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1 And when great multitudes stood about him, so that they trod one upon another, he began to say to his disciples: Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.Multis autem turbis circumstantibus, ita ut se invicem conculcarent, coepit dicere ad discipulos suos : Attendite a fermento pharisaeorum, quod est hypocrisis. 2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed: nor hidden, that shall not be known.Nihil autem opertum est, quod non reveletur : neque absconditum, quod non sciatur. 3 For whatsoever things you have spoken in darkness, shall be published in the light: and that which you have spoken in the ear in the chambers, shall be preached on the housetops.Quoniam quae in tenebris dixistis, in lumine dicentur : et quod in aurem locuti estis in cubiculis, praedicabitur in tectis. 4 And I say to you, my friends: Be not afraid of them who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.Dico autem vobis amicis meis : Ne terreamini ab his qui occidunt corpus, et post haec non habent amplius quid faciant. 5 But I will shew you whom you shall fear: fear ye him, who after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell. Yea, I say to you, fear him.Ostendam autem vobis quem timeatis : timete eum qui, postquam occiderit, habet potestatem mittere in gehennam : ita dico vobis, hunc timete. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?Nonne quinque passeres veneunt dipondio, et unus ex illis non est in oblivione coram Deo? 7 Yea, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: you are of more value than many sparrows.sed et capilli capitis vestri omnes numerati sunt. Nolite ergo timere : multis passeribus pluris estis vos. 8 And I say to you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God.Dico autem vobis : Omnis quicumque confessus fuerit me coram hominibus, et Filius hominis confitebitur illum coram angelis Dei :These two brothers were officers under Constantius. After the death of the Chritian Emperor, they became martyrs at Rome in the persecution of Julian the Apostate, A.D. 362.
Full Text of ReadingsFriday of the First Week of Lent Lectionary: 228The Saint of the day is Saint MaximilianSaint Maximilian's Story We have an early, almost unembellished account of the martyrdom of Saint Maximilian in modern-day Algeria. Brought before the proconsul Dion, Maximilian refused enlistment in the Roman army saying, “I cannot serve, I cannot do evil. I am a Christian.” Dion replied: “You must serve or die.” Maximilian: “I will never serve. You can cut off my head, but I will not be a soldier of this world, for I am a soldier of Christ. My army is the army of God, and I cannot fight for this world. I tell you I am a Christian.” Dion: “There are Christian soldiers serving our rulers Diocletian and Maximian, Constantius and Galerius.” Maximilian: “That is their business. I also am a Christian, and I cannot serve.” Dion: “But what harm do soldiers do?” Maximilian: “You know well enough.” Dion: “If you will not do your service I shall condemn you to death for contempt of the army.” Maximilian: “I shall not die. If I go from this earth, my soul will live with Christ my Lord.” Maximilian was 21 years old when he gladly offered his life to God. His father went home from the execution site joyful, thanking God that he had been able to offer heaven such a gift. St. Maximilian’s liturgical feast is celebrated on March 12. Reflection In this celebration we find one inspirational son and one incredible father. Both men were filled with strong faith and hope. Let's ask them to help us in our struggle to remain faithful. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media
"The holy Hierarch Hilary was born of pagan parents in Gaul, and was trained in philosophy and rhetoric. At a time when paganism was still strong in Gaul, Saint Hilary understood the falsehood of polytheism, and became a Christian, and a great defender of his new Faith. About the year 350 he was ordained Bishop of Poitiers, when Arles and Milan were in the hands of the Arians and the Arian Constantius was sole Emperor. Like his contemporary Saint Athanasius, Saint Hilary's episcopate was one long struggle against the Arians. As Bishop of Poitiers, Saint Hilary foresaw the future greatness of Martin (see Nov. 12), and attached him to himself. In 355, when required to agree to the condemnation of Saint Athanasius by the Council of Milan, Hilary wrote an epistle to Constantius condemning the wrongs done by the Arians and requesting, among other things, the restoration of the Orthodox bishops, including Athanasius. For this, Hilary was banished to Asia Minor, where he wrote his greatest work, On the Trinity. Saint Hilary returned to his see in 360, where Saint Martin sought him out again. It was at this time that Saint Hilary blessed Martin to found a monastery near Poitiers, where Martin remained until being consecrated Bishop of Tours in 371. In his last years, Saint Hilary strove for the deposition of Auxentius, the Arian Bishop of Milan, but by affecting an Orthodox confession Auxentius retained his see. Saint Hilary reposed in peace about the year 368. Auxentius died in 374 and was succeeded by Saint Ambrose, who continued Saint Hilary's battle against Arianism." (Great Horologion, adapted)
He was born in Rome, and as a young man was chosen by the Emperor Constantine to assist in the foundation of his new capital at Byzantium. An outbreak of leprosy in the new City became so severe that the Emperor ordered that all lepers, whatever their rank, be driven from the city or drowned in the sea. Zoticus, moved by compassion for these people, went to the Emperor and asked him for a large amount of gold to buy gems and pearls to enhance the glory of the city, 'For, as Your Majesty knows, I am well-qualified in this field.' The Saint then used the gold to ransom all those being led into exile or to drowning, and to establish for them a camp on the hill of Olivet on the opposite shore of the Bosphorus. There he brought the sick and provided for their care. In 337 Constantius, an Arian heretic, took the throne upon the death of his father. Some of Zoticus' enemies at court, seeing an opportunity, denounced Zoticus to the new Emperor, saying that he not only held subversive views, but had misappropriated public money. When he learned of these charges, Zoticus presented himself to the Emperor, finely dressed, and offered to take Constantius to see the gems and pearls that he had bought on his behalf. When they reached the hill of Olivet, Constantius was astonished to see a company of lepers coming to greet him with lighted candles, honoring and praising him and their patron Zoticus. Then the holy Zoticus said to the Emperor, 'These are the precious stones and brilliant pearls that give luster to the crown of the heavenly Kingdom that you will inherit by their prayers. I bought them for the salvation of your soul.' Instead of being grateful, the heartless Emperor ordered that Zoticus be tied behind wild mules and dragged until dead. The mules ran down the hill, breaking the Saint's body upon the rocks and brush. Then, of their own accord, they returned to the top of the hill, still dragging the body, and, like Balaam's ass (Numbers ch. 22), spoke and proclaimed that the Martyr must be buried on that hill. The astonished and repentant Emperor ordered the Martyr buried with honor, and commanded that a hospital for lepers be built there, staffed by the best physicians and caretakers. Saint Zoticus is also called Orphanotrophos, 'Cherisher of Orphans,' because in later years a large orphanage was added to the leprosarium. The orphanage included a general hospital and a home for the aged. The Saint was honored throughout Byzantine history as the patron of the orphanage.
Julian, nephew of Constantine the Great, cousin of Constantius the Murderous, aspiring philosopher, Emperor almost against his will, unfortunate soul! He would be the last pagan emperor of Rome, though the Empire would last for another 1100 years, trying in vain to turn back to the clock to a simpler world that no longer existed.
A native of Thessalonica, he rose from secretary to Alexander, Patriarch of Constantinople (commemorated August 30), to deacon, then succeeded St Alexander as Patriarch around 337. For his virtue and his zeal for Orthodoxy he was hated by the Arians, who were still powerful in the Empire. The Arian Emperor Constantius, learning of Paul's election, exiled him and made the Arian Eusebius Patriarch in his place. St Paul went to Rome, where he joined St Athanasius the Great in exile. Furnished with letters from Pope Julius, he was able to ascend the Patriarchal throne once again upon the death of Eusebius. But once again the Arians were able to put one of their party on the Patriarchal throne: Macedonius, who even went beyond the Arian heresy and denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit. Once again the legitimate, Orthodox Patriarch found himself in exile in Rome. In succeeding years St Paul stood firm for Orthodoxy while complex political and military intrigues swirled around him, with the Orthodox Constans, Emperor of the West (and Constantius' brother) supporting him while Constantius continued to oppose him. For a time Constans was able to enforce Paul's place on the Patriarchal throne, but when he died, Constantius banished St Paul to Cucusus on the Black Sea. There, while he was celebrating the Divine Liturgy in the house where he was kept prisoner, the Arians strangled him with his own omophorion. His relics were brought back to Constantinople by the Emperor Theodosius the Great.
YAY - WE ARE BACK FROM OUR SUMMER BREAK, just in time to meet a young boy named Constantine, yet another of Illyrian stock, born to Helena the barmaid and Constantius, member of the Imperial bodyguard, steps into the light. Dad is making all of the right moves and finds himself rising fast in Diocletian's administration, from Praetorian Prefect, to Caesar, and finally to Augustus. But some people - especially the Emperor Galerius - are threatened by Constantius' success, and worry (rightly) that the son Constantine will follow in dad's footsteps, and upset their well laid plans for domination. Can Constantine survive the intrigue against him?
This is our second episode about Basil the Great. We cover his biography in more detail and talk about his commentary on the creation account in Genesis. We mention John Calvin, Origen of Alexandria, Michael Servetus, Russel Brand, Bret Weinstein, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Constantine, Constantius, Theodosius the Great, Athanasius, Jerome, Ambrose, Augustine, Mani, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Naziuanzus, and more.
Full Text of ReadingsThursday of the Fourth Week of Lent Lectionary: 247The Saint of the day is Saint MaximilianSaint Maximilian's Story We have an early, almost unembellished account of the martyrdom of Saint Maximilian in modern-day Algeria. Brought before the proconsul Dion, Maximilian refused enlistment in the Roman army saying, “I cannot serve, I cannot do evil. I am a Christian.” Dion replied: “You must serve or die.” Maximilian: “I will never serve. You can cut off my head, but I will not be a soldier of this world, for I am a soldier of Christ. My army is the army of God, and I cannot fight for this world. I tell you I am a Christian.” Dion: “There are Christian soldiers serving our rulers Diocletian and Maximian, Constantius and Galerius.” Maximilian: “That is their business. I also am a Christian, and I cannot serve.” Dion: “But what harm do soldiers do?” Maximilian: “You know well enough.” Dion: “If you will not do your service I shall condemn you to death for contempt of the army.” Maximilian: “I shall not die. If I go from this earth, my soul will live with Christ my Lord.” Maximilian was 21 years old when he gladly offered his life to God. His father went home from the execution site joyful, thanking God that he had been able to offer heaven such a gift. St. Maximilian’s liturgical feast is celebrated on March 12. Reflection In this celebration we find one inspirational son and one incredible father. Both men were filled with strong faith and hope. Let's ask them to help us in our struggle to remain faithful. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media
"The holy Hierarch Hilary was born of pagan parents in Gaul, and was trained in philosophy and rhetoric. At a time when paganism was still strong in Gaul, Saint Hilary understood the falsehood of polytheism, and became a Christian, and a great defender of his new Faith. About the year 350 he was ordained Bishop of Poitiers, when Arles and Milan were in the hands of the Arians and the Arian Constantius was sole Emperor. Like his contemporary Saint Athanasius, Saint Hilary's episcopate was one long struggle against the Arians. As Bishop of Poitiers, Saint Hilary foresaw the future greatness of Martin (see Nov. 12), and attached him to himself. In 355, when required to agree to the condemnation of Saint Athanasius by the Council of Milan, Hilary wrote an epistle to Constantius condemning the wrongs done by the Arians and requesting, among other things, the restoration of the Orthodox bishops, including Athanasius. For this, Hilary was banished to Asia Minor, where he wrote his greatest work, On the Trinity. Saint Hilary returned to his see in 360, where Saint Martin sought him out again. It was at this time that Saint Hilary blessed Martin to found a monastery near Poitiers, where Martin remained until being consecrated Bishop of Tours in 371. In his last years, Saint Hilary strove for the deposition of Auxentius, the Arian Bishop of Milan, but by affecting an Orthodox confession Auxentius retained his see. Saint Hilary reposed in peace about the year 368. Auxentius died in 374 and was succeeded by Saint Ambrose, who continued Saint Hilary's battle against Arianism." (Great Horologion, adapted)
"The holy Hierarch Hilary was born of pagan parents in Gaul, and was trained in philosophy and rhetoric. At a time when paganism was still strong in Gaul, Saint Hilary understood the falsehood of polytheism, and became a Christian, and a great defender of his new Faith. About the year 350 he was ordained Bishop of Poitiers, when Arles and Milan were in the hands of the Arians and the Arian Constantius was sole Emperor. Like his contemporary Saint Athanasius, Saint Hilary's episcopate was one long struggle against the Arians. As Bishop of Poitiers, Saint Hilary foresaw the future greatness of Martin (see Nov. 12), and attached him to himself. In 355, when required to agree to the condemnation of Saint Athanasius by the Council of Milan, Hilary wrote an epistle to Constantius condemning the wrongs done by the Arians and requesting, among other things, the restoration of the Orthodox bishops, including Athanasius. For this, Hilary was banished to Asia Minor, where he wrote his greatest work, On the Trinity. Saint Hilary returned to his see in 360, where Saint Martin sought him out again. It was at this time that Saint Hilary blessed Martin to found a monastery near Poitiers, where Martin remained until being consecrated Bishop of Tours in 371. In his last years, Saint Hilary strove for the deposition of Auxentius, the Arian Bishop of Milan, but by affecting an Orthodox confession Auxentius retained his see. Saint Hilary reposed in peace about the year 368. Auxentius died in 374 and was succeeded by Saint Ambrose, who continued Saint Hilary's battle against Arianism." (Great Horologion, adapted)
He was born in Rome, and as a young man was chosen by the Emperor Constantine to assist in the foundation of his new capital at Byzantium. An outbreak of leprosy in the new City became so severe that the Emperor ordered that all lepers, whatever their rank, be driven from the city or drowned in the sea. Zoticus, moved by compassion for these people, went to the Emperor and asked him for a large amount of gold to buy gems and pearls to enhance the glory of the city, 'For, as Your Majesty knows, I am well-qualified in this field.' The Saint then used the gold to ransom all those being led into exile or to drowning, and to establish for them a camp on the hill of Olivet on the opposite shore of the Bosphorus. There he brought the sick and provided for their care. In 337 Constantius, an Arian heretic, took the throne upon the death of his father. Some of Zoticus' enemies at court, seeing an opportunity, denounced Zoticus to the new Emperor, saying that he not only held subversive views, but had misappropriated public money. When he learned of these charges, Zoticus presented himself to the Emperor, finely dressed, and offered to take Constantius to see the gems and pearls that he had bought on his behalf. When they reached the hill of Olivet, Constantius was astonished to see a company of lepers coming to greet him with lighted candles, honoring and praising him and their patron Zoticus. Then the holy Zoticus said to the Emperor, 'These are the precious stones and brilliant pearls that give luster to the crown of the heavenly Kingdom that you will inherit by their prayers. I bought them for the salvation of your soul.' Instead of being grateful, the heartless Emperor ordered that Zoticus be tied behind wild mules and dragged until dead. The mules ran down the hill, breaking the Saint's body upon the rocks and brush. Then, of their own accord, they returned to the top of the hill, still dragging the body, and, like Balaam's ass (Numbers ch. 22), spoke and proclaimed that the Martyr must be buried on that hill. The astonished and repentant Emperor ordered the Martyr buried with honor, and commanded that a hospital for lepers be built there, staffed by the best physicians and caretakers. Saint Zoticus is also called Orphanotrophos, 'Cherisher of Orphans,' because in later years a large orphanage was added to the leprosarium. The orphanage included a general hospital and a home for the aged. The Saint was honored throughout Byzantine history as the patron of the orphanage.
He was born in Rome, and as a young man was chosen by the Emperor Constantine to assist in the foundation of his new capital at Byzantium. An outbreak of leprosy in the new City became so severe that the Emperor ordered that all lepers, whatever their rank, be driven from the city or drowned in the sea. Zoticus, moved by compassion for these people, went to the Emperor and asked him for a large amount of gold to buy gems and pearls to enhance the glory of the city, 'For, as Your Majesty knows, I am well-qualified in this field.' The Saint then used the gold to ransom all those being led into exile or to drowning, and to establish for them a camp on the hill of Olivet on the opposite shore of the Bosphorus. There he brought the sick and provided for their care. In 337 Constantius, an Arian heretic, took the throne upon the death of his father. Some of Zoticus' enemies at court, seeing an opportunity, denounced Zoticus to the new Emperor, saying that he not only held subversive views, but had misappropriated public money. When he learned of these charges, Zoticus presented himself to the Emperor, finely dressed, and offered to take Constantius to see the gems and pearls that he had bought on his behalf. When they reached the hill of Olivet, Constantius was astonished to see a company of lepers coming to greet him with lighted candles, honoring and praising him and their patron Zoticus. Then the holy Zoticus said to the Emperor, 'These are the precious stones and brilliant pearls that give luster to the crown of the heavenly Kingdom that you will inherit by their prayers. I bought them for the salvation of your soul.' Instead of being grateful, the heartless Emperor ordered that Zoticus be tied behind wild mules and dragged until dead. The mules ran down the hill, breaking the Saint's body upon the rocks and brush. Then, of their own accord, they returned to the top of the hill, still dragging the body, and, like Balaam's ass (Numbers ch. 22), spoke and proclaimed that the Martyr must be buried on that hill. The astonished and repentant Emperor ordered the Martyr buried with honor, and commanded that a hospital for lepers be built there, staffed by the best physicians and caretakers. Saint Zoticus is also called Orphanotrophos, 'Cherisher of Orphans,' because in later years a large orphanage was added to the leprosarium. The orphanage included a general hospital and a home for the aged. The Saint was honored throughout Byzantine history as the patron of the orphanage.
Hilary of Poitier was a Bishop in western France in mid-fourth century. He is one of the first Trinitarian Theologians who would be able to pass later orthodox standards. He plays a very interesting role in the history of the fourth century. We mention Athanasius of Alexandria, Arius of Alexandria, Constantius, Constantine the Great, Julian the Apostate, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Michael Servetus, Karl Barth, and more.
