Constantine

Annotations:

• Consolidated the church together. Did he use it as a political tool to unify the empire or did he have a genuine faith? He's loved my some and hailed as the saviour of the church and hated by others saying he changed the nature of church completely.  Did the Christian movement convert the Roman Empire or did the Roman Empire subvert the Christian movement? 

1. Christendom 313

   Annotations:

   • "Christendom is a religio-political arrangement where state and church were two sides of the same coin". 
   1. 800 Holy Roman Empire - Charlemagne

      Annotations:

      • Roman Dominance of the church starts around here
   2. Impact of Constantine on Church

      Annotations:

      • Church was now in the public instead of meeting in homes. Basilicas were now being built. Was this the start of church shifting from participation to observation?  Reintroduced moral integrity and purpose into public life Maintain Roman rule in world by linking obligation to one Lord, a citizen of Rome was a citizen of heaven....  Idea of just war - warfare of mission! 
2. How Did He Become Emporor?

   Annotations:

   • Diocletian divided the Empire (284). In the West Augustus Maximian and Caesar Constantius (Consantine's dad (York) ran the show. In the East Augustus Diocletian and Caesar Galerius ( ran the East.  Constantius believed in a form of Monotheism - Sun God. He sent his son to Diocletian in the East (political move). In 306 Constantius became ill in York and Constantine went to York to try and see him. The army proclaimed him Augustus of East but this was contested by Maxentius in Rome
   1. His Controversial Faith

      Annotations:

      • Constantine Has Vision of God Battle of Milvian Bridge to contest Rome saying he wasn't emperor in the knowledge that God was with him in 312.Ordered Chi-Rho to be put on soldiers shields: "In This Sign Conquer"
      1. What Did He Do?

         Annotations:

         • Restored property that was previously taken from Christians Gave Christian priests tax breaks  Gave state recognition to Christians "He regarded himself as a Christian whose imperial duty was to keep a united church"