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7/30/2019 31 - Towards a Christian Empire[1]
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31. Towards a Christian Empire
Towards a Christian Em ire
Early Christianity and the Classical Tradition; New
Tradition and a Canon; The Post Apostolic Church; The
Postapostolic Church and Increasing Persecution; Riseof Constantine and the Triumph of Christianity
Early Christianity and the Classical Tradition Christianity started out as a movement within Judaism: Jesus and the
apostles ministered primarily among Jews
The Book of Acts chronicles the geographic and ethnic expansion of
Christianity
Early Christianity spread through the Greco-Roman world largely through themedium of Classical languages and the cultural and political unity providedby the Roman state.
At this phase the Roman government was neutral, even benign in its treatment ofChristians
The pressures of Roman opposition to Christianityboth official and unofficialhelped strengthen the new movement
31. Towards a Christian Empire
os -apos o c r s an y can e seen as a syn es s e ween a u eo- Christian ethical and theological legacyand the Classical Tradition
Christian teachings were increasingly understood and explained with philosophical
languagejust articulating existing doctrines or perhaps modifying them?
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Early Christian Congregations
31. Towards a Christian Empire
New Testament and Classical Culture: Acts 6, 928Luke, a Greek Christian writing about the early Church
Stephen and the seven Grecian or Hellenist deacons (Acts 6, all Greeknames)
Aeneas of Lydda (Acts 9:3235, a Roman name!)
,
The centurion Cornelius of the Italian band (Acts 10)
Paul, apostle to the Gentiles
Pharisaic Jew, cultural Greek, Roman citizen!
His missionary techniques
Pauls Speech about the Unknown God at Athens (17:2231)
Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walkedaround and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar withthis inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something
31. Towards a Christian Empire
unknown I am going to proclaim to you. (18:23-24 NIV; KJV too superstitious) For In him we live and move and have our being [quote from Epimenides
Cretica, c. 600 B.C.]; as even some of your own poets have said, For we too arehis offspring. [quote from Aratus Phaenomina, c. 325-240. B.C.] (17:28 NRSV)
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31. Towards a Christian Empire
New Testament and Classical Culture:
1 Thessalonians
Ethical admonitions (4:112)
Leading a life pleasing to God good public morality
Pauls use of Stoicism, Epicureanism, etc.
These injunctions echo common Stoic and Epicurean slogans
taught of God, a common Stoic notion
work with your hands and lack nothing stress Stoic self-sufficiency (autarkeia)
brotherly love, Epicurean ideal
stud to be uiet/as ire to live uietl and do our own
31. Towards a Christian Empire
business/mind your own affairs reflect the Epicurean maximescape notice as you live
Development of a Tradition and a Canon Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ (c. 5 B.C.A.D. 30) Oral and Early Written Traditions
Krygmathe preaching tradition or proclamation of who Jesus is andwhat he did
Early Christian Hymns and Prayers
Ministry of the Apostles, especially Peter and Paul (c. A.D. 3064/68) Letters of Paul Letters of Peter, James, Jude
Gospels written (c. A.D. 6090) Mark; Matthew and Luke; John
Late Ministry of John 1-3 John, Revelation
31. Towards a Christian Empire
Early copying and circulation (c. AD 100250) Persecutions of Emperor Decius (A.D. 349Persecutions of Emperor Decius (A.D. 34951) destroyed most copies51) destroyed most copies
of the scripturesof the scriptures
New copying, circulation, and collection Athanasius of Alexandria makes a list of 27 official NT books (A.D. 367) Third Council of Carthage sets final canon (A.D. 397)
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The Post Apostolic Church
Increasingly a Gentile church Jesus is often interpreted, and depicted, as a Greek or Roman
Apostolic Fathers: leaders who knew apostles
o ycarp, sc p e o o n
Clemens, successor to Peter?
