The “Triumph” of
Christianity
Theodosius makes Christianity the
Roman State Religion in 392 AD
“Spiritual oikoumene” = “catholic”
I. Religious Options in the Roman
World





Christianity
Judaism
-- “zealots”
Roman Pagan Religion
Philosophical Religions
-- Plotinus and NeoPlatonism
Mystery Religions
--Mithraism
--Cults of Isis and Cybele
II. First Century Christianity






Secretive, Urban Religion
In Roman eyes, immoral
and impure
In Roman eyes, illegal
and seditious
In Roman eyes, atheistic
Theologically diverse
Jewish sect
Active participation by
women
II. First Century Christianity (cont)




Apparently disorderly and
disorganized
Persecuted periodically by the
Roman government
-- Nero (64 AD)
--Decius (249-251 AD)
--Diocletian (303 AD)
The Christian Response
And yet, very vital,
courageous faith
III. How Does this Religion
Eventually Triumph?





Similar to the popular
mystery religions
Traditional Roman religion
was brittle and unfulfilling
Became more attractive over
time to Roman culture and
sensibilities
Offered the Roman world a
cause to promote and pursue
Provided Romans with a
sense of community
IV. Early Christian Doctrinal
Diversity



The canon of Scripture was
not set until 325 AD at the
Council of Nicea
Unlike Judaism and the
traditional religions of
Greece and Rome,
Christianity placed belief or
creed on the same level with
practice
Christian “orthodoxy”
--Monotheism and the
Trinity
--The Nature of Jesus
IV. Early Christian Doctrinal
Diversity (cont)



The teachings of Arius (260336 AD)
Gnostic Teaching
--physical and spiritual
dualism
--evil Old Testament god
--salvation comes through
knowledge (“gnosis”)
--rejection of earthly spiritual
authority
Judaizers
V. Early Christian Controversies




Circumcision: Acts 15
Gender of God and gender
roles in the church
The Resurrection: Physical or
Spiritual?
Authority
Structure/Evolving
Organization of the Church
--Apostolic Succession
--Growing power of the
Roman bishop
--Leo I (440-461 AD)
--Gregory I (590-604 AD)
V. Early Christian Controversies
(cont)



Impact of Increasing
Hierarchy
What is the official
Scripture?
Controversy over the
doctrine of the Trinity
--Monophysitism
V. Early Christian Controversies
(cont)

Attitude toward GrecoRoman culture
--Opposition to classical
heritage (West)
--Affirmation of classical
heritage (East-Clement of
Alexandria)
--Notion of “praeperatio”
--Significance of Jerome’s
Vulgate
V. Early Christian Controversies
(cont)

The Importance of the Mass
--Disloyalty during
persecution
--The Challenge of the
Donatists
--Augustinian position
adopted at the Council of
Carthage (411 AD)
--Mass becomes the Church’s
weapon
VI. Impact of Christian Doctrinal
Controversies


Makes Christianity more attractive to the
Romans
Legalization (313 AD) and “Triumph” (392 AD)
of Christianity led to the issue of governmental
influence on religion—the problem of the State
versus the Church
VII. The “Acculturation” of
Christianity






Christian ideas and practices
reflected imperial political
realities
Similar beliefs assigned to
spirits and demons
Assimilating Diocesan
organization
Pagan temples become
Christian churches
Assimilation of Roman
pagan holidays
The Celtic Cross and a pagan
silver spoon
VIII. Why Did this Acculturation
Occur?




Result of mass tribal
conversions
New converts bring cultural
baggage with them
Christian missionaries tried
to build bridges of belief and
practice toward pagan
religion to ease the difficulty
of conversion
General church acceptance
of Greco-Roman culture
IX. Christianity and Classical
Humanism: Alternative Worldviews






Both share an appreciation for individual dignity
and liberty
Otherworldly purposes vs. worldly pursuit of
excellence
Linear vs. Cyclical concepts of history
Revelation vs. Reason
Different views of the nature of God
Different approaches to justice and selfrealization
X. Augustine of
Hippo
Synthesizer of Christianity and GrecoRoman Culture
A. His Life (354-430 AD)






Christian mother and pagan
father
Well-versed in Latin classics
Early spiritual
experimentation: gnosticism
and eastern religions
Severe guilt over his
perceived immorality
Conversion experience (387
AD)
Influential bishop in the
North African seacoast town
of Hippo
B. His Writings


Confessions—his
autobiography
The City of God
--Motivation for writing the
book
--World is divided into two
cities
--Priority of the City of God
--Earthly city must be
ordered by the Church’s
authority and teaching
--A divine purpose in the
events of history
C. His Doctrines





Original Sin
--Contradicting Pelagius
--Leads to the Doctrine of
Limbo
Predestination
Rejection of Sex as Personal
Pleasure
--Origen (185-254 AD)
Superiority of Sacred to
Secular authority
“Baptism” of humanistic
rationalism
XI. The “Triumph” of
Christianity Institutionalized
A. Legalization




Occurs in 313 AD with
the Edict of Milan
Prompted by the
conversion of
Constantine
Judicial authority given to
Bishops
Lord’s Day becomes
Holy Day (321 AD)
A. Legalization (cont)



Imperial revenue subsidized
the Church
Church historian Eusebius
argues for the inevitability of
Imperial approval
Constantine and successors
gradually increase imperial
support for Christianity
--Church of the Holy
Wisdom
--Soldiers, women and the
Church
--Julian and pagan restoration
B. “Triumph”





Removal of the altar to Nike
in the Senate (382)
Ambrose’s humiliation of
Emperor Theodosius
Theodosius officially bans
public support for pagan
cults (391 AD)
Becomes the foundation of
power and wealth for the
medieval church
Persecution of Jews and
pagans
XII. The Pattern of Early
Christian Monasticism
A. Hermitic




The concept of
monasticism
Gnostic in flavor—
appears first in the East,
especially Egypt
First known Christian
monk was Saint Anthony
Monastic motivation in
Egypt
A. Hermitic (cont)





Less of this type of
monasticism in the West
Excessive and strange
behavior—Pillar Saints
Transition Phase
Holiness associated with
supernatural benefits
Monasticism replaces
martyrdom after
legalization
B. Communal—5th and 6th
Centuries, AD




Order and uniformity grows
in monasticism as it had in
the Church as large
First successful cenobitic
monastery organized by the
Egyptian Pachomius
This type of monasticism
was more adaptable to
western Europe
Copying sacred and secular
texts: Cassiodorus initiated
this activity first in Italy (540)
B. Communal (cont)






The Benedictine Rule
(529)
Medieval schools and
hospitals
Agricultural innovators
The importance of
silence and prayer
The practice of oblation
Background of those
who joined monasteries
B. Communal (cont)




Note Roman traits of
flexibility and practicality
Great fighters of Heresy
Great missionaries
--Augustine
--Martin of Tours
--Patrick
Internal opposition to
monasticism
XIII. Christian Art





Location of early Christian
art: The Catacombs
“Orans”
Christian art was often very
metaphorical
Controversy over art and
sculpture in the Church
This controversy ultimately
divides the Church East from
West:
--East: “iconophiles”
--West: “iconoclasts”