A native of Thessalonica, he rose from secretary to Alexander, Patriarch of Constantinople (commemorated August 30), to deacon, then succeeded St Alexander as Patriarch around 337. For his virtue and his zeal for Orthodoxy he was hated by the Arians, who were still powerful in the Empire. The Arian Emperor Constantius, learning of Paul's election, exiled him and made the Arian Eusebius Patriarch in his place. St Paul went to Rome, where he joined St Athanasius the Great in exile. Furnished with letters from Pope Julius, he was able to ascend the Patriarchal throne once again upon the death of Eusebius. But once again the Arians were able to put one of their party on the Patriarchal throne: Macedonius, who even went beyond the Arian heresy and denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit. Once again the legitimate, Orthodox Patriarch found himself in exile in Rome. In succeeding years St Paul stood firm for Orthodoxy while complex political and military intrigues swirled around him, with the Orthodox Constans, Emperor of the West (and Constantius' brother) supporting him while Constantius continued to oppose him. For a time Constans was able to enforce Paul's place on the Patriarchal throne, but when he died, Constantius banished St Paul to Cucusus on the Black Sea. There, while he was celebrating the Divine Liturgy in the house where he was kept prisoner, the Arians strangled him with his own omophorion. His relics were brought back to Constantinople by the Emperor Theodosius the Great.
A native of Thessalonica, he rose from secretary to Alexander, Patriarch of Constantinople (commemorated August 30), to deacon, then succeeded St Alexander as Patriarch around 337. For his virtue and his zeal for Orthodoxy he was hated by the Arians, who were still powerful in the Empire. The Arian Emperor Constantius, learning of Paul's election, exiled him and made the Arian Eusebius Patriarch in his place. St Paul went to Rome, where he joined St Athanasius the Great in exile. Furnished with letters from Pope Julius, he was able to ascend the Patriarchal throne once again upon the death of Eusebius. But once again the Arians were able to put one of their party on the Patriarchal throne: Macedonius, who even went beyond the Arian heresy and denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit. Once again the legitimate, Orthodox Patriarch found himself in exile in Rome. In succeeding years St Paul stood firm for Orthodoxy while complex political and military intrigues swirled around him, with the Orthodox Constans, Emperor of the West (and Constantius' brother) supporting him while Constantius continued to oppose him. For a time Constans was able to enforce Paul's place on the Patriarchal throne, but when he died, Constantius banished St Paul to Cucusus on the Black Sea. There, while he was celebrating the Divine Liturgy in the house where he was kept prisoner, the Arians strangled him with his own omophorion. His relics were brought back to Constantinople by the Emperor Theodosius the Great.
In which the anti-Nicene forces seem to have the upper hand...and the Hawley-Smoot Tariff of ancient history is revealed.
This is another episode in our church fathers series. We talk about the life and times of Athanasius from . We mention Timothy Barnes, Karl Max, Arius, Eusebius of Nicomedia, Constantine, Constantius, Constans, Marcellus of Ancyra, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and more. Athanasius - On the Incarnation - Part 1 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7zTIxQLSzc Athanasius - On the Incarnation - Part 2 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBsu4Nr6pV8&t=2790s
This is part 14 of the Early Church History class. We've been learning about the controversy over Christ's origins in the last couple of episodes. This battle raged between groups of Christians who agreed that Jesus pre-existed for sixty years. But today we are taking a break from that and looking instead at the early Christians who held to a dynamic monarchian Christology. Specifically, we'll consider two influential bishops: Paul of Samosata and Photinus of Sirmium. Although sometimes mislabeled as adoptionists, these two believed in the virgin birth but did not think Christ existed before then. Although what we know about these two survives in the writings of their enemies, we can reconstruct sketches of their beliefs and influence. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFKAwd6Cqzc&list=PLN9jFDsS3QV2lk3B0I7Pa77hfwKJm1SRI&index=14 —— Links —— See other episodes featuring famous biblical unitarians: Thomas Emlyn, Michael Servetus, Adam Pastor, Claude of Savoy, Armenian Unitarians, Socinian Movement in Poland and Transylvania, British Unitarians More Restitutio resources on Christian history For the postscript discussion about the Constantinian Shift, see Preston Sprinkle's book, Nonviolence (previously called Fight), and his interview with George Kalantzis as well as his book Caesar and the Lamb See other classes here Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan? Read his bio here —— Notes —— Over the last couple of sessions, we've looked at the shameful battle between egalitarians and subordinationists. Both parties believed Jesus pre-existed but couldn't agree on whether he was eternal and equal with the Father or not. However, at the same time, another stream of Christians fought for another view – a theology they thought was more biblical and less fraught with philosophical conundrums—the dynamic Monarchians. Paul of Samosata's Life (200-275) 260 - Ordained Bishop of Antioch 264 - Synod at Antioch 268 - Synod at Antioch, debate w/ Malchion 272 - Aurelian deposed Paul Robert Lynn Sample: “Paul's particular brand of Christianity had an ecstatic or spontaneous character, with a stress on spiritual power.”[1] Artemon of Rome (fl. 230) Claimed that non-pre-existence dominated throughout the time of Bishop Victor of Rome (d. 199) Artemon taught that though Christ was born of a virgin, he was a “mere man”. Theodotus of Byzantium was Artemon's predecessor. Paul of Samosata's Beliefs Lumped in with Artemon and Ebionites by Eusebius Epiphanius accused Paul of importing Judaism (though not circumcision or Sabbath observance). Paul said the logos was homoousios with the Father. The Son is what the logos became when it was made flesh. Christ did exist prophetically before he was born. Paulinians or Paulianists continued to hold a unitarian faith long after Paul died. Photinus of Sirmium's Life (d. 376) From Ancyra in Galatia 343 - Ordained Bishop of Sirmium 344 - Council at Antioch (Macrostitch Creed) 345 - Milan Council condemned him. 347 – Rome Council condemned him. 351 - After a debate, Constantius deposed him. 351 - Council at Sirmium denounced Photinian doctrine. 361 - Returned to Sirmium as Bishop 364 - Valentinian I deposed him. Photinus' Beliefs Jerome accused him of reviving the Ebionite heresy. Very biblical; quoted 1 Corinthians 15.47; 1 Timothy 2.5; John 8.40 Christ only existed from Mary's time when she conceived by the Holy Spirit. The Son did exist, but only according to foreknowledge or predestination. Photinians persisted in the Roman Empire for another 150 years. Review From 260 - 272, Paul of Samosata was the bishop of Antioch, one of the four most important churches in the world. He was a charismatic preacher whose animated congregation participated with applauding, waving handkerchiefs, shouting, and even jumping. Paul prevented singing the newer hymns to Jesus, probably because they differed from his beliefs. Other bishops challenged him in 264 and tried to depose him in 268. Paul did not leave his church. In 272, Emperor Aurelian took back the region for Rome from Queen Zenobia of Palmyra and deposed Paul. Like Artemon a generation before him and Theodotus before him, Paul taught that Jesus was the Christ, but that he did not exist before his birth, though he agreed that he "existed prophetically." Paul taught that the logos was of the same substance (homoousios) as the Father. Photinus was bishop of Sirmium in the middle of the fourth century until emperors Constantius and Valentinus I deposed him. Like Paul, he believed that the logos was "in the Father" but was not equivalent to the Son, though the Son is what the logos became when it became flesh. Photinus placed a heavy emphasis on scripture and said he had a hundred prooftexts for his Christology. After Photinus died, Photinians persisted in the Roman Empire for another century and a half in small pockets. [1] Robert Lynn Sample, “The Messiah as Prophet: The Christology of Paul of Samosata,” PhD diss., Northwestern University, June 1977, 5.
Full Text of ReadingsTuesday of the Third Week of Lent Lectionary: 238The Saint of the day is Saint MaximilianSaint Maximilian's Story We have an early, almost unembellished account of the martyrdom of Saint Maximilian in modern-day Algeria. Brought before the proconsul Dion, Maximilian refused enlistment in the Roman army saying, “I cannot serve, I cannot do evil. I am a Christian.” Dion replied: “You must serve or die.” Maximilian: “I will never serve. You can cut off my head, but I will not be a soldier of this world, for I am a soldier of Christ. My army is the army of God, and I cannot fight for this world. I tell you I am a Christian.” Dion: “There are Christian soldiers serving our rulers Diocletian and Maximian, Constantius and Galerius.” Maximilian: “That is their business. I also am a Christian, and I cannot serve.” Dion: “But what harm do soldiers do?” Maximilian: “You know well enough.” Dion: “If you will not do your service I shall condemn you to death for contempt of the army.” Maximilian: “I shall not die. If I go from this earth, my soul will live with Christ my Lord.” Maximilian was 21 years old when he gladly offered his life to God. His father went home from the execution site joyful, thanking God that he had been able to offer heaven such a gift. St. Maximilian’s liturgical feast is celebrated on March 12. Reflection In this celebration we find one inspirational son and one incredible father. Both men were filled with strong faith and hope. Let's ask them to help us in our struggle to remain faithful. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media
In this episode of our series on Julian the Apostate, we follow Julian as he is christened as Caesar (junior co-emperor) by his cousin Constantius and subsequently dispatched to Gaul to halt a barbarian invasion and restore stability to the troubled province. Email me Follow me on Twitter Like the show on Facebook Watch the show on YouTube Visit the eBay store Support the show on Patreon Works Cited Bowersock, G.W. Julian the Apostate. Harvard University Press, 1997. Gibbon, Edward. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Vol. 1-3, Everyman, 1993. Julianus, Flavius Claudius. The Works of Emperor Julian. Literary Liscencing LLC, 2011. Marcellinus, Ammianus. The Roman History of Ammianus Marcellinus. Benediction Classics, 2011. Murdoch, Adrian. The Last Pagan. Inner Traditions, 2008. Cover Image: Statue of Emperor Julian, displayed at the Louvre Museum in Paris Opening Theme: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, "From the New World", Op. 95, B. 178 by Antonín Dvořák Closing Theme: "The Passage of Time" by Richard Beddow
Walking with the Saints Podcast | January 13, St. Hilary, Patroness of Lawyers Our saint today, St. Hilary was from Poitiers, a region in west-central France. He was a strong defender of the Church against Arianism so he was called the “Hammer of the Arians.” Arianism was a heresy that did not believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ. He also fought against other doctrinal errors so St. Athanasius described him as the “trumpet” of orthodoxy. Hilary was born in 315 to pagan parents of noble distinction. He received a good pagan education with a high level of Greek and Neoplatonism. He married and had one daughter. When he heard about Christianity, he studied it, together with the Old and New Testament books. Consequently, he, his wife, and his daughter were baptized, embraced Christianity, and were received into the Church. The Christians of Poitiers so respected Hilary due to his piety and virtuous life that about the year 350, they unanimously elected him to become their bishop. His wife lived a life of continence when he embraced the episcopacy. His daughter, who joined the nunnery, is venerated as St. Apra, who became a saint due to her great works of charity. During Hilary's time, the Arian heresy was very strong and threatened to destroy the Church. He, therefore, resolved to fight against the heretics. Hilary wrote a letter to Emperor Constantius II asking him to stop the persecution of the Christians by the Arians. The emperor, however, favored the Arians. He tried to persuade Hilary to sign a document condemning St. Athanasius, defender of the true faith, but Hilary refused. Seeing Hilary's response as a political opposition, he banished him instead to Phrygia. While in Phrygia, Hilary continued to have connections with his diocese and wrote his books. Among them was one addressed to the Semi-Arian bishops, another answering to the criticisms which accused him of being too lenient with the Arians, and one about the Trinity. Hilary also attended several synods, and one very special was the synod that prohibited discussions about the divine substance of the Trinity. Hilary tried to secure an audience with Emperor Constantius but he was denied. Therefore, he attacked the emperor as an Anti-Christ and a persecutor of the true Church. Hilary wanted to debate with the Arians in Phrygia to show them their errors, but they feared him so they asked the emperor to send Hilary back to Poitiers. In 361, Hilary was back in Poitiers. He was welcomed with great joy by his flock and his brothers in the episcopate and was visited by his former disciple Martin, who became the bishop of Tours. The death of Constantius in 361 ended the persecution of the true Church in that part of the world. In 364 Hilary tried to extend his influence beyond Poitiers. He went to Milan to openly debate with the bishop of that city, who was a defender of the Arians, but Emperor Valentinian, the protector of the heretics, ordered him to leave Milan. In the same year, Hilary encouraged the future bishop Martin of Tours to establish a monastery in Poitiers. Aside from those already mentioned above, Hilary's other writings include a commentary on the Gospel of Matthew considered to be the first written in Latin; an exposition of the Psalms; a book of hymns, and other historical and theological writings. The most esteemed work of St. Hilary was the twelve-volume work on the Nicene Creed and the Trinity. Here, he explained that the Son is co-eternal with the Father and proves the consubstantiality of the three Divine Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He also teaches that the Church is One, outside of It, all are heresies.
