Constantine and His Effect on Christianity

Constantine and his effect on Christianity When we look back at Christianity over the years, there are several people who are remembered for their impact on the religion. The first most important figure was Jesus Christ. However, if we travel forward a bit, into the 4th Century we come across Constantine. Historians agree that Constantine served as an important component in the spread of Christianity. Although he spread the religion in a massive way, others wonder if his methods were more harmful then anything. In this paper I will be discussing Constantine in his rise to power and his impact on Christianity. Constantine provided a mean for the word of God to be spread, which is a major benefit. However, He also used violence and hate as a way to convert his people. In addition to his violence there is evidence that Constantine was not a believer himself. According to A Dictionary of British History, “Constantine was the first Christian emperor known as ‘the Great’.” His reign was from 306-337 A.D. during which he widely spread the religion of Christianity. His main goal was to unify his empire. In order to do this he used a strategy in which he believed would blend the numerous religions existent in his empire already. This idea was looked at as making the empire Catholic. In this instance the word Catholic stands for Universal. Constantine’s vision was for the whole empire to be united in religion. He believed that once the empire was united he would have a greater hold over the people. Therefore, this transition would make him a more powerful leader. This shift in religious views among the empire had both beneficial and detrimental effect on Christianity. According to the The Journal of Roman Studies, “As all know the climax of Christianity was reached with the conversion of Constantine.” The immediate benefit of Constantine’s strategy was the major spread of Christianity. Many historians argue that without him, Christianity would not be as prominent of a

Cited: Cannon, John Ashton. A Dictionary of British History. New York: Oxford UP, 2009. * Vol. 81, (1991), pp. 119-131 Drake, H Vol. 22, Part 1: Papers Dedicated to Sir George Macdonald K.C.B. (1932), pp. 9-23 The True Face of Constantine the Great