laws that would ban pagan sacrifice to promote the conversion to Christianity within the Roman Empire.4 This enforcement would cause many other laws to arise that would in a way assist those who are church professionals, especially through indirect means of the Theodosian Code, which was indirect, as it favoured individuals of the Christian faith within the Empire, especially by granting bishops immunity from being accused of crimes by those in secular courts.5 This also extended directly to the clergy, who found themselves freed from some taxes, and also gave the Christians a strange ability, according to Roman law at the time, to free their slaves.6 The fact 3 Toom. (2007). The Eusebians: The Polemic of Athanasius of Alexandria and the Construction of the “Arian Controversy”- By D.M. Gwynn. Reviews in Religion and Theology, 14(3), 414. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.14679418.2007.00350_12.x 4 SALZMAN, M. R. “The Evidence for the Conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity in Book 16 of the ‘Theodosian Code.’” Historia : Zeitschrift Für Alte Geschichte 42, no. 3 (1993): 364. 5 SALZMAN, “ ‘Theodosian Code,’ ” 365. 6 SALZMAN, “ ‘Theodosian Code,’ ” 365. that the Christians, especially those that had some role in the church that was more than just attending services, had some political immunity and favouritism, promoting many to convert to Christianity, which although not supposed to be used as a tool to be saved from crimes, it became evident with eventual laws that this was being used to save one from crimes, just as Palladas claimed Constantine had done when converting to Christianity.7 This would be a start to many other laws and rulings passed to try and convert the rest of the empire, with Justinian passing an enforced conversion of the pagan people to Christianity within the Roman Empire to Orthodox Christianity in 529.8 Knowing that Christianity may have started with Constantine escaping crimes may link to the reason why Christianity protected many people over time from the secular rules of the Roman Empire. Looking at this, it can be suspected that what Constantine was doing may have been favouring individuals that were closer to him, with it becoming more of a tool as time went on. One cannot know the true thoughts or agenda of someone who is passed, especially of someone that passed over a thousand years ago, but looking at what laws and regulations were present and became laws during the time of their life provide insight into what the true purpose of these regulations may have been. Perhaps Constantine was trying to provide his close friends and family protection from the law in the Roman Empire, or perhaps he was just trying to entice his subjects to conform to the state religion. As time passed, more corruption would occur, 7 SALZMAN, “ ‘Theodosian Code,’ ” 365. 8 SALZMAN, “ ‘Theodosian Code,’ ” 364 including the crusades, which were originally a call for military assistance that ended up with thousands killed over what was told to the people to be a fight for their religion, in place of what was most likely an advance against Islamic territorial gains.9 Christianity would continually develop more corruption as time went on, develop into something powerful church leaders would likely use as their own tool, far from what Constantine intended. Palladas made the accusation that Constantine joined Christianity as a way to escape from his crimes, something that all the other cults refused to do.10 Knowing this, as well as all the other events that occurred during Constantine’s life, and the laws that came into effect during his life, as well as after, it appears that Constantine was using Christianity as a tool first and as his actual faith second. It appears that Constantine was trying to favour the church to promote it; meanwhile those who were bishops were aligning themselves with Constantine, with ambitious popes pushing for power for the crusades and to push back against another religion.11 This just shows how far Christianity has come from what Constantine organized. 9 McGrath, Alister E.. Christian History : An Introduction. (Newark: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2013), 96. 10 Woods, “PALLADAS,” 585. 11 McGrath, Christian History, 96 Bibliography Drake, Harold A. Constantine and the Bishops: The Politics of Intolerance. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 2002. McGrath, Alister E.. Christian History : An Introduction. Newark: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2013. SALZMAN, M. R. “The Evidence for the Conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity in Book 16 of the ‘Theodosian Code.’” Historia : Zeitschrift Für Alte Geschichte 42, no. 3 (1993): 362–78. Toom. (2007). The Eusebians: The Polemic of Athanasius of Alexandria and the Construction of the “Arian Controversy”- By D.M. Gwynn. Reviews in Religion and Theology, 14(3), 412–415. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9418.2007.00350_12.x Woods. (2016). PALLADAS, CONSTANTINE, AND CHRISTIANITY. Journal of Theological Studies, 67(2), 576–593. https://doi.org/10.1093/jts/flw125