Matrix? More like Ma tricks and Papa too. Romade Religion, what can you say? Feel controlled? There is a reason for that seizin', listen hear, unherd."Hear" are the links I mentioned: You can find them posted at the following sites: The Piso Project http://pisoproject.wordpress.com The Roman Piso Papers (Scroll down for papers) http://independent.academia.edu/RomanPiso/Papers As I said above, Druidic priests were not A Few Words About The Royal Language (a language within language) http://www.academia.edu/30347785/A_Few_Words_About_The_Royal_Language References: See my paper, 'Napoleon Bonaparte & The Holy Roman Empire' http://www.academia.edu/10994708/Napoleon_Bonaparte_and_The_Holy_Roman_Empire Below are a couple of lists. Understanding The Oligarchy http://www.academia.edu/32492893/Understanding_The_Oligarchy.pdf Understanding The Oligarchy (at Wordpress) http://pisoproject.wordpress.com/understanding-the-oligarchy/ Oligarchy And Ancient Genealogies http://www.academia.edu/28345792/Oligarchy_And_Ancient_Genealogies Napoleon Bonaparte & The Holy Roman Empire http://www.academia.edu/10994708/Napoleon_Bonaparte_and_The_Holy_Roman_Empire The Biblical Dynasty - The Oligarchy Uses Religion Against Us http://www.academia.edu/s/0aa7c0388c/the-biblical-dynasty There was a sect of 'Jews' in the 1st century who were like Secular Humanists. They were fighting for basic human rights and an end to slavery, they were the Pharisees. They were fighting the Romans who were creating Christianity. What Happened At Masada? http://www.academia.edu/33706215/What_Happened_At_Masada_.pdf Seneca, Christianity, And The Caesars http://www.academia.edu/33161068/Seneca_Christianity_And_The_Caesars Christianity Was Exposed By Abelard Reuchlin (AcademiaEdu) http://www.academia.edu/33614693/Christianity_Was_Exposed_By_Abelard_Reuchlin The New Classical Scholarship: The New Forensic Study Of History http://www.academia.edu/31990534/The_NCS_The_New_Forensic_Study_Of_History The True Context Of Ancient History & The Gordian Emperors http://www.academia.edu/s/cc567b0350/the-true-context-of-ancient-history-and-the-gordian-emperors Ancient Alias Names List (2017) http://www.academia.edu/s/a339f0df02/ancient-alias-names-list-2017 Have you wondered about and maybe tried to do research of your own about the Gnostic gospels and other material that did NOT make it into the New Testament canon? Here is my research on it... The Apocryphal New Testament Authorship https://www.academia.edu/s/cbbb322c87/the-apocryphal-new-testament-authorship Was Pliny The Younger, the Roman author and friend of Emperor Trajan, and who was famous for asking Trajan what to do about Christians, also writing as St. Ignatius? Is this more evidence of the Oligarchy (1%) existing even in ancient times? Pliny The Younger As Saint Ignatius http://www.academia.edu/s/99511f2e10/pliny-the-younger-as-saint-ignatiuspdf Some of the easiest evidence regarding the Roman creation of Christianity for those who are just beginning to study the way that we do in the New Classical Scholarship is in examining the works of Pliny The Younger. Emperor Trajan & Pliny The Younger: Mutual Ancestry http://www.academia.edu/s/f6541cd384/emperor-trajan-and-pliny-the-younger-mutual-ancestry Two of my forthcoming papers are very important as evidence of the Roman creation of Christianity. One of these papers is on the subject of the fabrication of Christian persecutions by Roman emperors. This can be shown by giving the descent of all Roman emperors from Antoninus Pius onward, from Arrius Piso (or his immediate family), the main creator of Christianity. And the other paper will show the direct descent of no less than 60 popes from Arrius Calpurnius Piso. At this time, I have already posted the information giving the direct descent of at least 35 popes from Arrius Piso. Scholar Names, Works & Dates: [Authors of Biblical Criticism] Bishop John William Colenso, born Jan. 24, 1814 (1814-1883), 'The Pentateuch Examined'. Sir George Birdwood. Major General Forlong, 'Rivers of Life'. James Ballantyne Hannay, 'Sex Symbolism In Religion'. James Ballantyne Hannay, 'Christianity, the Sources of its Teachings and Symbolism', 1913. James Ballantyne Hannay, 'Bible Folk Lore', a series of six volumes of about 200 pages each. Produced during WWI (1915-1917). James Ballantyne Hannay, 'The Rise, Decline & Fall of the Roman Religion', published postumously, 1925. Sir Richard Burton. Robertson, 'Christianity and Mythology', London, 1900. Matthes. Paulus (1828). Colani (1864). M. Loisy. Bertram, 1922. Van Loon. Laurentius Valla. Sir Harry Johnston. Dr. Cheyne. Lord Kichener. Dr. Barnes (the bishop of Birmingham, Oct. 13th, 1924). Ruskin. Sir Authur Evans. Payne Knight, 'Worship of Priapus'. Naville, 'Discovery of the Book of Law'. German Scholar, Theodor Noldeke (1836-1930). J.C. Oman, 'Cults, Customs and Superstitions of India'. Lecky, 'History of European Morals'. Davidson's Lexicon (issued by Bagster). German Scholar, Christian Gottlieb Wilke (C.G. Wilke), 'Der Urevangelist', 1838. Wilke stated that Mark was the original (earliest) gospel. Bruno Bauer agreed. Allard Pierson (his first published work was about The Sermon On The Mount, and other Synoptic passages, c. 1878). Dirk Loman (c. late 1800s). William Van Manen (c. 1900). Dutch Scholars, Neber and Bolland. Karl Kautsky (1854-1938) 'The Origins of Christianity', 1908. He applied Bruno Bauer's thesis. Dietz, 'Der Ursprung des Christentums', published in Stuttgart, 1908. Some Of The Earliest Scholars Writing About A Roman Creation Of Christian Texts: Hermann Samuel Reimarus (1694-1768). Lessing, an essay published between 1774-1778. Bahrdt (1784-1792). Herder (1797). Dupuis (1743-1809). Volney (1757-1820). == This Title, 'Romans Created Christianity' In Other Languages: [Afrikaans: 'Romeine geskep Christendom'] [Albanian: 'Romakët krijuan krishterimin'] ['خلق الرومان المسيحية' :Arabian[ [Armenian: ' Հռոմեացիները քրիստոնյա են ստեղծել'] [Bosnian: 'Rimljani su stvorili hrišćanstvo'] [Bulgarian: 'Римляните създали християнството'] [Chinese: '羅馬人創造了基督教'] [Croatian: 'Rimljani stvorili kršćanstvo'] [Czech: 'Římané vytvořili křesťanství'] [Danish: 'Romerne skabte kristendommen'] [Dutch: 'Romeinen gemaakt christendom'] [Esperanto: 'Romanoj kreis kristanismon'] [Estonian: 'Roomlased loodud kristlus'] [Filipino: 'Nilikha ng mga Romano ang Kristiyanismo'] [Finnish: 'Roomalaiset luonut kristinuskon'] [French: 'Les Romains ont créé le christianisme'] [Frisian: 'Romeinen skepen it kristendom'] [Galacian: 'Os romanos crearon o cristianismo'] [Georgian: ' '] რომაელები ქრისტიანობას ქმნიდნენ [German: 'Romans schuf Christentum'] [Greek: 'Ρωμαίοι δημιούργησαν τον Χριστιανισμό'] ['הרומאים יצרו הנצרות' :Hebrew[ [Hmong Daw: 'Loos tsim Christianity'] [Hungarian: 'Rómaiak létrehozott kereszténység'] [Indonesian: 'Roma dibuat Kekristenan'] [Irish: 'Chruthaigh Rómhánaigh Críostaíocht'] [Italian: 'Romans ha generato Christianity'] [Japanese: 'ローマ人キリスト教を作成'] [Korean: ' 로마인 들은 기독교 만든'] [Latin: 'Romani creavit Christianitatis'] [Latvian: 'Romieši izveidoja kristietība'] [Lithuanian: 'Romėnai sukūrė krikščionybė'] [Luxembourgish: 'Réimer hunn de Christentum geschaf'] [Macedonian: 'Римјаните го создале христијанството'] [Malay: 'Orang-orang Rom mencipta agama Kristian'] [Maltese: 'Romans maħluqa nisranija'] [Mongolian: 'Ромчууд Христийн шашныг бүтээсэн'] [Norwegian: 'Romerne skapte kristendommen'] [Polish: 'Rzymianie utworzone chrześcijaństwa'] [Portuguese: 'Romanos criaram o cristianismo'] [Romanian: 'Romanii au creat crestinismul'] [Russian: 'Римляне создали христианство'] [Samoan: 'Na foafoaina e Roma Kerisiano'] [Scots-Gaelic: 'Rinn Ròmanaich Crìosdaidheachd'] [Serbian: 'Римљани су креирали хришћанство'] ['روميون مسيحييت پيدا ڪيو' :Sindhi[ [Slovak: 'Rimania vytvorili kresťanstvo'] [Slovenian: 'Rimljani ustvaril krščanstvo'] [Somali: 'Roomaanku wuxuu abuuray Masiixiyadda'] [Spanish: 'Romanos crearon el cristianismo'] [Sundanese: 'Rum dijieun Kristen'] [Swahili: 'Warumi iliunda Ukristo'] [Swedish: 'Romarna skapade kristendomen'] [Turkish: 'Romalılar Hıristiyanlık oluşturdu'] [Ukrainian: 'Римляни створений християнство'] [Uzbek: 'Rimliklarga nasroniylikni yaratdi'] [Vietnamese: 'Người La Mã tạo cơ đốc giáo'] [Welch: 'Rhufeiniaid creu Cristnogaeth'] ['רוימער באשאפן קריסטנטום' :Yiddish[ [Zulu: 'AmaRoma adala ubuKristu'] == Do a search to find out where you can find Reuchlin's work (he authored other titles also). Piso Christ: What Is The Book About? http://pisoproject.wordpress.com/piso-christ-what-is-the-book-about/ Piso Christ: The Roman Piso Family Created Christianity. https://www.amazon.com/Piso-Christ-Book-Classical-Scholarship/dp/142692996X Related Subject Matter: ================= (Key Words & Terms) History, Ancient History, Rome, Ancient Rome, Roman Empire, Roman Emperors, Popes, Papal History, Christianity, History of Christianity, Origin of Christianity, Emperor, Emperors, Roman Catholic History, Holy Roman Empire, Arrius Calpurnius Piso, Roman Piso Family, Ancient Alias Names, Ancient Pen Names, Gordian Emperors, Emperor Antoninus Pius, Arius Antoninus, Marcus Aurelius, Oligarchy, Royal Supremacy, Royal Language, Aliases, Genealogy, Ancient Genealogy, Ancient Genealogies, Historia, Historia Augusta, Flavius Josephus, Pliny The Younger, Suetonius, Tacitus, Plutarch, Hero of Alexandria, Apollonius of Tyana, Philostratus 'The Athenian', Philostratus 'The Younger', Herodian, Emperor Constantine, Vespasian, Titus, Domitian, Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Lucius Verus, Commodus, Pertinax, Pescennius Niger, Didius Julianus, Clodius Albinus, Septimius Severus, Severus Alexander, Maximinus, Maximus, Probus, Clodius II, Constantius, Constantius Chlorus, Eusebius, Pope Eusebius, Church Father, Early Christianity, Roman Creation of Christianity, Nero, 666, Julius Calpurnius Piso, Julius Piso I, First 10 Popes, Justin Martyr, St. John 'The Divine', The Revelation, gospels, The Gospel of Thomas, Gnostic, Gnostic Gospels, Apocryphal, texts, holy, sacred, free, info, sample, paper, papers, research, research paper, Heron, Herod, Agrippa, Philo, Logos, Talmud, Pharisee, pharisees, sect, Cornelius, Theodosius I, Arcadius, Honorius, Byzantine, Byzantium, Constantinople, ancient literature, forensic history, censorship, Medieval, medieval censorship, Inquisition, Crusade, crusades, Church, Church History, comparative, religion, religious, organized religion, Abelard Reuchlin, Professor, Bruno Bauer, James Ballantyne Hannay, Marcus, Antonius, Cleopatra, Julius, Caesar, Caesars, Antonius Primus, Cestius Gallus, Nero, Vitellius, Otho, Licinianus, Frugi, Piso, Julius Servianus, Julius Severus, Julius Constantius I, Galba, New, New Testament, Bible, gospels, epistles, Panegyricus, Timothy, Justinian The Jurist, Proculus Calpurnius Piso, Silanus Piso, Herodes Atticus, ben Pantera, Scribes, genealogy, genealogies, royal, royal line, royal blood, historiography, philosophy, history of, historical Jesus, Dark Ages, Secular Humanism, Atheism, Atheist, Atheists, Historical Anthropology, Anthropology, Anthropology of Religion, Imperial, Imperial Rome, Roma, Classics, Classical Antiquity, Religion as psychological warfare, Werner Eck. Anthropology, genealogical charts, genealogy, archaeology, Origins of Christianity, Holy, Holy Roman Empire, Imperial Rome, Roman Empire, popes, emperor, emperors, King James, Bible, biblical, classics, classical history, historic, Pliny The Elder, Seneca, Aria, Arria, Arria The Younger, Arria The Elder, Arius, Arrius, Fadilla, Arria Fadilla, Arria Antonina, Antonius, Marcus Antonius, Antonius Primus, of Alexandria, of Tyana, of Rome, of Athens, Gnostics, gospel, Gospel of, Thomas, Mary, Magdalan, magi, three, three days, three wise men, rooster, hen, cock, crow, crew, Alexander, Sabina, Gaius Calpurnius Piso, Constantine, Julius Constantius, Constantius Chlorus, Emperor, emperors, Flavia, Flavian, Flavians, Titus, Domitian, Vespasian, Nerva, Augustus, Julius Caesar, Caesar, Tiberius, Gneius Calpurnius Piso, Gaius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, Pertinax, Didius Julianus, Clodius Albinus, Septimius Severus, Severus Alexander, Pupienus, Claudius Gothicus, Probus, Gallienus, Tacitus, Florian, Florianus, Balbinus, Postumus, Philip I, Philip II, Pacatian, Jotapian, Aquilia Severa, Annia, Annia Faustina, Julia Soaemias, Julia Maesa, Diadumenian, Elagabalus, Julia Domna, Caracalla, Lucius Verus, Lucilla, Geta, Titiana, Manlia Scantilla, Didia Clara, Pescennius Niger, St. Peter, Saint, Saint Peter, Linus, and Werner Eck. Roman coins, denominations, coinage, province, Augustus, Claudius, Nero, Vitellius, Domitian, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Septimius Severus, Severus Alexander, Elagabalus, Gordian III, Philip I 'The Arab', Claudius II 'Gothicus', denari, denarii, denarius, coins, coin, ancient coins, numismatic, celator, ancient mints, silver, gold, copper, aureus, drachm, didrachm, tetradrachm, follis, antoninianus, antoninianii, potin, billon, error, restrike, restrikes, silver wash, silvered, limes, AE, AE3, AR, AV, miliarense, siliqua, centenionalis, argenteus, dupondius, quadrans, cistophorus, sestertius, quinarius, as, As, Semis, triens, sextans, unica, quadrigatus, moneyer, victoriatus, solidus, scripulum.
"The holy Hierarch Hilary was born of pagan parents in Gaul, and was trained in philosophy and rhetoric. At a time when paganism was still strong in Gaul, Saint Hilary understood the falsehood of polytheism, and became a Christian, and a great defender of his new Faith. About the year 350 he was ordained Bishop of Poitiers, when Arles and Milan were in the hands of the Arians and the Arian Constantius was sole Emperor. Like his contemporary Saint Athanasius, Saint Hilary's episcopate was one long struggle against the Arians. As Bishop of Poitiers, Saint Hilary foresaw the future greatness of Martin (see Nov. 12), and attached him to himself. In 355, when required to agree to the condemnation of Saint Athanasius by the Council of Milan, Hilary wrote an epistle to Constantius condemning the wrongs done by the Arians and requesting, among other things, the restoration of the Orthodox bishops, including Athanasius. For this, Hilary was banished to Asia Minor, where he wrote his greatest work, On the Trinity. Saint Hilary returned to his see in 360, where Saint Martin sought him out again. It was at this time that Saint Hilary blessed Martin to found a monastery near Poitiers, where Martin remained until being consecrated Bishop of Tours in 371. In his last years, Saint Hilary strove for the deposition of Auxentius, the Arian Bishop of Milan, but by affecting an Orthodox confession Auxentius retained his see. Saint Hilary reposed in peace about the year 368. Auxentius died in 374 and was succeeded by Saint Ambrose, who continued Saint Hilary's battle against Arianism." (Great Horologion, adapted)
"The holy Hierarch Hilary was born of pagan parents in Gaul, and was trained in philosophy and rhetoric. At a time when paganism was still strong in Gaul, Saint Hilary understood the falsehood of polytheism, and became a Christian, and a great defender of his new Faith. About the year 350 he was ordained Bishop of Poitiers, when Arles and Milan were in the hands of the Arians and the Arian Constantius was sole Emperor. Like his contemporary Saint Athanasius, Saint Hilary's episcopate was one long struggle against the Arians. As Bishop of Poitiers, Saint Hilary foresaw the future greatness of Martin (see Nov. 12), and attached him to himself. In 355, when required to agree to the condemnation of Saint Athanasius by the Council of Milan, Hilary wrote an epistle to Constantius condemning the wrongs done by the Arians and requesting, among other things, the restoration of the Orthodox bishops, including Athanasius. For this, Hilary was banished to Asia Minor, where he wrote his greatest work, On the Trinity. Saint Hilary returned to his see in 360, where Saint Martin sought him out again. It was at this time that Saint Hilary blessed Martin to found a monastery near Poitiers, where Martin remained until being consecrated Bishop of Tours in 371. In his last years, Saint Hilary strove for the deposition of Auxentius, the Arian Bishop of Milan, but by affecting an Orthodox confession Auxentius retained his see. Saint Hilary reposed in peace about the year 368. Auxentius died in 374 and was succeeded by Saint Ambrose, who continued Saint Hilary's battle against Arianism." (Great Horologion, adapted)
He was born in Rome, and as a young man was chosen by the Emperor Constantine to assist in the foundation of his new capital at Byzantium. An outbreak of leprosy in the new City became so severe that the Emperor ordered that all lepers, whatever their rank, be driven from the city or drowned in the sea. Zoticus, moved by compassion for these people, went to the Emperor and asked him for a large amount of gold to buy gems and pearls to enhance the glory of the city, 'For, as Your Majesty knows, I am well-qualified in this field.' The Saint then used the gold to ransom all those being led into exile or to drowning, and to establish for them a camp on the hill of Olivet on the opposite shore of the Bosphorus. There he brought the sick and provided for their care. In 337 Constantius, an Arian heretic, took the throne upon the death of his father. Some of Zoticus' enemies at court, seeing an opportunity, denounced Zoticus to the new Emperor, saying that he not only held subversive views, but had misappropriated public money. When he learned of these charges, Zoticus presented himself to the Emperor, finely dressed, and offered to take Constantius to see the gems and pearls that he had bought on his behalf. When they reached the hill of Olivet, Constantius was astonished to see a company of lepers coming to greet him with lighted candles, honoring and praising him and their patron Zoticus. Then the holy Zoticus said to the Emperor, 'These are the precious stones and brilliant pearls that give luster to the crown of the heavenly Kingdom that you will inherit by their prayers. I bought them for the salvation of your soul.' Instead of being grateful, the heartless Emperor ordered that Zoticus be tied behind wild mules and dragged until dead. The mules ran down the hill, breaking the Saint's body upon the rocks and brush. Then, of their own accord, they returned to the top of the hill, still dragging the body, and, like Balaam's ass (Numbers ch. 22), spoke and proclaimed that the Martyr must be buried on that hill. The astonished and repentant Emperor ordered the Martyr buried with honor, and commanded that a hospital for lepers be built there, staffed by the best physicians and caretakers. Saint Zoticus is also called Orphanotrophos, 'Cherisher of Orphans,' because in later years a large orphanage was added to the leprosarium. The orphanage included a general hospital and a home for the aged. The Saint was honored throughout Byzantine history as the patron of the orphanage.
He was born in Rome, and as a young man was chosen by the Emperor Constantine to assist in the foundation of his new capital at Byzantium. An outbreak of leprosy in the new City became so severe that the Emperor ordered that all lepers, whatever their rank, be driven from the city or drowned in the sea. Zoticus, moved by compassion for these people, went to the Emperor and asked him for a large amount of gold to buy gems and pearls to enhance the glory of the city, 'For, as Your Majesty knows, I am well-qualified in this field.' The Saint then used the gold to ransom all those being led into exile or to drowning, and to establish for them a camp on the hill of Olivet on the opposite shore of the Bosphorus. There he brought the sick and provided for their care. In 337 Constantius, an Arian heretic, took the throne upon the death of his father. Some of Zoticus' enemies at court, seeing an opportunity, denounced Zoticus to the new Emperor, saying that he not only held subversive views, but had misappropriated public money. When he learned of these charges, Zoticus presented himself to the Emperor, finely dressed, and offered to take Constantius to see the gems and pearls that he had bought on his behalf. When they reached the hill of Olivet, Constantius was astonished to see a company of lepers coming to greet him with lighted candles, honoring and praising him and their patron Zoticus. Then the holy Zoticus said to the Emperor, 'These are the precious stones and brilliant pearls that give luster to the crown of the heavenly Kingdom that you will inherit by their prayers. I bought them for the salvation of your soul.' Instead of being grateful, the heartless Emperor ordered that Zoticus be tied behind wild mules and dragged until dead. The mules ran down the hill, breaking the Saint's body upon the rocks and brush. Then, of their own accord, they returned to the top of the hill, still dragging the body, and, like Balaam's ass (Numbers ch. 22), spoke and proclaimed that the Martyr must be buried on that hill. The astonished and repentant Emperor ordered the Martyr buried with honor, and commanded that a hospital for lepers be built there, staffed by the best physicians and caretakers. Saint Zoticus is also called Orphanotrophos, 'Cherisher of Orphans,' because in later years a large orphanage was added to the leprosarium. The orphanage included a general hospital and a home for the aged. The Saint was honored throughout Byzantine history as the patron of the orphanage.
A native of Thessalonica, he rose from secretary to Alexander, Patriarch of Constantinople (commemorated August 30), to deacon, then succeeded St Alexander as Patriarch around 337. For his virtue and his zeal for Orthodoxy he was hated by the Arians, who were still powerful in the Empire. The Arian Emperor Constantius, learning of Paul's election, exiled him and made the Arian Eusebius Patriarch in his place. St Paul went to Rome, where he joined St Athanasius the Great in exile. Furnished with letters from Pope Julius, he was able to ascend the Patriarchal throne once again upon the death of Eusebius. But once again the Arians were able to put one of their party on the Patriarchal throne: Macedonius, who even went beyond the Arian heresy and denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit. Once again the legitimate, Orthodox Patriarch found himself in exile in Rome. In succeeding years St Paul stood firm for Orthodoxy while complex political and military intrigues swirled around him, with the Orthodox Constans, Emperor of the West (and Constantius' brother) supporting him while Constantius continued to oppose him. For a time Constans was able to enforce Paul's place on the Patriarchal throne, but when he died, Constantius banished St Paul to Cucusus on the Black Sea. There, while he was celebrating the Divine Liturgy in the house where he was kept prisoner, the Arians strangled him with his own omophorion. His relics were brought back to Constantinople by the Emperor Theodosius the Great.