Questions of authority and government
Developing liturgies and iconography
Greek and Latin Fathers Increasingly well-educated thinkers become leaders of the church
The issue of the synthesis with Neoplatonism
31. Towards a Christian Empire
Increasing persecution
Increasing penetration of all classes, groups
Christians and the Roman Empire Early Roman view of Christiansinitially just Jews Later problems with Christians
Christian eschatologylooked for the destruction of the world (andRome)
r s an assoc a ons oo e co eg a, anne assoc a ons Christian monotheismthe demands of the Imperial Cult Christian world viewcity of God above all, even state
Roman persecutions: At first not systematic or empire-wide Neronian: The Burning of Rome
Christians scapegoats for arsonpersecution local and temporary Tacitus bias limited understanding of the movement
Annales 15.37-44, esp. 44 (packet, 125-128)
31. Towards a Christian Empire
Domitianic (cf. Revelation) Imperial Policy, Trajan and Pliny correspondence: dont ask, dont
tell Not until Decius, A.D. 29451, was there a widespread,
methodical persecution of Christians
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Early Christian Art Early Church fathers discouraged
figurative art Nevertheless, evidence of
Christian use of the visual arts
appears ear y n r s an ura s
Frescoes in underground
burials called catacombs
Elaborately carved marble
sarcophagi
Developing iconography
Christ as the Good Shepherda Greek as well as Jewish
31. Towards a Christian Empire
motif)
Fish symbolism
ICHTHYS: Jesus Christ sonof God, Savior
The Cross Mosaic including sacramental chalice and fish
Catacombs and Tomb Art
Catacombs: used for Christian burialsand some remembrance services butnotas secret places of worship.Left: Christ Teaching the Apostles,c. A.D. 300, Tomb of Domitilla, Rome
31. Towards a Christian Empire
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Christ as the Good Shepherd, second century A.D. Christ depicted as a young, beardless Roman
youth Compare to the Archaic Calf Bearer below
Influenced b the contra osto of Praxiteles
31. Towards a Christian Empire
Diocletian Diocletian gained
control of the entireempire
constitutionalfictions ofAugustus andprevious emperors,Diocletian initiatedof absolutismdominus et deus
Tetrarchy: empire
11/17/2009 31b. Constantine and the Triumph of Christianity 12
with an emperorin each section(ultimately failed)
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Rise of Constantine
Constantine began as Caesar, or junior emperor in Britain Defeated the other emperor in the West at the Battle of
the Milvian Bridge in A.D. 312
After temporarily allying himself with the senior emperor inthe East, Constantine fought and won another civil war,reunited the empire, and moved the capital toConstantinople (A.D. 324)
Constantines new capital shifts the empires focus to the
more prosperous and secure East, away from the West that
11/17/2009 31b. Constantine and the Triumph of Christianity 13
The Triumph of Christianity Did Christianity Truly Triumph?
Christianity over paganism, empire over church, philosophy infiltratesreligion?
. .
See Eusebius (online)
After bitterly persecuting the Church, one of Diocletians successors inthe tetrarchy, Galerius, reversed himself and issued the first edict oftoleration(A.D. 311)
Constantine and Christianity
Battle of the Milvian Bridge (A.D. 312): Under this sign, conquer!
Edict of Milan (favorable toleration, A.D. 313)
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Moved capital to Constantinople, a new, Christian city in the East
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Christianity: the Official Religion
Once external opposition was removed, internaldivisions raged
Heresies and Orthodoxy ArianismChrist Created
Athanasiusthe Father and the Son are coequal
Constantine calls the Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325)
Constantine tried to end Christian infighting After assembling a congress of bishops, Constantine
encouraged them to define what was orthodoxy
The Nicaean Creed re ected Arianism and used
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philosophical language to describe the Trinity
Theodosius banned pagan cult (A.D. 391); Christianity
the officialstate religion
Constantine in
council withChristian
s ops, frescofrom Galata, Cyprus,
1513
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Church Fathers, Theologians, Writers
Apostles > Apostolic Fathers > Greek and Latin Fathers Polycarp (John), St. Clement (Peter), etc.
Eusebius (A.D. c. 260340), bishop of Caesarea,cc es as ca s ory
Ambrose (A.D. 34097), bishop of Milan: treatises onChurch government, hymns
Jerome (A.D. 340420), translated the Latin VulgateBible
Augustine (A.D. 354430), bishop of Hippo
Synthesis with Neoplatonism
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philosophical terms
Post-apostolic Christianity and the creeds
The Christian Basilicanote nave, aisles, transept, and apse
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Christian Basilica, cross section
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St. Maria Maggiore, Rome, 432-440
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Christ the Good Shepherd, mausoleum of Galla Placidia,Ravenna11/17/2009 2131b. Constantine and the Triumph of Christianity
Sarcophaguscarvings
Above: Carved frieze(relief) from Christ-Peter
Sarcophagus, A.D. 320-
330.
Left: Chi-Rho emblem,from the first letters ofChrist in Greek.
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