The religious character of Constantine I, the Great

Abstract

The year 325 A.D. was the most critical year in the lives of Constantine I, the Great and the Christian Church. This was the year that Constantine called together the first major Ecumenical Council in Nicaea, to discuss the many christological questions which had been under discussion by the Christian leaders for the last two centuries. The fact that a Roman emperor was responsible for bringing about this synod was of major significance, since this was an unprecedent act. This was a turning point in the history of the Church, in that, from this point on the Christian Church became the state religion of the Empire and the major religious force in the Roman Empire. The year 325 A.D. was also the year which showed a distinct change in Constantine's religious character. Before 325, although Constantine had shown to be friendly towards the Christians, in that he allowed them freedom of religion, he in no way had shown to have been a converted Christian. His religious affiliation prior to 325 is questionable. Though his Christian authors depict him to have been converted in 312 A.D., more reliable sources show him to have been an advocate of religious freedom more than a converted Christian. After 325, however, his entire religious character changed from one of religious toleration for all religions in the Empire, to one of favoring only the Christians. First, Constantine called together the Council of Nicaea (325) and presided over it, as the Christian bishops discussed the problems of the Church. Then, throughout his reign, he continuously asked the Christian bishops to settle their problems and unite into one Church. At the same time his policy, of religious toleration ceased as he began a policy of religious persecution against the Jews and pagans in the Empire. Finally, in 337 A.D. while on his deathbed received baptism. His reason for receiving baptism just before his death was so that he might be cleansed of all sins that he may have committed during his lifetime and not run the risk of commiting any subsequent sins during the period between baptism and death. The year 325 is not only important with regard to Constantine's religious character and the emergence or the Church as the state religion of Rome, but it is also important, in that it culminated an evolution within the Christian Church. This evolutionary process which began with St. Paul, who changed Christianity from a national to an international religion, ended in 325 A.D. Before 325 the Christian Church, although its organization had changed to a far more complex institution than the first century brethren communities, it was still a pacifistic religion. Before 325 the Christians were still the hated group in the Empire and one which was persecuted. After 325, however, with the change in Constantine's religious policy, the Church ceased to be pacifistic and ceased to be the persecuted religion. Instead, the Church took an agressive attitude towards other religions and became the persecutor. Where at one time they were the persecuted, the Christians had become the persecutors or the one time persecutors, and religious toleration ceased to exist once more in the Roman world. The pacifistic philosophy or the early Christians had disappeared, as the fourth century Christian bishops took to the offensive. They first accepted Constantine as their champion, who supposedly saw a sign of the cross in 312, and the words telling him to conquer in the name or the Lord. In this case the acceptance of such a man, and the acceptance of violence shows a tremendous change in the philosophy of the fourth century Christians from the early Christians. Secondly, the enforcement of religious persecution against non Christians by Constantine, and the acceptance of such actions by the Christians of the fourth century also shows a major change in the philosophy of the fourth century Christian Church. Was Constantine a Christian? Not if one compares him to the early Christians. He was a Christian, however, in the fourth century, and a Christian of his time, if one compares him to the Christians of the fourth century.