A native of Thessalonica, he rose from secretary to Alexander, Patriarch of Constantinople (commemorated August 30), to deacon, then succeeded St Alexander as Patriarch around 337. For his virtue and his zeal for Orthodoxy he was hated by the Arians, who were still powerful in the Empire. The Arian Emperor Constantius, learning of Paul's election, exiled him and made the Arian Eusebius Patriarch in his place. St Paul went to Rome, where he joined St Athanasius the Great in exile. Furnished with letters from Pope Julius, he was able to ascend the Patriarchal throne once again upon the death of Eusebius. But once again the Arians were able to put one of their party on the Patriarchal throne: Macedonius, who even went beyond the Arian heresy and denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit. Once again the legitimate, Orthodox Patriarch found himself in exile in Rome. In succeeding years St Paul stood firm for Orthodoxy while complex political and military intrigues swirled around him, with the Orthodox Constans, Emperor of the West (and Constantius' brother) supporting him while Constantius continued to oppose him. For a time Constans was able to enforce Paul's place on the Patriarchal throne, but when he died, Constantius banished St Paul to Cucusus on the Black Sea. There, while he was celebrating the Divine Liturgy in the house where he was kept prisoner, the Arians strangled him with his own omophorion. His relics were brought back to Constantinople by the Emperor Theodosius the Great.
Part 6 All Change Under Constantine! Last time we looked briefly at two main enemies from within the church: systemic disorganization and chaos within leadership and structure of churches and false and heretical teaching which was creeping in surreptitiously. We move on today to a landmark period in the life of the church. Remember that one of the main persecutors of the Church was the Roman Empire. Now we come to the Emperor Constantine. This period is described by Diarmaid MacCulloch as “crucial for the Christian Church” (A History of Christianity). Constantine was pronounced as Emperor by the Army in 306AD following the death of his father, Constantius 1. Under the rule of Diocletian, the Empire had been reorganized into a team of 4 emperors under his leadership. However civil war soon re-commenced. During this time at the battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 AD, Constantine overthrew his rival, Maxentius, and became the Emperor of the Western Empire. He had been a worshipper of the 'Unconquered Sun', but before this battle he saw a vision of the cross of Christ and had a dream commanding his soldiers to fight under the name of Jesus Christ. He made his soldiers shields with a monogram of Christ, the first 2 letters of Christ's name in Greek. Constantine went on to restore property to the church in his domain which had been confiscated by previous Roman emperors. Then in 313AD Constantine and his ally, Licinius, made a proclamation whereby those identified as Christians would be treated equally with those who were not Christians. This proclamation also declared a new policy of toleration for all religions throughout all the Roman Empire. FF Bruce writes in The Spreading Flame “This led to Christians once banished to return from exile. Their property was restored; their demolished church edifices rebuilt. The last round between Christianity and Roman paganism had been the most desperate of all; but it ended with the acknowledgement that Christianity had won.” Constantine, according to Shelley in his book "Church History in Plain Language", also made many changes in his private life. This including raising his family as a Christian family. He was baptized by Bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia. After his Baptist, he refused to wear the imperial purple again and chose to wear his baptismal robes. He died shortly after in 337AD but not before establishing Constantinople as a new capital of the Roman world. A quick look at the historical writing of Eusebius sees Constantine epitomised as an superlative Christian leader and almost envisages a new age of salvation! Here are some of the ways Eusebius describes Constantine from his writings. “Constantine, the mightiest victor, adorned with every virtue of piety…” “For Constantine, like an all-gracious emperor, giving him evidences of true favour…” “God was the friend, protector, and guardian of Constantine, and bringing the plots which had been formed in secrecy and darkness to the light, he foiled them.” Constantine was “the protector of the virtuous, mingling hatred for evil with love for good, went forth with his son Crispus, a most beneficent prince, and extended a saving right hand to all that were perishing.” Constantine brought both significant advantages and disadvantages for Christianity. These include: Advantages for Christianity. Religious tolerance and freedom Restoration of church property - a major church building program by the Emperor e.g. St. Peters Basilica in Rome. Christianity became the favoured religion in the Empire, since Constantine was at the very least nominally Christian. In 312 AD he declared Sunday a holiday. Disadvantages for Christianity. Christianity became nominal, and it was fashionable to be called a Christian. Many pagan ideas were intermingled with Christianity - incense, images, candles, vestments, veneration of saints & martyrs, and Mary idolised like a goddess. The emperor exercised his authority in the church as head of the Roman religion, Pontifus Maximus. This set an unfortunate precedent for involvement of government in Christianity which we will see later causes great trouble for the church and Christianity. While Constantine did not enforce others to join Christianity, that didn't last long. After Constantine's death, belief in Christianity was made a matter of imperial command under the regime of the emperor Theodosius. He had new church buildings designed in order to stress the new hierarchy of Jesus Christ and the Roman emperor. There were also heavy penalties enforced upon those who were not Christians and from other religions. Theodosius enforced the thinking that the there was a close connection between the will of God, his own will and a connection with the Roman empire. How does the church itself react to all this? How was the thinking and theology of the church growing and/or adapting? Well for the answer to that, you will have to wait until the next Podcast! Tap or lick here to save this as an audio mp3 file
ST. HELENA l PATRON OF THE DIVORCED PEOPLE, CONVERTS AND ARCHAEOLOGISTS Feast Day: August 18 St. Helena, our saint for today, is an important figure in the history of Christianity. Ancient tradition claims that she discovered the true Cross of Jesus. She was born in Bithynia, Asia Minor in AD c. 246/248, (a time for Christian persecution and of rival emperors in the Roman Empire). Helena's birthplace was renamed Helenopolis by her son, Emperor Constantine the Great, in her honor sometime after her death in 330 AD. There is nothing recorded about her background, except that one of the Roman emperors in the West, Constantius Chlorus under the tetrarchy of Diocletian, married her. Helena gave birth to Constantine, the future great emperor of Rome. Constantius, however, divorced Helena in 289 for political reasons and married the daughter of Maximian, another rival emperor, so as for them to consolidate powers. Having been repudiated, Helena and her son Constantine were sent away from the palace. Helena lived a hidden life while Constantine became part of the Roman troops. When Constantius suddenly died in 306, the soldiers proclaimed Constantine as Augustus or ruler of the Roman Empire to take his father's place. But there were other applicants to the throne and Constantine was engaged in a battle. One night he saw a vision of the Cross with a caption in Latin, which means “By this sign you shall conquer.” Constantine embraced Christianity and triumphed over his rivals.When Helena was brought back to the palace by Constantine, she was given much honor and dignity. Despite this, Helena continued to live an austere and mortified life to the admiration of those around her. She assisted her son in assisting the poor and in helping the needy. Emperor Constantine, though he was baptized on his deathbed, stopped persecuting the Christians, and favored Christianity more than any religion of his time. History called it the Triumph of the Church. In 313 Constantine with the help of Licinius, a rival emperor, issued the EDICT OF MILAN, allowing the practice of Christianity. Constantine became a great patron of the Church and in 323 declared Christianity as the religion of the Roman Empire. Following her son's conversion, Helena also embraced Christianity joyfully.In 324, Constantine appointed his mother to undertake a trip to Palestine to locate the relics of Christian tradition: the Holy Sepulchre and the True Cross of Jesus. On this pilgrimage, Helena, performed many acts of kindness and good works such as giving food, clothing, money and helping the marginalized. When she reached Jerusalem, they searched the burial place of the crosses and the men appointed to help her, excavated the spot where the cross of Jesus and those of the thieves were buried. They found three crosses and it was only through miraculous cures in touching the true cross that they identified the Cross of Jesus. Helena built two churches on that area and so we have the Church of the Nativity and the Holy Sepulchre. In 327, after pilgrimages to some places in Palestine, Helena left Jerusalem and returned to Rome. She brought with her large parts of the True Cross, which she kept in the palace's private chapel. She was almost 80 years old. Helena died around 330 A.D. while her son, who loved her so much, was at her side. She was buried in the Mausoleum of Helena, outside Rome on the Via Labicana. Her sarcophagus is on display in the Pio-Clementine Vatican Museum. Next to her is the sarcophagus of her granddaughter Constantina (Saint Constance).
In the struggle against the Arian heresy, Meletius, Patriarch of Antioch, was deposed, and the emperor Constantius demanded that Eusebius surrender the document that proved his legitimate appointment to the Patriarchal throne. Eusebius said he would not surrender it without the permission of all who had signed it and, when imperial soldiers threatened to cut off his right hand, he held out both his hands to them. When Constantius heard of this, he was struck with admiration and ceased his persecution of the bishop. As the Arian heresy continued to rage, Eusebius stood strong, and was finally exiled by order of the Emperor Valens. When the messenger bearing the edict of banishment arrived, Eusebius warned him to keep quiet lest the people, hearing why he had come, should kill him. Then Eusebius left the city on foot, under cover of darkness, in order to protect the messenger from harm. Upon the death of Valens, Eusebius returned to from exile and traveled throughout Syria (though he was now a very old man), appointing priests and bishops known for their Orthodoxy. About 380, as he was entering a village to enthrone a bishop, an Arian woman threw a tile at him from a rooftop, fracturing his skull. As he lay dying, he made all the bystanders swear not to take any revenge. Saint Gregory the Theologian corresponded with Eusebius, and esteemed him so highly that in a letter to him he wrote, 'That such a man should deign to be my patron also in his prayers will gain for me, I am persuaded, as much strength as I should have gained through one of the holy martyrs.'
In the struggle against the Arian heresy, Meletius, Patriarch of Antioch, was deposed, and the emperor Constantius demanded that Eusebius surrender the document that proved his legitimate appointment to the Patriarchal throne. Eusebius said he would not surrender it without the permission of all who had signed it and, when imperial soldiers threatened to cut off his right hand, he held out both his hands to them. When Constantius heard of this, he was struck with admiration and ceased his persecution of the bishop. As the Arian heresy continued to rage, Eusebius stood strong, and was finally exiled by order of the Emperor Valens. When the messenger bearing the edict of banishment arrived, Eusebius warned him to keep quiet lest the people, hearing why he had come, should kill him. Then Eusebius left the city on foot, under cover of darkness, in order to protect the messenger from harm. Upon the death of Valens, Eusebius returned to from exile and traveled throughout Syria (though he was now a very old man), appointing priests and bishops known for their Orthodoxy. About 380, as he was entering a village to enthrone a bishop, an Arian woman threw a tile at him from a rooftop, fracturing his skull. As he lay dying, he made all the bystanders swear not to take any revenge. Saint Gregory the Theologian corresponded with Eusebius, and esteemed him so highly that in a letter to him he wrote, 'That such a man should deign to be my patron also in his prayers will gain for me, I am persuaded, as much strength as I should have gained through one of the holy martyrs.'
Attila the Hun! Does his name conjure up images of savagery in your mind? Of a bloodthirsty warrior-king who ruthlessly tortured and killed his enemies as he sacked city after city? An especially barbaric man who stood out for violence in a time known for so much violence? OR - was he a man of his times? Was he no more or less violent than the Romans, whose historians wrote his story? And when they wrote his story, how much was truth and how much was hyperbole and slander? Today we look into 5th century CE Europe, when the Western Roman Empire is falling, when Attila and his Huns are sacking city after city. We try to separate fact from fiction, and get to know the real Attila, not the evil cartoon presented in clickbait articles and videos. The Bad Magic Charity of the month is SEO: Sponsors for Educational Opportunity. SEO's mission is to create a more equitable society by closing the opportunity gap for young people from historically excluded communities. To find out more, go to seo-use.orgWatch the Suck on YouTube: https://youtu.be/95AGdmpbw88Merch - https://badmagicmerch.com/ Discord! https://discord.gg/tqzH89vWant to join the Cult of the Curious private Facebook Group? Go directly to Facebook and search for "Cult of the Curious" in order to locate whatever happens to be our most current page :)For all merch related questions/problems: store@badmagicproductions.com (copy and paste)Please rate and subscribe on iTunes and elsewhere and follow the suck on social media!! @timesuckpodcast on IG and http://www.facebook.com/timesuckpodcastWanna become a Space Lizard? Click here: https://www.patreon.com/timesuckpodcastSign up through Patreon and for $5 a month you get to listen to the Secret Suck, which will drop Thursdays at Noon, PST. You'll also get 20% off of all regular Timesuck merch PLUS access to exclusive Space Lizard merch. You get to vote on two Monday topics each month via the app. And you get the download link for my new comedy album, Feel the Heat. Check the Patreon posts to find out how to download the new album and take advantage of other benefits.
What happened in the fourth century? You’ve probably heard all kinds of rumors about Arius of Alexandria and his newfangled heresy. But, was Arius really a sinful outsider who tried to corrupt Christianity? Was his idea of a Son with a beginning even new? In this episode we’ll cover an outline of the major events Read more about 423 One God 13: The Fourth Century[…]
In the struggle against the Arian heresy, Meletius, Patriarch of Antioch, was deposed, and the emperor Constantius demanded that Eusebius surrender the document that proved his legitimate appointment to the Patriarchal throne. Eusebius said he would not surrender it without the permission of all who had signed it and, when imperial soldiers threatened to cut off his right hand, he held out both his hands to them. When Constantius heard of this, he was struck with admiration and ceased his persecution of the bishop. As the Arian heresy continued to rage, Eusebius stood strong, and was finally exiled by order of the Emperor Valens. When the messenger bearing the edict of banishment arrived, Eusebius warned him to keep quiet lest the people, hearing why he had come, should kill him. Then Eusebius left the city on foot, under cover of darkness, in order to protect the messenger from harm. Upon the death of Valens, Eusebius returned to from exile and traveled throughout Syria (though he was now a very old man), appointing priests and bishops known for their Orthodoxy. About 380, as he was entering a village to enthrone a bishop, an Arian woman threw a tile at him from a rooftop, fracturing his skull. As he lay dying, he made all the bystanders swear not to take any revenge. Saint Gregory the Theologian corresponded with Eusebius, and esteemed him so highly that in a letter to him he wrote, 'That such a man should deign to be my patron also in his prayers will gain for me, I am persuaded, as much strength as I should have gained through one of the holy martyrs.'
In the struggle against the Arian heresy, Meletius, Patriarch of Antioch, was deposed, and the emperor Constantius demanded that Eusebius surrender the document that proved his legitimate appointment to the Patriarchal throne. Eusebius said he would not surrender it without the permission of all who had signed it and, when imperial soldiers threatened to cut off his right hand, he held out both his hands to them. When Constantius heard of this, he was struck with admiration and ceased his persecution of the bishop. As the Arian heresy continued to rage, Eusebius stood strong, and was finally exiled by order of the Emperor Valens. When the messenger bearing the edict of banishment arrived, Eusebius warned him to keep quiet lest the people, hearing why he had come, should kill him. Then Eusebius left the city on foot, under cover of darkness, in order to protect the messenger from harm. Upon the death of Valens, Eusebius returned to from exile and traveled throughout Syria (though he was now a very old man), appointing priests and bishops known for their Orthodoxy. About 380, as he was entering a village to enthrone a bishop, an Arian woman threw a tile at him from a rooftop, fracturing his skull. As he lay dying, he made all the bystanders swear not to take any revenge. Saint Gregory the Theologian corresponded with Eusebius, and esteemed him so highly that in a letter to him he wrote, 'That such a man should deign to be my patron also in his prayers will gain for me, I am persuaded, as much strength as I should have gained through one of the holy martyrs.'
Dr. Richard Rubenstein is a Professor of Conflict Resolution and Public Affairs at George Mason University. He is the author of the excellent book "When Jesus Became God" about the Arian Controversy. In this conversation we cover both the details and higher level themes of the Arian controversy. We talk about Arius of Alexandria, Athanasius of Alexandria, the Emperors Constantine, Diocletian, Julius Caesar, Augustus, Constantius, Constans, Valens, and Theodosius, the Cappadocian Fathers Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Gregory of Nyssa. Augustine of Hippo, Eusebius of Caesarea, Thomas Aquinas, Peter Abelard, and others. We also talk about how the Arian Controversy relates to our time. We also briefly hint at his next project which is a novel based on Paul the Apostle's time on Malta. When Jesus Became God: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/253881.When_Jesus_Became_God
He was born in Rome, and as a young man was chosen by the Emperor Constantine to assist in the foundation of his new capital at Byzantium. An outbreak of leprosy in the new City became so severe that the Emperor ordered that all lepers, whatever their rank, be driven from the city or drowned in the sea. Zoticus, moved by compassion for these people, went to the Emperor and asked him for a large amount of gold to buy gems and pearls to enhance the glory of the city, 'For, as Your Majesty knows, I am well-qualified in this field.' The Saint then used the gold to ransom all those being led into exile or to drowning, and to establish for them a camp on the hill of Olivet on the opposite shore of the Bosphorus. There he brought the sick and provided for their care. In 337 Constantius, an Arian heretic, took the throne upon the death of his father. Some of Zoticus' enemies at court, seeing an opportunity, denounced Zoticus to the new Emperor, saying that he not only held subversive views, but had misappropriated public money. When he learned of these charges, Zoticus presented himself to the Emperor, finely dressed, and offered to take Constantius to see the gems and pearls that he had bought on his behalf. When they reached the hill of Olivet, Constantius was astonished to see a company of lepers coming to greet him with lighted candles, honoring and praising him and their patron Zoticus. Then the holy Zoticus said to the Emperor, 'These are the precious stones and brilliant pearls that give luster to the crown of the heavenly Kingdom that you will inherit by their prayers. I bought them for the salvation of your soul.' Instead of being grateful, the heartless Emperor ordered that Zoticus be tied behind wild mules and dragged until dead. The mules ran down the hill, breaking the Saint's body upon the rocks and brush. Then, of their own accord, they returned to the top of the hill, still dragging the body, and, like Balaam's ass (Numbers ch. 22), spoke and proclaimed that the Martyr must be buried on that hill. The astonished and repentant Emperor ordered the Martyr buried with honor, and commanded that a hospital for lepers be built there, staffed by the best physicians and caretakers. Saint Zoticus is also called Orphanotrophos, 'Cherisher of Orphans,' because in later years a large orphanage was added to the leprosarium. The orphanage included a general hospital and a home for the aged. The Saint was honored throughout Byzantine history as the patron of the orphanage.
