CONSTANTINE AND THE RISE OF CHRISTIANITY

Week Six

para = alongside

parallel paralegal parenthesis

ject/jet = throw

projectile jettison eject

CONSTANTINE AND THE RISE OF CHRISTIANITY

Week Six

I. A bride’s trousseau

The trousseau from the marriage of Secundus and Projecta combines pagan and Christian symbolism.

I. A bride’s trousseau

Constantine integrated Christianity with a pagan empire

Jerusalem Temple

II. The Jesus Movement

A. Judaism Toleration by Romans: No

accommodation toward polytheistic cults, but Romans tried not to antagonize them

Pharisees: Stringent Jewish sect that resisted Roman culture, but did not advocate revolt

Zealots: Armed rebellion; Rome responds with severe repression

Masada

II. The Jesus Movement

B. Jewish Origins of Christianity1. Jesus of Nazareth

Message: a kingdom of peace and love

Crucifixion: Jesus, savior of the world, dies a scandalous death

New theology New practices:

ritual meals, feet-washing, baptism

2. Spreading the Faith Paul of Tarsus:

planted churches in Asia Minor, Greece, and Italy

Persecution Attractive

Christianity

II. The Jesus Movement

Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity

Question: How did a tiny and obscure messianic movement dislodge classical paganism and become the dominant faith of Western civilization?

Thesis: The central doctrines of Christianity prompted and sustained attractive, liberating, and effective social relations and organizations.

Questions for discussion, part IChapter One

Describe the network theory of conversion.

Chapters Four and Seven What made

Christian faith so attractive? Push and pull.

biblio/libri = book

bibliography Bible library

corp/carn = body

corpse corporal corpulent

Questions for discussion, part II Chapter Five: Stark argues that Christianity

was especially attractive to women. How so?

Chapter Eight: Stark argues that martyrs were not clinically crazy or masochistic. Why not?

Chapter Ten: In the end, what is the revolutionary message of the early Christians to the Roman world?

III. Constantine—Christianity with an Advantage

A. Empire on the Defensive Over-extension of

imperial boundaries Archaic economic

system Barbarian menace The Empire under

Diocletian

B. Triumph of Christianity

Rise of Constantine Conversion of

Constantine Official religion of

Rome Suppression of pagan

cults Growth of Christianity

Constantine I

Constantine II

IV. Imperialism—Christianity of Violence

A. Theological debates1. Nature of Christ

Monarchians Gnostics Arians Origen and the

Council of Nicea

2. Nature of Salvation Donatists Pelagians Augustine of

Hippo

B. Coercion Emperor Theodosius Case of Gaza The Big Question

IV. Imperialism—Christianity of Violence

The Spread of Christianity

Critiques of the Constantinian Shift Tertullian: “It is no part of religion to compel

religion” Lactantius: “There is no occasion for violence

and injury, for religion cannot be compelled by force . . . We teach, we prove, we show.”

Augustine: “Christ-followers” had turned into “depraved persons who in mobs fill the churches in a bodily sense only.”

Jesus: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus lauds those who are gentle, poor in spirit, peacemakers, and persecuted.

Epilogue #1

Stanley Hauerwas, Shane Claiborne, Greg Boyd, and American civil religion

Boyd on Constantine

Epilogue #2

The Trousseau