A native of Thessalonica, he rose from secretary to Alexander, Patriarch of Constantinople (commemorated August 30), to deacon, then succeeded St Alexander as Patriarch around 337. For his virtue and his zeal for Orthodoxy he was hated by the Arians, who were still powerful in the Empire. The Arian Emperor Constantius, learning of Paul's election, exiled him and made the Arian Eusebius Patriarch in his place. St Paul went to Rome, where he joined St Athanasius the Great in exile. Furnished with letters from Pope Julius, he was able to ascend the Patriarchal throne once again upon the death of Eusebius. But once again the Arians were able to put one of their party on the Patriarchal throne: Macedonius, who even went beyond the Arian heresy and denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit. Once again the legitimate, Orthodox Patriarch found himself in exile in Rome. In succeeding years St Paul stood firm for Orthodoxy while complex political and military intrigues swirled around him, with the Orthodox Constans, Emperor of the West (and Constantius' brother) supporting him while Constantius continued to oppose him. For a time Constans was able to enforce Paul's place on the Patriarchal throne, but when he died, Constantius banished St Paul to Cucusus on the Black Sea. There, while he was celebrating the Divine Liturgy in the house where he was kept prisoner, the Arians strangled him with his own omophorion. His relics were brought back to Constantinople by the Emperor Theodosius the Great.
In the year 355 Cologne is again on the world stage of history. Invasions of the Germanic tribes shake the region, with Cologne as a Roman island in the midst of chaos. Rome's power once again seems to wobble on the Rhine. If that were not enough, another usurper in Cologne rises to become a counter-emperor. The former Roman emperor Constantius II then sends an undercover murder squad to the Rhine. Among them is the historian Ammianus Marcellinus, who experiences and reports everything first hand. All this only happens in the year 355 and should lead to the greatest misfortune in the history of Cologne. But listen to it yourself.
In today's episode we have an interview with Ross Twele. Ross is a Ph.D. student who specializes in the great fourth century theological controversy known as the "Arian Controversy." The Arian Controversy centered around the relationship between the Father and the Son and will dominate much of our narrative for the rest of the century. This episode will serve as our introduction to this complex and multifaceted period. You can find Ross's blog here: TheUnsolvedPuzzle.wordpress.com HistoryoftheEarlyChurch.wordpress.com HistoryoftheEarlyChurch@gmail.com Facebook.com/EarlyChurchPodcast
He was born in Rome, and as a young man was chosen by the Emperor Constantine to assist in the foundation of his new capital at Byzantium. An outbreak of leprosy in the new City became so severe that the Emperor ordered that all lepers, whatever their rank, be driven from the city or drowned in the sea. Zoticus, moved by compassion for these people, went to the Emperor and asked him for a large amount of gold to buy gems and pearls to enhance the glory of the city, 'For, as Your Majesty knows, I am well-qualified in this field.' The Saint then used the gold to ransom all those being led into exile or to drowning, and to establish for them a camp on the hill of Olivet on the opposite shore of the Bosphorus. There he brought the sick and provided for their care. In 337 Constantius, an Arian heretic, took the throne upon the death of his father. Some of Zoticus' enemies at court, seeing an opportunity, denounced Zoticus to the new Emperor, saying that he not only held subversive views, but had misappropriated public money. When he learned of these charges, Zoticus presented himself to the Emperor, finely dressed, and offered to take Constantius to see the gems and pearls that he had bought on his behalf. When they reached the hill of Olivet, Constantius was astonished to see a company of lepers coming to greet him with lighted candles, honoring and praising him and their patron Zoticus. Then the holy Zoticus said to the Emperor, 'These are the precious stones and brilliant pearls that give luster to the crown of the heavenly Kingdom that you will inherit by their prayers. I bought them for the salvation of your soul.' Instead of being grateful, the heartless Emperor ordered that Zoticus be tied behind wild mules and dragged until dead. The mules ran down the hill, breaking the Saint's body upon the rocks and brush. Then, of their own accord, they returned to the top of the hill, still dragging the body, and, like Balaam's ass (Numbers ch. 22), spoke and proclaimed that the Martyr must be buried on that hill. The astonished and repentant Emperor ordered the Martyr buried with honor, and commanded that a hospital for lepers be built there, staffed by the best physicians and caretakers. Saint Zoticus is also called Orphanotrophos, 'Cherisher of Orphans,' because in later years a large orphanage was added to the leprosarium. The orphanage included a general hospital and a home for the aged. The Saint was honored throughout Byzantine history as the patron of the orphanage.
A native of Thessalonica, he rose from secretary to Alexander, Patriarch of Constantinople (commemorated August 30), to deacon, then succeeded St Alexander as Patriarch around 337. For his virtue and his zeal for Orthodoxy he was hated by the Arians, who were still powerful in the Empire. The Arian Emperor Constantius, learning of Paul's election, exiled him and made the Arian Eusebius Patriarch in his place. St Paul went to Rome, where he joined St Athanasius the Great in exile. Furnished with letters from Pope Julius, he was able to ascend the Patriarchal throne once again upon the death of Eusebius. But once again the Arians were able to put one of their party on the Patriarchal throne: Macedonius, who even went beyond the Arian heresy and denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit. Once again the legitimate, Orthodox Patriarch found himself in exile in Rome. In succeeding years St Paul stood firm for Orthodoxy while complex political and military intrigues swirled around him, with the Orthodox Constans, Emperor of the West (and Constantius' brother) supporting him while Constantius continued to oppose him. For a time Constans was able to enforce Paul's place on the Patriarchal throne, but when he died, Constantius banished St Paul to Cucusus on the Black Sea. There, while he was celebrating the Divine Liturgy in the house where he was kept prisoner, the Arians strangled him with his own omophorion. His relics were brought back to Constantinople by the Emperor Theodosius the Great.
In the struggle against the Arian heresy, Meletius, Patriarch of Antioch, was deposed, and the emperor Constantius demanded that Eusebius surrender the document that proved his legitimate appointment to the Patriarchal throne. Eusebius said he would not surrender it without the permission of all who had signed it and, when imperial soldiers threatened to cut off his right hand, he held out both his hands to them. When Constantius heard of this, he was struck with admiration and ceased his persecution of the bishop. As the Arian heresy continued to rage, Eusebius stood strong, and was finally exiled by order of the Emperor Valens. When the messenger bearing the edict of banishment arrived, Eusebius warned him to keep quiet lest the people, hearing why he had come, should kill him. Then Eusebius left the city on foot, under cover of darkness, in order to protect the messenger from harm. Upon the death of Valens, Eusebius returned to from exile and traveled throughout Syria (though he was now a very old man), appointing priests and bishops known for their Orthodoxy. About 380, as he was entering a village to enthrone a bishop, an Arian woman threw a tile at him from a rooftop, fracturing his skull. As he lay dying, he made all the bystanders swear not to take any revenge. Saint Gregory the Theologian corresponded with Eusebius, and esteemed him so highly that in a letter to him he wrote, 'That such a man should deign to be my patron also in his prayers will gain for me, I am persuaded, as much strength as I should have gained through one of the holy martyrs.'
In deze uitzending maken we kennis met de H. Hilarius van Poitiers die beschouwd wordt als de westerse evenknie van de H. Athanius in de strijd tegen het arianisme, dat de godheid van Christus ontkende. Hij werd verbannen door de ariaanse keizer Constantius omwille van zijn niceaans geloof in de goddelijkheid van Jezus. Zijn periode […]
St Athanasius Part ThreeOn the 7th day of the Coptic Month of Pashons we celebrate the life and struggles of the Patriarch St Athanasius the Apostolic. Part Three, Exiled but never ExitedA Greek historian testified about Athanasius saying: "Athanasius’s fluency in speech and his outspokenness in the council of Nicea brought over him all the hardships that he encountered in his life.” A prophecy of the suffering the young Athanasius would endure during his life. For light creates shadows. The greater the light, the more shadows it casts. The young Athanasius demonstrated such Divinely inspired eloquence that the devil made him his target for the reminder of his life.After the passing of Pope Alexander, the patriarch of Alexandria, whom Athanasius had served many years, there was a renowned unified calling to make Athanasius the new Patriarch of Alexandria. This beguiled the wicked followers of Arianism. They crafted false charges against the great saint, and convened their own council at Trye to levy these allegations against the new Pope. Most of the attendants were Arians, and against Athanasius.One of these charges alleged that Athanasius had killed a bishop sympathetic to the Arians. The Arians brought two arms of a dead person and claimed that they were the arms of Arsanius. Then Arsanius, who had shown himself to Athanasius prior to the council’s beginning, was brought in, and showed his arms to the council and declared his regrets. The Arians said that Athanasius was a sorcerer and he was able to make arms for him. They became violent against Arsanius who left the council and went to the Emperor.Despite all the charges being rebuked, the sneaky Arius brought all the false charges against Athanasius before the Emperor. Using the fake council as proof of the new Pope’s guilt. Athanasius was called to the Emperor, but many loyal to Arius prevented his appearing. The Emperor gave his order to exile Athanasius to France in February 5th., 335 A.D. where its bishop had met him with great honor.Arius died a horrible death and it was said: "God made Arius to die in a public washroom, where his bowels poured out of his body, and the people regarded his death as a punishment from the Divine Justice."When the Emperor heard about the death of Arius, he recognized the innocence of Athanasius, and recommended while he was on his death bed, in the year 337 A.D. that Athanasius be returned to Alexandria.But the remaining Arians did not stop. They assembled another fake council, where they excommunicated Athanasius. They appointed instead someone called Gregory, and they sent their decision to Pope Julius, ArchBishop of Rome. Pope Athanasius assembled a council in Alexandria in 340 A.D. where he protested against the Arians, then he wrote a letter to all the churches to declare his innocence.However, the Arians influenced new Emperor, as well as some weak church leaders, to recognize Gregory as the Pope of Alexandria. But Gregory and his fellow Arius demons, raped Alexandria of her wealth and purity. The people of Alexandria were horrified, and decided to resist, but the Arians attacked the churches.Pope Athanasius sought the help of all the churches in the world, left his Seat, and traveled to Rome. A council was assembled in Sardica, where they declared:a. The innocence of Pope Athanasius b. Confirmed the cannons of the Nicean Creed. c. They excommunicated the Arian bishops. d. Deposed Gregory from his office.Athanasius returned for the second time to his Chair, and the people received him with joy. Gregory the Theologian, the writer of the liturgy, described this reception saying: "The people came as the flood of the Nile," and he also pointed out to the palm branches, the carpets, and the many clapping of hands.The Arians did not like the return of Athanasius to Alexandria, and waited unwillingly until the death of new Emperor. The Arians again falsely accused Athanasius before Emperor Constantius, claiming Athanasius was collaborating with the enemy of the Emperor. Constantius exiled Athanasius yet again. The Arians appointed George of Cappadocia, bishop on Alexandria, but the Orthodox people refused to accept him and admonished him. He responded violently, taking over all the churches and its properties.After the death of Emperor Constantius, Julian his cousin became ruler. He wanted to rally the people of Alexandria so he returned Athanasius to his Seat. Athanasius assembled a council in 362 A.D., and provided conditions for the acceptance of the Arians that wish to return to the church. He also gave a special attention to the preaching among the pagans. This was not appreciated by Emperor Julian, who loved and supported the pagans. He therefore ordered the arrest of Athanasius.Those around the Pope were greatly saddened because of the tribulations that befell him again and again. Athanasius told them, that in times of persecution, he felt great inner peace and that God took care of him and embraced him with His grace more than any other time in his life. He also said: "The persecution of Emperor Julian is like a summer cloud that will go away." While they were in these conversation, the news came to them that Julian was killed in his war with the Persians, and that he was killed by St. Mercurius (Abu Sefain), and that he said just before his death: "You have overcome me, O You son of Mary.”Jovian became Emperor breifly, then Valens who was under the spell of the Arians. In 367 A.D. Valens ordered the exile of Athanasius. Athanasius was forced to leave Alexandria yet again, hid in the tomb of his father. Meanwhile, the Emperor killed 30 bishops who were pro-Athanasius. The Emperor saw the determination of the Coptic Church, and decided to lift the persecution, and return Athanasius to his Chair in 368 A.D.Although Athanasius reached the age of 72, he did not compromise in performing his duties. For his steadfastness and his firm stand for justice, the world described him by the saying: "Athanasius against the world.” He wrote several books about the false doctrine of Arius called, On the Incarnation, as well as many other subjects, including the faithful telling of the Life of St Anthony.Athanasius was the first Pope to wear the monastic tunic from the hand of St. Anthony. He made it the uniform for all bishops and patriarchs. He was the one who ordained St. Antonios a priest, and then Archpriest.
The Righteous Emperor Constantine On the 28th day of the Coptic month Baramhat we celebrate the life of Emperor Constantine.Constantine’s father, Constantius, ruled over Byzantium, while Maximianus ruled over Rome and Diocletian ruled over Antioch and Egypt. Though Constantius was a pagan, he was honorable, loved to do good, compassionate and merciful. In the city of El-Ruha he met Helena and married her. She was Christian. Later Constantius returned back to Byzantium leaving Helena behind. She gave birth to Constantine and raised him to have mercy in his heart for the Christians, but she did not dare to have him baptized.Constantine grew up as a bold and skilful horseman. He went to his father who rejoiced in him when he saw that he was full of wisdom, knowledge, and skilled in riding. After his father's death he received the kingdom and ruled with justice and integrity, stopping many unfair practices. He was loved by the people and his righteous judgement spread throughout the Empire. The nobles of Rome sent word asking him to come and save them from the injustice of Maximianus. Constantine marched with his army toward Rome. During the war he saw in the sky, during the day, a Cross made of stars, and on it was written in Greek words which being interpreted as "With this you shall conquer." The light of the Cross was brighter than the any sun. He pointed it out to his ministers and the nobles of his kingdom. They read what was written, marvelled and they did not know for what reason that cross had appeared.That night the angel of the Lord appeared to Constantine in a vision and told him: "Make a sign for yourself like that sign which you had seen, and with it you shall conquer your enemies." The next morning, he prepared a large flag with the sign of the cross on it, and made the sign of the cross on all the armaments. Constantine defeated Maximianus and his army. As they retreated crossing the bridge over the Tiber river, the bridge broke and all perished. Constantine entered Rome and its people welcomed him with joy and gladness, praising the Honorable Cross, calling it the Savior of their city. This celebration of the Cross lasted seven days and Constantine became the Emperor of the East and West.In the eleventh year of his reign, which was the fourth year after the appearance of the Honorable Cross, Constantine and most of his soldiers, were baptized by the Pope. He sent throughout the kingdom a command to set free all those who were imprisoned for the sake of their faith. He further declared that the Christians should not work during the Passion week as the Apostles commanded.Then he sent his mother Helena to Jerusalem where she discovered the Holy Cross of Our Lord Christ.In the seventeenth year of his reign the Holy Council of the Three Hundred and Eighteen bishops assembled at Nicea in the year 325 A.D. which arranged the affairs of the Christians and put down the cannons of the church. He rebuilt the city of Byzantium and called it after his name "Constantinia" and he brought to it many of the bodies of the apostles and holy martyrs.He departed in the city of Nicomedia when he was seventy-five years old. He was laid in a gold sarcophagus, and was carried to Constantinia. The Patriarch, bishops, priests, and all the people received him with prayers, psalms, and spiritual hymns, and laid him in the sanctuary of the holy apostles.Lessons from this storyThere is this false perception that Christianity and being wealthy are polar opposites. It is not the wealth that is at odds with Christianity, but the use of it that at times goes against the true nature of being Christian. Money is a tool, just as talent, knowledge, and physical strength are. Tools to be ruled and controlled by the master not the other way around.Diocletian used is wealth and power to rid the world of the Christian belief while Constantine used his wealth and power to raise up the Christian belief. When Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem, and we laid the palm leaves on the ground chanting “Hosanna!”, the crowd believed Jesus was coming to free them from the bondage of the Romans and raise the kingdom of David once again. When Jesus did not do what they perceived was what they wanted, they turned on Him. Though in truth Jesus not only answered their cries for freedom from bondage, He gifted them everlasting freedom. But because we limited with human eyes and human perceptions we see things from a very limited perspective.Wealth provides influence not dominance. Many saints were born into wealth and privilege and turned away from them to seek a simpler life. Not because the wealth itself was evil, but it prevented them from being solely dependant on the Lord. God, through Emperor Constantine, expanded and organized the growing Christian faith - in human terms. Those organizational structures are the very foundations of the church as a whole to this day. But God used a good soul for His will to be done throughout history, just as He did with Mary, John the Baptist and so many more important foundational entities.Do not be driven by the love money, but seeing it for what it is - a tool. And like any good tool, when it is used right, good works come from it.PrayerLord we ask you to blessed the fields that the harvest is plentiful, to bless our labor that it never be in vain. Help us to always give thanks to you for everything, concerning everything and in everything. May the prayers and intercessions of Emperor Constantine be with us all, amen.
In the struggle against the Arian heresy, Meletius, Patriarch of Antioch, was deposed, and the emperor Constantius demanded that Eusebius surrender the document that proved his legitimate appointment to the Patriarchal throne. Eusebius said he would not surrender it without the permission of all who had signed it and, when imperial soldiers threatened to cut off his right hand, he held out both his hands to them. When Constantius heard of this, he was struck with admiration and ceased his persecution of the bishop. As the Arian heresy continued to rage, Eusebius stood strong, and was finally exiled by order of the Emperor Valens. When the messenger bearing the edict of banishment arrived, Eusebius warned him to keep quiet lest the people, hearing why he had come, should kill him. Then Eusebius left the city on foot, under cover of darkness, in order to protect the messenger from harm. Upon the death of Valens, Eusebius returned to from exile and traveled throughout Syria (though he was now a very old man), appointing priests and bishops known for their Orthodoxy. About 380, as he was entering a village to enthrone a bishop, an Arian woman threw a tile at him from a rooftop, fracturing his skull. As he lay dying, he made all the bystanders swear not to take any revenge. Saint Gregory the Theologian corresponded with Eusebius, and esteemed him so highly that in a letter to him he wrote, 'That such a man should deign to be my patron also in his prayers will gain for me, I am persuaded, as much strength as I should have gained through one of the holy martyrs.'
A native of Thessalonica, he rose from secretary to Alexander, Patriarch of Constantinople (commemorated August 30), to deacon, then succeeded St Alexander as Patriarch around 337. For his virtue and his zeal for Orthodoxy he was hated by the Arians, who were still powerful in the Empire. The Arian Emperor Constantius, learning of Paul's election, exiled him and made the Arian Eusebius Patriarch in his place. St Paul went to Rome, where he joined St Athanasius the Great in exile. Furnished with letters from Pope Julius, he was able to ascend the Patriarchal throne once again upon the death of Eusebius. But once again the Arians were able to put one of their party on the Patriarchal throne: Macedonius, who even went beyond the Arian heresy and denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit. Once again the legitimate, Orthodox Patriarch found himself in exile in Rome. In succeeding years St Paul stood firm for Orthodoxy while complex political and military intrigues swirled around him, with the Orthodox Constans, Emperor of the West (and Constantius' brother) supporting him while Constantius continued to oppose him. For a time Constans was able to enforce Paul's place on the Patriarchal throne, but when he died, Constantius banished St Paul to Cucusus on the Black Sea. There, while he was celebrating the Divine Liturgy in the house where he was kept prisoner, the Arians strangled him with his own omophorion. His relics were brought back to Constantinople by the Emperor Theodosius the Great.
In the struggle against the Arian heresy, Meletius, Patriarch of Antioch, was deposed, and the emperor Constantius demanded that Eusebius surrender the document that proved his legitimate appointment to the Patriarchal throne. Eusebius said he would not surrender it without the permission of all who had signed it and, when imperial soldiers threatened to cut off his right hand, he held out both his hands to them. When Constantius heard of this, he was struck with admiration and ceased his persecution of the bishop. As the Arian heresy continued to rage, Eusebius stood strong, and was finally exiled by order of the Emperor Valens. When the messenger bearing the edict of banishment arrived, Eusebius warned him to keep quiet lest the people, hearing why he had come, should kill him. Then Eusebius left the city on foot, under cover of darkness, in order to protect the messenger from harm. Upon the death of Valens, Eusebius returned to from exile and traveled throughout Syria (though he was now a very old man), appointing priests and bishops known for their Orthodoxy. About 380, as he was entering a village to enthrone a bishop, an Arian woman threw a tile at him from a rooftop, fracturing his skull. As he lay dying, he made all the bystanders swear not to take any revenge. Saint Gregory the Theologian corresponded with Eusebius, and esteemed him so highly that in a letter to him he wrote, 'That such a man should deign to be my patron also in his prayers will gain for me, I am persuaded, as much strength as I should have gained through one of the holy martyrs.'
On this day in 351, during the reign of Constantius, son of Constantine the Great, the sign of the Cross appeared over Jerusalem. Cyril, Patriarch of Jerusalem, wrote "At about the third hour of the day [mid-morning] an enormous cross, formed of light, appeared in the heaven above holy Golgotha and reaching to the holy Mount of Olives, being seen not by one or two only, but manifest with perfect clarity to the whole multitude of the city; not, as one might suppose, rushing swiftly past in fancy, but seen openly above the earth many hours in plain sight, and overcoming the beams of the sun with its dazzling rays."
A native of Thessalonica, he rose from secretary to Alexander, Patriarch of Constantinople (commemorated August 30), to deacon, then succeeded St Alexander as Patriarch around 337. For his virtue and his zeal for Orthodoxy he was hated by the Arians, who were still powerful in the Empire. The Arian Emperor Constantius, learning of Paul's election, exiled him and made the Arian Eusebius Patriarch in his place. St Paul went to Rome, where he joined St Athanasius the Great in exile. Furnished with letters from Pope Julius, he was able to ascend the Patriarchal throne once again upon the death of Eusebius. But once again the Arians were able to put one of their party on the Patriarchal throne: Macedonius, who even went beyond the Arian heresy and denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit. Once again the legitimate, Orthodox Patriarch found himself in exile in Rome. In succeeding years St Paul stood firm for Orthodoxy while complex political and military intrigues swirled around him, with the Orthodox Constans, Emperor of the West (and Constantius' brother) supporting him while Constantius continued to oppose him. For a time Constans was able to enforce Paul's place on the Patriarchal throne, but when he died, Constantius banished St Paul to Cucusus on the Black Sea. There, while he was celebrating the Divine Liturgy in the house where he was kept prisoner, the Arians strangled him with his own omophorion. His relics were brought back to Constantinople by the Emperor Theodosius the Great.
There can only be one in the empire. It comes down to Julian and Constantius II, the bookworm and the shadow emperor of Rome. New gods will rise, old empires will be changed for years to come, and the ripples following the Battle of Argentoratum will finally be felt across Rome. Listen in to see if Julian will continue his meteoric rise or fall into the darkest pits of the empire. Buckle up.
With Gallus without his head, Constantius II needs a new right-hand man to rule the Roman Empire and who better else to fill the void than Julian, a book-loving fan of philosophy? Join RHH as we talk about quiet coffeehouse conversations, the joy that is Neoplatonism, and how Julian is tossed into the meat grinder against a six-foot-tall bodybuilding barbarian that hates reading.
Constantius will use fear and money to face down multiple enemies arising from within the imperial borders, Mursa will become soaked in blood, and Magnentius takes to the mountains. Episode 7 brings the action to RHH.
Constantius II is going to have his hands full with pretenders to the throne, Constans I enjoys a calming vacation, and the city of Rome will find itself embroiled in a gladiatorial battle royale. The only winner is the last man standing.
In the struggle against the Arian heresy, Meletius, Patriarch of Antioch, was deposed, and the emperor Constantius demanded that Eusebius surrender the document that proved his legitimate appointment to the Patriarchal throne. Eusebius said he would not surrender it without the permission of all who had signed it and, when imperial soldiers threatened to cut off his right hand, he held out both his hands to them. When Constantius heard of this, he was struck with admiration and ceased his persecution of the bishop. As the Arian heresy continued to rage, Eusebius stood strong, and was finally exiled by order of the Emperor Valens. When the messenger bearing the edict of banishment arrived, Eusebius warned him to keep quiet lest the people, hearing why he had come, should kill him. Then Eusebius left the city on foot, under cover of darkness, in order to protect the messenger from harm. Upon the death of Valens, Eusebius returned to from exile and traveled throughout Syria (though he was now a very old man), appointing priests and bishops known for their Orthodoxy. About 380, as he was entering a village to enthrone a bishop, an Arian woman threw a tile at him from a rooftop, fracturing his skull. As he lay dying, he made all the bystanders swear not to take any revenge. Saint Gregory the Theologian corresponded with Eusebius, and esteemed him so highly that in a letter to him he wrote, 'That such a man should deign to be my patron also in his prayers will gain for me, I am persuaded, as much strength as I should have gained through one of the holy martyrs.'
On this day in 351, during the reign of Constantius, son of Constantine the Great, the sign of the Cross appeared over Jerusalem. Cyril, Patriarch of Jerusalem, wrote "At about the third hour of the day [mid-morning] an enormous cross, formed of light, appeared in the heaven above holy Golgotha and reaching to the holy Mount of Olives, being seen not by one or two only, but manifest with perfect clarity to the whole multitude of the city; not, as one might suppose, rushing swiftly past in fancy, but seen openly above the earth many hours in plain sight, and overcoming the beams of the sun with its dazzling rays."
Backstory of Constantius, St. Helen, and Constantine The Battle of the Milvian Bridge Stories of the True Cross
Konstantin den Stores tre sønner Konstantin 2., Constantius 2. og Constans røg hurtigt i totterne på hinanden, og selvom Constantius endte som enekejser, begyndte imperiets vestlige og østlige del at række i hver sin retning. Den udvikling fortsatte under senere herskere, og da kejser Theodosius i 395 døde, blev sønnerne Honorius og Acadius ledere af henholdsvis Vest- og Østrom. Romerriget var nu delt i to – og i 410 blev det ellers uindtagelige Rom plyndret af barbarer.
In this week's episode, we covered the exile of Pope Liberius following his refusal to condemn Athanasius and sign a Semi-Arian creed. A version of how this meeting between the Pope and Emperor Constantius II might have gone has been preserved in Theodoret's Ecclesiastical Histories, Chapter 13. Ergo, its time for a dramatic reading! Thank you to David Shealy for providing several voices! Theodoret's Ecclesiastical Histories: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/27022.htm
In this episode we look at the events after St. Athanasius third exile and the transition of power between Constantius and Julian with the riot that killed the Arian bishop George the Cappadocian highlighted. Announcing Joyful.gifts. The best way to do gifts! Visit Joyful gifts to start today! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/historyofthecopts/support
In this Episode, St. Athanasius returns from his exile to Alexandria with the events of the Council of Serdica and relationship between Constans and Constantius in the background. Announcing Joyful.gifts. The best way to do gifts! Visit Joyful gifts to start today! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/historyofthecopts/support
The Baths of Diocletian (Latin: Thermae Diocletiani, Italian: Terme di Diocleziano) were public baths in Rome, in what is now Italy. Named after emperor Diocletian and built from 298 to 306, they were the largest of the imperial baths. The project was originally commissioned by Maximian upon his return to Rome in the autumn of 298 and was continued after his and Diocletian's abdication under Constantius, father of Constantine. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Baths of Diocletian (Latin: Thermae Diocletiani, Italian: Terme di Diocleziano) were public baths in Rome, in what is now Italy. Named after emperor Diocletian and built from 298 to 306, they were the largest of the imperial baths. The project was originally commissioned by Maximian upon his return to Rome in the autumn of 298 and was continued after his and Diocletian's abdication under Constantius, father of Constantine. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
"Well done Constantius! You are Caesar! You now rule all the land from here to... well, you see that island over there? Yes? The one held by the enemy, that's the one, yes, well, that's now yours! well done! Off you go to rule..." See how Constantius tackles the might of the roaring English Channel and the screaming Frankish pirates. Can he defeat the first British Empire? Find out in this week's Totalus Rankium!
In 410 AD the Roman Empire hit one of its lowest points. But, within a decade it had rebounded. The reason Flavius Constantius. Constantius would rebuild the West only to die and early and unexpected death which would then throw the West back into chaos. Aetius would spend a decade cleaning up the mess (again) and would become the dominant force in the West by 433 AD. Meanwhile, the Vandals set sail for Africa with terrible consequences.
In the 360’s and 370’s there is a return to the Nicene Creed. Many were disillusioned by Constantius’ creed. This was a period of rapprochement. What was the uniting factor? Athanasius pointed to the Nicene Creed. No one wanted to divide God’s material being. There was no division, no confusion of persons. Results were the development and clarification of terminology. “God is one in nature, power, glory, or essence; three ‘hypostases’”. In the last quarter of the 4th Century the Council of Constantinople was held (381 AD). There was general harmony that God is mysteriously three in one. These theologies were not identical but all held to monotheism. There were not degrees of divinity or (subordinationism), God was comprised of three persons, and incapable of being understood by men. Explore final thoughts and questions. Was Nicaea really about Christ’s divinity? Was there a long-lived group of “Arians”? Ousia and homoousios were non-technical terms at the time. Various readings include Arius, Eusebius, and Marcellus. The traditional narrative of Nicaea, Constantine, Athanasius, and Arius tended to be correct in some areas but needed to be nuanced in other areas. The Council of Nicaea did little in establishing a uniform proper understanding of Christ’s relationship with the Father. The Rule of Faith defined orthodoxy previously in a broad way. Here was a beginning to try to define orthodoxy with precision. By and large the Christian community was being brought back together which was a work of the Holy Spirit.
Athanasius followed Alexander as bishop of Alexandria (328 AD). He was a staunch defender for homoousios among eastern bishops. His life had major swings as he was at one point accused of black magic and murder, and accused of interfering with the sailing of corn ships from Alexandria to Rome. He was exiled by Constantine and eventually returned to the western empire after Constantine’s death. Constantine’s son Constantius was in the East and was an Arian sympathizer. His other two sons reigned over the Western Empire. Constans in the West was a pro-Nicaea leader. From 340 AD, the two halves of the empire and the Church were divided along Arian doctrines. In the East there were pro-Arian supporters and the West was not Arian. Eventually Constans convinced Constantius to reinstate Athanasius as bishop of Alexandria. Constantius later became the sole ruler of the empire and Athanasius was deposed again at the Council of Milan in 355 AD. He died in 373 AD. What defined his theology? In the Greek Church he is known as the “Father of Orthodoxy”. He advocated for faith over reason and had very little speculative theology. Consider his view on the Father and Son relationship as stated in The Letter to Serapion. For him, Christ is on the Creator side of the Creator/creature distinction. The Logos was not created, but “begotten” eternally. Athanasius believed the Son is of the Father’s substance (homoousious, not homoios). Redemption through the Logos was the root of Athanasius’ theology. The Logos was made man that we might be made God. True redemption does not work unless Christ is fully divine. His Pneumatology included that the Holy Spirit is also Divine and Consubstantial (homoousios). He stated, “For the Son does not merely partake of the Spirit, that therefore he too may be in the Father; nor does he receive the Spirit, but rather he supplies it himself to all; and the Spirit does not unite the Word to the Father, but rather the Spirit receives from the Word . . .” The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father.
Explore the background of the 4th Century in which there was chaos. The Great Persecution happened under Diocletian (284-305 AD) around 297-301 AD. Explore the Tetrarchy with the Eastern Empire ruled by Diocletian and Galerius, and the Western Empire ruled by Maximian Augustus and Constantius. Galerius provoked Diocletian into persecuting the Christians. Diocletian retired in 304 AD and insisted that Maximian retire as well. Galerius took over for Diocletian and Constantius took over for Maximian. Galerius continued the persecution. Constantius did not think Christians should be persecuted so did not pursue Christians. Eventually Galerius concedes defeat since the public was not unifying but actually dividing. Galerius issued the Edict of Toleration. Consider Eusebius’ response. Christianity became a religio licita (a legal religion) once again. Constantine was in Britain when his father died and he claimed to be the rightful successor to the throne. Maxentius also claimed the throne. There was a political and physical battle going on but also a spiritual battle. Constantine had a conversion experience in which the Labarum symbol (Chi-Rho) appeared and so it was used on the shields of his men during the battle at Milvian Bridge where he defeated Maxentius. Constantine was theologically confused from the start. Consider Henry Chadwick’s description of Constantine. Constantine never left this syncretic faith. The Arch of Constantine marks the spot of the Battle of Milvian Bridge. Constantine took control of the Western Empire, formed an alliance with Licinius, and agreed to no more persecution of Christians through the Edict of Milan. Was all well and everyone living in peace? Not exactly. Distant rulers such as Maximinus Daia who ruled the furthest eastern part of the Empire carried on the persecution but was eventually overthrown by Licinius. Constantine and Licinius had a complex friendship or relationship. There was distrust between them and in 324 AD Constantine overthrew Licinius. Constantine became the sole ruler of the entire Empire and desired unity.
View a picture of the Amphitheatre at Carthage, the likely martyr site of Perpetua and Felicitas). Continue to explore the physical opposition and major persecutions of Christians during this time. Decius (249-251 AD) had a big impact and wanted to preserve classical culture. He ordered everyone to make sacrifices to the Emperor and those who did were provided with a libellus, which was a receipt or proof of the sacrifices. Christians had no libellus and the Bishop of Rome was executed. Valerian (253-260 AD) ordered similar decrees that all Christians had to sacrifice to the Emperor. Cyprian of Carthage was martyred during this time in 258 AD. During the reign of Gallienus (260-268 AD), persecutions seem to die down. He was the first Emperor to issue an edict of toleration. Christianity was still illegal but decriminalized. Explore the tetrarchy established by Diocletian (284–305 AD). He divided the Empire into two parts, East and West. Each part had a Ruler and a deputy or lieutenant ruler. In the West, his lieutenant, Maximian Augustus, was in charge. Diocletian took over the Eastern part. Under Maximian Augustus was Constantius I in the West and under Diocletian in the East was Galerius, who did not like Christians. The Great Persecution began in 297-301. What was the spark? Galerius was the reason Diocletian persecuted Christians. He issued four edicts and each ratcheted up persecutions. In February 303 AD, churches and books were destroyed. In mid-year 303 AD, the clergy was imprisoned. In November 303 AD, amnesty was offered to Christians who would sacrifice to the Roman gods. In the spring of 304 AD, everyone had to sacrifice or face death. Some Christians responded by burning the emperor’s palace in Nicomedia. Diocletian responded by making 268 Christians martyrs. What were the types of punishments for persecuted Christians? They were thrown into cages with wild animals, had their eyes gouged out, were beheaded, crucified, and had molten lead poured down their throats. Consider Hebrews 11:25-27. Diocletian retired in 305 AD and forced Maximian to retire also. Galerius, his lieutenant took over the East and continued the persecution of Diocletian. Constantius ruled over the West and took a far less brutal path. He did not execute people, but he did burn various churches. What were the results of this persecution? This heroism brought new converts and attracted people to the faith. Many in the crowds watching had sympathy. In 311 AD, Galerius, in the East changed his mind (a politically expedient move) and issued an edict of toleration. Christianity was once again a religio licita (legal religion). The edict ended by asking the Christians to pray for the empire. When Constantius I died, his son, Constantine defeated Maxentius in 312 AD at the battle of Milvian Bridge for control. How does this relate theologically to us today? Jesus tells us, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.”(Luke 9:23) We also read in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Explore Athanasius and Arius. Athanasius branded his opponents under Arius’ name as “Arians” or “Arianism”. The East-West divide was not just Christological. There was a personal battle due to many not liking Athanasius. There was also an ecclesio-political as the church and state were intertwined. Consider the general timeline. In the 340’s, in the East, there was a basic distinction between Father and Son, yet they were ineffably close (Heb. 1:3). In the early 350’s, Constantius and “Homoian” (similar) theology argued that the Son is “like” the Father, but ontologically inferior and distinct. In the late 350’s, there was Extreme Subordinationism. Heterousians (“Anomoians”) held that the Son is “unlike” the Father. This emerged out of Homoian theology. The key figures were Aetius and Eunomius. Heteroiousians believed the Son was of a different substance than the Father. If God was not created, homoousious does not make sense as a term to describe an act of generation. The Son is generated from the Father’s will. Explore Basil of Ancyra and the Homoiousians. Consider the Epistemological approach (What can we know?). The Father and Son are alike in essence, but that is unknowable. Consider Basil, Constantius, and the “homoian” creed. We benefit from those engaged in these conversations from their careful exegetical work. Consider that God allowed His church to wrestle through these ideas through the lens of Scripture and then come up with a theological proclamation that does justice to what Scripture teaches.
Chapter 13 – Athanasius, Ambrose and Arianism The variety of issues discussed in the Council of Nicaea (325 AD) ranged from how to date Easter to whether to ordain eunuchs as priests, but everything was secondary to settling the Arian controversy. Arius taught that Jesus was made by God and was not divine on the same level as God. Athanasius played a key role in opposing Arianism, condemning it as heresy and emerged as the key figure in the triumph of orthodox theology. Ambrose also continued to oppose heresies in the church. He sold off his family holdings and gave the proceeds to those in need. He opposed the Empress Justina who was a strong supporter of Arianism. Key Words Eusebius of Nicomedia, The Bishop of Nicaea, Theognis, Hosius, homoousios, “one substance”, “consubstantial”, “begotten not made”, homoiousios, “of a similar substance”, “semi-Arians”, Roger Olson, Constantine, Constantius, radical subordinationism, Julian, Jovian, Valens, hypostases, Tertullian, “Trinitarian formula, una substantia, tres personae”, Justo Gonzalez, Frances Young, St. Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan, Auxentius, Valentinian, Empress Justina, Theodosius
Chapter 12 – Constantine and Council of Nicaea Constantine adopted Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire and he moved the Empire’s capital from Rome to Byzantium, which was renamed in his honor, Constantinople. Today we call it Istanbul. He was instrumental in organizing the Council of Nicaea and during that meeting, which lasted several months, the position of the group, termed the “Nicene Creed” was written as a position paper on Arianism. The events that took place before Constantine’s rise to power resulted in a dramatic shift for the church leaders. Prior to his influence the Christians were persecuted; once he gained the leadership position Christianity became recognized as the one true religion and the church leaders became leaders of the Empire. Key Words Lord John Norwich, Byzantium, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Julius Caesar, Pompey the Great, Octavius, Caesar Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Vespasian, Titus, Masada, Domitian, “Flavian Dynasty”, Nerva, Trajan, “Golden Age”, Hadrian, Antonius Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, “Severian Emperors”, Septimus Severus, Geta, “Barrack Emperors”, Diocletian, Maximian, Constantius, Galerius, “tetrarch”, Bishops, synods, Spilt, Croatia, Licinius, “The Edict of Milan”, “Blue Law”, Council of Nicaea, “Christian God”, Arius, Athanasius, Thallia, Arianism, Tertullian
Rebroadcast of the long running radio program, "The Ave Maria Hour", a presentation of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. www.AtonementFriars.org. St. Helena - Empress mother of Constantine the Great. She was a native of Bithynia, who married the then Roman general Constantius I Chlorus about 270. Constantine was born soon after, and in 293, Constantius was made Caesar, or junior emperor. He divorced Helena to marry co Emperor Maximian?s stepdaughter. Constantine became emperor in 312 after the fateful victory at Milvian Bridge, and Helena was named Augusta, or empress. She converted to Christianity and performed many acts of charity, including building churches in Rome and in the Holy Land. On a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Helena discovered the True Cross. She is believed to have died in Nicomedia. Her porphyry sarcophagus is in the Vatican Museum. Geoffrey of Monmouth, England, started the legend that Helena was the daughter of the king of Colchester, a tradition no longer upheld. In liturgical art Helena is depicted as an empress, holding a cross.
It is hard not to admire the way that the Jews have succeeded in maintaining their culture and identity for many thousands of years. This has been achieved in the face of some pretty big practical difficulties. They have rarely had the support of a state and have often been subject to some pretty severe persecutions.For instance, when Julian became the last pagan to come to the throne they were going through one of their bad patches. The Christians had not that long ago broken away from the Jewish tradition and the two faiths had the kinds of issues that might be expected from a pair that had just been through a messy divorce. Prior to the rise of Christianity the Jews had fallen foul of several of the emperors as a result of a number of brave but not tremendously successful revolts. Hadrian had banned them from Jerusalem. The ban was still in force and on top of that Constantius had imposed extra taxes on them.
In an absolute monarchy much hangs on the personality of the man on top, and the events covered in this podcast are pretty much the result of the emperor's management style. Constantius seems to have been the kind of boss that corridor warriors thrive under. He was far from ineffective as an emperor and I'll be looking at his balance sheet a bit later, but he does seem to have had a bit of a weakness in delegation skills. Time and again we see him letting highly unsuitable people get into positions where they follow their own agendas rather than the empire's best interests. The way things played out with Julian illustrates this. The two men could well have formed a great team that could have done great things. But somehow the intrigues in the court of Constantius always stopped this happening.
Blackadder: Where is the prisoner. Baldrick: He's dead. Blackadder: Dead? Are you sure? Baldrick: Well I cut his head off. That usually does the trick. In that episode of Blackadder 2, Edmund Blackadder had been put in charge of the Tower of London and had brought all the scheduled executions forward so he could enjoy a long weekend. Unfortunately Queen Elizabeth had changed her mind about killing one of her favourites. When the change of instructions got through, it was too late. With, needless to say, hilarious consequences.
When the sons of Constantine massacred all their close relatives, they spared a couple of their cousins. Gallus and Julian were too young to pose any immediate threat so they didn't have to be killed straight away. But as their parents had been killed something needed to be done with them, so they were held captive. Was there a long term plan for them? It is hard to say. Given that they had an empire to run, probably their captors forgot all about them. They were safely out of the picture and there were plenty of other things going on.
Constantius was the middle of the three sons Constantine had with Fausta. Of the three he was the one that showed the most promise. Those who occasionally mention the education or talents of Constantius, allow that he excelled in the gymnastic arts of leaping and running that he was a dexterous archer, a skilful horseman, and a master of all the different weapons used in the service either of the cavalry or of the infantry.
Constantius and Constans shared the Empire for a decade until Constans was overthrown by a rebel general named Magnetius in 350 AD.
In 305 AD, Diocletian and Maximian voluntarily abdicated the throne, handing power over to Galerius and Constantius.
In the mid-to-late 290s the Imperial Tetrarchy was at war on multiple fronts. In the west Constantius undertook the reconquest of Britain, while in the east, Galerius fought a newly hostile Sassanid Empire.
In 293 AD Diocletian and Maximian invited Constantius and Galerius to share in their Imperial burdens, forming what we today call the Tetrarchy.
https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/media/podcasts/media/Rubens.mp3 Aug. 25, 20
This week's episode is “The Daggers Come Out.”The Council of Nicaea dealt with more than just the Arian controversy over how to understand the nature of Christ. The 300 bishops who gathered in Nicaea also issued a score of rulings on issues of church life that had been subjects of discussion for years. Chief among these was setting the date for the annual celebration of the resurrection of Christ. They also set various rules for organizing the Church & the ministry of deacons and priests.As the Church grew with more congregations being formed, the need for some organization became apparent. So for administrative purposes, the church-world was divided into provinces with centers at Rome in the West & in the East, four headquarters; Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem & Constantinople. It may seem odd to us today that only 1 church was the Western center while the East had 4. Why so many? The answer is that it was in the E the Church had its greatest extent & growth.The bishops at these 5 churches were given oversight of their surrounding regions. This stoked a major rivalry between Alexandria & Antioch, the Empire's 2nd & 3rd largest cities after Rome. These 2 cities vied with each other for leadership of the entire East. That rivalry became more complex when the church at Constantinople, the new eastern capital of the Empire, was added to the mix. The contest between them at first took place mostly in the realm of theological debates but later became sinister when ecclesiastical position equaled power and wealth.But, the amazing unanimity of the bishops at the Council of Nicaea seemed to presage the dawn of an era of peace and tranquility for the Church and Empire. It was not to be. While the bishops agreed on the word “homo-ousias” to describe Jesus being one substance with the Father, many bishops, possibly even most, left Nicaea feeling the Emperor Constantine's pressure coerced them into taking a position they weren't happy with. After Nicea, many of them regretted knuckling under & grew resentful of his pressure to settle the issue.I don't want to get too technical here, but that's precisely what this all was; a highly technical issue of the parsing of words, trying to find an accurate expression of their belief about the humanity and deity of Christ. It isn't that the bishops didn't believe Jesus was anything less than God. It's just that the word used in the Nicene Creed, ‘homo-ousias,' didn't capture what they thought the truth of Jesus deity was. Many of the bishops were uncomfortable with that word because the Gnostics had used it to describe their beliefs about Jesus a few decades before.So not long after the Nicean Council, many of those who'd signed the Creed backed away from it. Several alternate creeds were offered, some close to the Nicene version and others at great distance from it. None of them repeated the word ‘homo-ousias.'It was in the East that the greatest theological turmoil ensued. After Constantine, several of the Emperors were decidedly hostile to the Nicene position. A few were openly friendly with the Arianism Nicaea was supposed to have buried.As we saw last time, though Alexandria was a lead church in the East, its Bishop Athanasius was the sole standard-bearer for the Nicene Creed in the East. Though Constantine had sponsored and endorsed Nicaea and enforced its terms by the use of civil authority, his desire to bring unity to the Empire and Church moved him to press bishops to re-install Arius and his followers; not as leaders, but simply as church members. When Athanasius and other Nicene-keeping bishops refused, Constantine punished them with banishment. Then, after a season, he changed his mind and allowed them to return. But when those same church leaders again proved too principled for Constantine's taste in some other ruling he wanted adopted, he'd banished them once again. Constantine's successors followed his lead.For reasons relating more to politics than doctrinal concerns, the half-century after the Council of Nicaea, saw the Eastern church effectively taken over by Arians. The Pro-Arian Bishop of Nicomedia, Eusebius (not the famous church historian) was allowed to return to his post after a 2-year exile. He immediately set about to undo Nicea. He persuaded Constantine to reverse Arius' exile and when the heretic appeared before the Emperor, he confessed a statement of faith that appeared to line up with the orthodoxy of Nicaea, but was in fact only a clever piece of verbal gymnastics that fooled the Emperor. Athanasius wasn't fooled and refused to affirm Arius as a member in good standing. So Eusebius and his supporters plotted to get rid of him. A council of Eastern bishops was called in 335 at Tyre as they were on their way to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher Constantine had just had built. At Tyre, the bishops condemned Athanasius as guilty of conduct unbecoming a Bishop. Which is tragically comical, because Athanasius was about as pious as one could get. What Eusebius and his cronies meant was that a bishop ought to agree with them, “because well, just because. Stop being contentious or we'll charge you with conduct unbecoming a bishop!” Athanasius recognized the ambush and went to the Emperor to plead his case. Eusebius followed and warned Constantine he'd heard Athanasius had threatened to call a strike of the Alexandrian dock-workers who loaded grain into the barges that fed both Constantinople and Rome. Without Egypt's harvest, the cities would go hungry & vicious riots would ensue. Eusebius's charge was ridiculous but he knew the Emperor couldn't risk it being true. Constantine was forced to banish Athanasius to Trier (TREE-yer) in Germania.If you're a subscriber to CS, you know we sometimes breeze over years, even decades of church history with only a brief summary. Other times we slow down & go in depth. The reason for this is because there are moments, seasons, even eras when events occur, trends develop, movements are birthed that have a major impact on the course of following years. We've slowed down to focus on the post-Nicaean years because they're illustrative of how ruinous the infiltration of political power has been to the Church. Only 20 years passed after Constantine's conversion and the Edict of Milan, and already church leaders are using their authority, not as spiritual guides to bless those God entrusted to their charge but to accumulate more power & influence in the political & civil realm. A man like Athanasius, whose sole concern was to glorify God & faithfully discharge his role as a pastor, proved no match for a conniving political operator like Eusebius who used his office as Bishop to bend the Emperor's ear & secure civil authority to enforce his will. While the once-persecuted Church rejoiced that the Emperor was finally one of them, they couldn't foresee that his merging of church and state would bring about a whole new set of problems that would turn their leaders into power-hungry competitors. While many bishops resisted the lure of political power & stayed true to their spiritual task, many others were seduced and plunged into the great game of ecclesiastical politics. The machinations of the contest between Eusebius & Athanasius would likely not have occurred during the persecutions of the previous decades. But when civil authority was lent church leaders, the doctrinal daggers came out and theology became a ruse behind which to plot how to gain political advantage.The historian Eusebius, not the villain who attacked Athanasius, but the one who wrote the first Church History chronicle, helped blur the lines between church and state. After charting the church's course from the Apostles to Constantine in his book Ecclesiastical History, Eusebius presented Constantine as much more than just a ruler kindly disposed toward the Faith. Oh no – Eusebius sketched Constantine as much more than that. He was God's agent; ordained by God to provide leadership for both the Church & Empire.Eusebius said that just as the Church was a manifestation of the Kingdom of God on Earth, set to rule in spiritual affairs, so the Empire under Constantine was a manifestation of the Kingdom on Earth to rule in civil affairs. God would use both to accomplish his redemptive plan. And just as God ruled in Heaven, Constantine ruled on Earth. He's not a god, as some of the earlier emperors had claimed, but he is, Eusebius reasoned, God's unique agent to administer His Kingdom on earth.These ideas of monarchy and kingship Eusebius promoted about the Emperor played well in the East where monarchs had long been esteemed as semi-divine. But Rome's historic aversion to kings, its allergic reaction to monarchy, meant Eusebius's promotion of Constantine didn't go over as well in the West. This is another factor that added to Constantine's tendency to stay in the East. Eusebius's promotion of Constantine as the leader of both Church & State set the scene for the emergence of one man to whom the Church would look for leadership. If not the Emperor, then another dynamic church leader; a bishop of the bishops.When Constantine died in 337, the empire was split between his 3 sons, who each lined up behind a pro- or anti-Nicean stance. Eventually one of them, the Pro-Arian Constantius, aserted sole authority. But immediately after Constantine's death, many church leaders were allowed to return to their homes from exile, including Athanasius. His enemy, the pro-Arian Eusebius moved from Nicomedia to the capital at Constantinople where he convinced Constantius to once more banish him. Athanasius knew Eusebius was moved by sheer political will and went à to Rome to plead his case.In 340 Council of Western Bishops was convened that reversed Athanasius's excommunication and reaffirmed the doctrinal position of the Nicene Creed. This was a gauntlet hurled to the ground before the Eastern churches who were by now leaning decidedly toward Arianism. They counted the Emperor as a chief defender & advocate. The Eastern bishops asked a crucial question; one that becomes central in the decades that followed. It was this: What gave Rome the right to overrule their decisions? After all, Athanasius was Bishop of Alexandria, an eastern city. He was their problem, not Rome's. So how did the West think it could meddle in Eastern affairs? And besides, “Do you guys in Rome really want to mess with the Emperor? He is after all, our guy.”The following year, 341, the Eastern bishops called their own council in Antioch to counter Rome's. Interestingly, when they sat down to establish an official position on Arianism, they realized it couldn't be supported and repudiated it instead. Discussions revealed they weren't pro-Arian so much as uncomfortable with the way the deity of Christ had been put at Nicaea. It's like the members of a family each thinking, "Fish. I haven't had fish for a while. I should have some fish." But then when they all talk about where they want to go for dinner on Saturday night, they agree what they really want is prime rib. Eusebius was clearly pro-Arian & had the Emperor's ear. But when the other Eastern bishops gathered, they realized they didn't really want his fishy-Arianism. What they wanted was the prime-rib The Nicean Creed had sought to serve but ended up dishing burger. So the 341 Council of Antioch repudiated Arianism. But they were going to have none of Rome's meddling in their affairs & refused to reverse Athanasius' exile. Ultimately, the Council of Antioch failed in that they were unable to offer a creedal statement that improved on or fixed the problems they had with the Nicene Creed. Their efforts ended up only adding to the confusion on what Christians believed about Jesus.At the prompting of his brother Constans, Constantius called for a Council of both Eastern & Western bishops at Sardica (SAR–dee-ka) in modern Bulgaria just a year after Antioch. This Council accomplished nothing but to further divide East from West. Though a temporary calm ensued, the fracture between the 2 halves of the Empire revealed at Sardica only became more pronounced in the decades that followed. It was never healed.Athanasius returned to Alexandria yet again, only to be banished a few years later when Constantius took control of the Western Empire from his brother. Constantius then allowed his Arian friends to dictate policy in the West as they'd been in the East. Nicene bishops were replaced by Arians. Athanasius was again condemned and banished. You have to feel for this poor guy who just wanted to take care of his flock, but could not sit idly by & watch corrupt men make war on the Truth for political gain.As Constantius' reign entered its last years, he forced a couple more councils to adopt the Arian-backed word ‘homoi-ousias' to describe Jesus as being of similar substance with the Father rather than the Nicean formulation of ‘homo-ousias' – ONE & the same substance as the Father. And again, as at Nicea, this terminology was rammed down the Bishops' throats. As happened after Nicaea, they went away from the councils resentful of being pressed to accept a doctrine they couldn't support. The effect was the exact opposite of what Constantius & his Arian priest Eusebius wanted. The bishops retreated to the Nicean Creed. “Homo-ousias might not be precisely how they'd describe Jesus' deity, but it was better than the newly required “homoi-ousias” and would have to suffice until someone could come up with a better way to state it.That better formulation of the deity of Christ came from the 3 bishops who took up the Nicean standard after Athanasius died. We'll take them up next time.As we close it out, I want to thank those who've recommended the podcast to others.It's great seeing all those who go to the Facebook page, give CS a “like” and leave a comment about where they live.Because of the growth of the podcast and the bandwidth required to host it, we've needed to add a DONATE feature. What used to be a labor of love that I was more than happy to fund has become a labor of love that now needs your assistance. So, if you can, please go to sanctorum.us and follow the link to donate. Any amount is a help. Thanks.
This episode is part 2 of our series considering the impact Christianity has had on history & culture. Today we dig a little deeper into how the Faith impacted the world's view of the sanctity of life.In our last podcast, we talked about the ancient world's widespread practice of infanticide & how Christianity affected a fundamental shift in the way people evaluated life. This elevation of the value of human life came from Christianity's roots in Biblical Judaism with its revelation that human beings are created in God's image, then taken further by the Incarnation; that God became man in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. The cross reveals how highly God values people. Therefore, God's people must value them as well. So while the pagan world thought little of exposing unwanted infants to the elements & wild beasts, Christians rescued & adopted them, raising them as their own. It was an early & inventive church growth program.Another way the Christian view of the sanctity of life affected the Roman world was its impact è on the arena.The Roman writer Ausonius reported that gladiatorial games began in Rome about 264 BC. By the time Christians arrived there, the Romans had watched many thousands of gladiators fight to the death with one other & beasts. Because the whole thing was meant to be a show, more often than not, the battles weren't quick affairs. They were long, drawn out torments where as soon as one combatant gained a significant advantage on his opponent, he took his time finishing him off to titillate the blood-lust of the spectators. Death by many cuts. As one historian wrote, the 300 year long popularity of the Gladiatorial games “illustrates the pitiless spirit and carelessness of human life lurking behind the pomp, glitter, and cultural pretensions of the great imperial age.”Like infanticide, the games underscore Rome's low regard for human life.Gladiators were usually slaves, prisoners of war, or condemned criminals, all regarded as expendable. Rome's seeming unstoppable war-machine meant a constant influx of new slaves & prisoners. The games provided a way to reduce the supply to the slave market to keep their price up & keep the legions who sold them supplied with income. So speaking purely pragmatically, the games were a slick arrangement. It helped regulate the slave industry & provided entertainment for the populace. If one poor soul had to die to keep a thousand happy, it was deemed worth it. Social commentators in ancient Rome remarked on how the State kept the ever-ready-to-riot masses pacified by providing free bread & games; giving rise to the phrase – Bread & Circuses.Though over time a handful of gladiator achieved celebrity status, the main bulk of them were considered by society to be loathsome & doomed, assigned by Fate to a pitiless lot. Only a handful of freemen ever willingly became gladiators and if they did it was for money & fame. They enjoyed the applause of the crowd & were willing to imperil their lives to gain it. There were a few women gladiators.Before being allowed to fight in the arena, gladiators were trained. BTW, that word arena comes from the place where gladiatorial contests were waged. Harena is Latin for “sand” and refers to the floor of the theater which was covered w/a fine sand to absorb the blood. The whole aim of the games were to entertain so gladiators were taught the rudiments of combat so they could make a good showing & increase the tension of the spectators. A good deal of gambling took place in the stands as people bet on their hoped-for champion. Because the games were a major event, the famous, rich & powerful were nearly always in attendance, including senators, emperors, pagan priests & vestal virgins.The games weren't held just in Rome. Amphitheaters for games were erected in most major cities of the empire. >> I want to pause briefly and make a clarification. In modern usage, the word amphitheater is often used to describe a venue that's a half circle; like the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles. But the prefix amphi means round, a full circle. For the Greeks & Romans, an amphitheater was a full circle, like the Colosseum in Rome. A half circle, is just a theater. Amphitheaters were used for the gladiatorial games while theaters were used primarily for political gatherings, speeches, & plays.Back to the gladiators: In Rome, as combatants entered the arena, they'd file before the emperor's box, salute & shout, “We who are about to die salute you.” They would then fight either man to man or in small teams. Occasionally masses of men would re-enact famous battles from Roman history. But most of the time it was 2 men battling each other to the death. When it became clear one was the victor & his opponent was close to death, the winner would look to the stands for the audience's verdict. If the loser had fought well, they might mark their desire that he be allowed to live by extending their arms & giving a thumbs up. Most times, the crowd wanted to see the match finished by slaying the loser, so they gave thumbs down, the women just as much a part of this as men. All eyes then turned to the emperor whose decision decided the loser's fate. He nearly always went with the crowd's majority.Occasionally gladiators fought wild animals that often got the better of their human opponents. During the early 2nd C, the Emperor Trajan celebrated his conquest of the region of Dacia by hosting games lasting 4 months. Ten thousand gladiators participated & 10,000 animals were killed. Half the gladiators died in the arena while many other died later of their wounds. When Titus inaugurated the Colosseum in Rome in 80 AD, 5,000 animals were killed in a single day, along with hundreds of gladiators.While the average Roman throughout the empire enjoyed the games, Christians were appalled by them. But don't forget, MOST of those early Christians were first, game-loving pagans. A radical transformation took place when they converted. What had once been entertainment became abhorrent as they realized the foolishness of their previous ways. For Christians, the games were gambling with men's lives. They were a shocking violation of the Command, “You shall not murder.”So, Christians refused to attend the games. It wasn't so much a boycott as it was a simple decision to not attend an event so fundamentally a grotesque violation of their deeply held conviction. What used to be entertainment became a deplorable & degrading vice.Pagan critics of the Faith noticed the Christian absence at the games & complained; calling Christians anti-social! One critic accused, “You do not go to our shows; you take no part in our processions . . . you shrink in horror from our sacred games.” Interesting that the games were called sacred by this pagan critic. He saw participation in what the majority did civilly as a kind of civil religion everyone needed to be a willing part of or they presented a threat & danger to society. As we consider that attitude of the ancient Roman Empire toward Christianity, it speaks volumes to us today about how Christians are once again marginalized for our moral stand on same-sex marriage & intellectual position on theism & creation.Church leaders called upon their members to not attend the games or other pagan celebrations where debauchery was on display. In AD 220 Tertullian wrote a book called “Concerning Shows” & devoted an entire chapter admonishing Christians to not attend the games.Evidence of the profound impact Christianity has had on history & the valuation of human life is that today, as we read this chapter of the history of the Roman Empire, we shudder at the barbarity & butchery of the gladiatorial games. It's appalling imagining people in the stands screaming for blood, cheering as a gladius is drawn slowly across the neck of some poor hapless slave.Christianity's high regard for all human life eventually moved Christian emperors to ban the games. Historians agree – it was the growth of the Faith & the persuasion of the Gospel that affected a fundamental shift in the way people regarded life. People grew uneasy with the idea that they were entertained by cruelty & murder. The emperors Theodosius & his son Honorius brought an official end to the games in the late 4th C after 7 centuries of brutality and untold thousands slaughtered for no more reason that entertainment.Someone might ask if the modern penchant for violence in movies & TV, with all the blood & gore isn't a return to the moral bankruptcy of the Roman games. There's an important difference – in movies & TV, everyone knows it's contrived – no one is actually hurt. In fact, stunt crews go to great lengths to ensure they aren't; whereas in the ancient games, the victor was cheered & encouraged by the crowds to finish it by brutally killing his opponent. Even in modern boxing matches, the referee stops the match when one of the contestants is in danger of real harm.Where this seems to be changing though is in the realm of MMA where combatants aim at doing real harm to their opponent and injury is common. As the sport grows & more fighters enter the octagon, the crowd's thirst for the spectacular keeps growing apace. We can only hope they don't ever get to the point where they stand, extend their arm and give a thumbs down on a loser who's tapped out.Christianity had a positive impact on other Romans laws as soon as the Emperor became a Christian. In 315 Constantine banned the practice of branding the faces of criminals condemned to serve in the mines or as gladiators. He did so because man was created in the image of God and the face is a special & unique way of identifying individuals. He eventually banned all branding of slaves. He also required people arrested for a crime be given a speedy trial, since holding them implied guilt by holding them against their will. Coming to see the cross as a most cruel form of execution, crucifixion was also outlawed.Constantine's son Constantius followed in his father's reforming ways. He segregated male & female prisoners, to which we say, “Duh!” But know this, until the mid-4th C, male & female prisoners were incarcerated together. And yes, you can imagine what that meant for the poor women. It reveals what low regard Greco-Roman culture had for women who weren't under the manus, that is - the controlling hand of a husband. Such women were considered fair game for the unwelcomed attention of men. The elevation of women found in the Bible brought social transformation where ever the Faith spread.We've already considered the long historical debate over the legitimacy of Constantine's conversion. Was it real or feigned because he could see which way the religio-political winds among Rome's legions were blowing? His reforming of these deep-seated Roman customs regarding the sanctity of life do suggest he really understood the implications of the Gospel & had some kind of a moral revolution himself. A guy who merely used Christianity when it was convenient wouldn't call for the radical reformation of centuries old traditions knowing the social unrest it would cause unless he was convinced it was the right thing to do.Another way the Christian view of the sanctity of life shines through in transforming the ancient world is in the end it brought to human sacrifice, a fairly common practice in paganism. Child sacrifices were common rituals for Canaanite worshipers of Baal. Before Patrick arrived in Ireland, the Druids sacrificed both adults & infants. As late the 13th & 14th Centuries, the yet unreached Prussians & Lithuanians practice human sacrifice. In the New World, the Aztecs & Mayans both sacrificed many thousands of victims in blood orgies. The Aztecs would even subdue a neighboring tribe just to produce victims to sacrifice, leaving pools of blood at the base of their pyramids.But where ever the Gospel went & people were converted to faith in Christ, human sacrifice came to an end.Finally, where ever the Gospel reached, people's views of suicide changed. The philosophy of Stoicism which held a powerful sway over the mindset of the Roman Empire, put little value on human life, including one's own. The ancient Romans had gone all in on the idea of quality of life. The only lives that bore any quality were those of the rich, powerful & privileged. The lower classes were taught to accept the fact that Fate had passed them by & the best they could aspire to was to make the lives of the blessed a little better before giving up their pathetic little lives. Suicide was considered a viable option when life was just too much to endure.Some Greeks & Romans even considered suicide a glorious end. The person who took their own life in their own time, their own way was the master of their own fate – not leaving death to claim them at its whim. Many notable Romans took their own lives, including Cato, Seneca, Petronius & some of the Emperors. Suicide was lauded as brave, a noble thing to do if it meant avoiding shame.It's sad therefore to see the modern resurrection of the old arguments for suicide, that it's noble if it means being the master of your own destiny, avoiding shame, or is a rebuttal to the supposed lack of quality of a person's life. Christians joyously announce that in fact we AREN'T the masters of our fate, God is. Shame is dealt with at the cross, & the issue isn't quality of life – it's sanctity of life. Quality is subjective, with one person's abyssmalation being another's glory, & vice versa. Abyssmalation isn't even a word – but it gets the point across.Christianity regards suicide as self-murder, a most obvious violation of the sanctity of life. It's also, in nearly all cases, a profound loss of faith in God; concluding that one's life is beyond God's ability to rescue, restore & redeem.Interestingly, while suicide came to be generally regarded as incompatible with Faith in God, it wasn't until the Council of Elvira in 305 that it was formally condemned. And even then it wasn't suicide as an act of desperation that was in view by the ban placed on it. What prompted the Council's ban was the fact some Christians were too eager to be martyred. Remember that the couple decades just before Constantine became emperor were times of great & bloody persecution for Christians. Martyrs had achieved heroic status. What had been meant as a way to encourage Christians to stay faithful went overboard & became a kind of perverse delight in being martyred. So there were dozens who could easily have survived just by exercising some simple wisdom. But they nearly dared their tormentors to kill them, thinking that by doing so they were being heroic and would earn more points with God. Really, it was an ancient form of suicide by cop – in this case, suicide by executioner = Martyrdom. The Council of Elvira called a halt to it in 305.Clement of Alexandria, Lactantius, Gregory of Nazianus & Eusebius all condemned suicide. But the most vociferously opposed to it was Augustine in the 5th C. You may remember he wrote against the Donatists in North Africa. The Donatists believed there was no forgiveness of sins after baptism, so some had gone to extreme measures & agreed to a mass suicide right after being dunked.Augustine reasoned suicide violated the command “You shall not murder.” He pointed out that in the Bible, none of the Heroes of the Faith took their own lives and when Elijah asked God to slay him, God refused.As the years passed, the Roman church added more prescriptions to suicide in the hope no one would even think about it for the way it would consign the soul to eternal darkness. Public attitude toward suicide eventually changed to such a degree that it went from being considered noble to cowardly. Instead of using it to escape shame, it became a means to it.In our next episode, we'll consider Christianity's impact on sexual morality.
In part 1 we took a look at some of the sociological reason for persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. Then last time we began a narrative-chronology of the waves of persecution and ended with Antonius Pious.A new approach in dealing with Christians was adopted by Marcus Aurelius who reigned form 161–180. Aurelius is known as a philosopher emperor. He authored a volume on Stoic philosophy titled Meditations. It was really more a series of notes to himself, but it became something of a classic of ancient literature. Aurelius bore not a shred of sympathy for the idea of life after death & detested as intellectually inferior anyone who carried a hope in immortality.Reversing the Trajan policy of not going after Christians, Aurelius crafted a system of spies to gather intelligence and evidence against them. Rather than check riots that frequently called for martyr's blood as the previous emperors had done, Aurelius encouraged them. It was during his reign Christians began to be blamed for natural catastrophes. The supposition was that the gods were upset Christians weren't being persecuted by good Romans. With this as their moral backing, and making up for lost time, persecution under Aurelius moved to a new level of brutality. Thousands lost their heads or were tossed to beasts. It was at this time Justin Martyr became one.But we have to note that as fierce as the Aurelian persecution was, no official edict calling for an Empire-wide extermination of Christians was issued. Nor did one come during the reigns of Septimius Severus from 193–211 or Maximinus from 235–238 when persecution of the followers of Christ was renewed. The Severian campaign sought to root out the church in Egypt and North Africa, while the Maximinian chapter aimed only at Christian leaders in specific locales.The mid-3rd C saw a dramatic change.As Rome celebrated its thousand-year anniversary, people cast longing eyes back to the Golden Age & Glory Days of a bygone era of power & prosperity. In comparison, Rome now seemed a tottering old-hag hobbling along on arthritic knees. She was no longer able to kick away the barbarian dogs snapping at her heels. The superstition of pagans, who of course were in the vast majority, believed the gods who favored their ancestors FOR their devotion, were now punishing them for allowing the Christians to reject them.That being the case, wasn't it morally right & for the public good to actively go after the followers of Jesus?Decius only ruled from 249-51, but he was convinced maintaining Rome's cultus was essential to political stability and a return to prosperity. As soon as he took the purple, he gave orders everyone in the empire had to swear by the Emperor's genius; that is, practice emperor worship, as we talked about last time. This flushed out Christians who refused. They were declared traitors; enemies of the emperor, state, and public good. Their very presence was deemed a dangerous blight since the wrath of the gods was on them.As harsh as all this sounds, the evidence indicates that at first, the goal wasn't to kill them so much as it was to get them to recant under the threat of pain. Getting a Christian to recant was far more effective than killing them because many people are inspired by martyrdom. And of course, the martyrs were held in ultra-high esteem by The Church. So much so, a bit later, we'll find Church Leaders telling church members to use common sense and to not run around making a big to-do about being a believer, just so they WOULD be arrested and executed!No – most officials didn't want to make martyrs; they preferred apostates. Think of it this way . . .In ancient warfare, men would psych and pump themselves up in anticipation of battle. Once battle began, you wanted to present yourself like a man; tough, courageous. When you see your buddies taking blows and giving as good as they get, you stay shoulder to shoulder – a band of brothers!But when one guy turns his back to the enemy and begins to run, it's a fast spreading contagion of fear. Soon the entire line collapses in a rout.Watching some Christian publicly executed for their faith often inspired as many as it freaked. But hearing of Christians recanting & returning to the paganism of their past made many wonder why THEY should remain true.Under Decius, the 1st to be seized as treasonous were Church leaders. The hope was that a leaderless church would fall apart. In some places it did; but in others it went on as if nothing had changed.In those places were the Church winked out, it was because by the mid 3rd C, Christianity had already produced a brand of Faith that was more image than substance. Shocking as it may seem to some, there's been shallow Christians since the very beginning. And now, under Decius, they were flushed out into the open where they were forced to recant or die. Recant they did because their Faith was more social than sincere. But a host of others suffered martyrdom.After a year it was clear the Decian persecution wouldn't succeed in its goal of ending the Faith. In July of 251, Decius was killed in battle. His edict was no longer enforced.In 253, Valerian became emperor. He was at first friendly to the Faith. But a series of calamities stirred his advisors to press him to renew the pogroms in appeasement of the gods. During this wave of persecution several great leaders of the church were killed.The 40-some yrs from 260 to 303 were a time of relative peace for Christians. But it was the calm before the storm which arrived with the ascension of Diocletian.While his origins are sketchy, it seems Diocletian was a slave's son who worked himself up to supreme power. An utterly brilliant administrator, Diocletian recognized what pervious rulers ought have–that Rome was too large to be led by a single ruler. I'll leave it to you to listen to Mike Duncan's The History of Rome podcast to learn the details of Diocletian's reign. Edward Gibbon calls Diocletian a 2nd Augustus because he believes he framed a new empire rather than just restore the old. And indeed, Diocletian distanced himself from his political ancestors & heritage. He very consciously adopted the ostentatiousness of an Eastern ruler, something previous Roman Emperors would have condemned as scandalous. It was he who divided the Empire into a formal E & W, each with its one major Augustus & subordinate Caesar.In his first 2 decades, Diocletian honored the Toleration Edict Gallienus passed in 259 that restored Christians churches and burial places. His wife & daughter, along with most of his court & officials were either Christians or were favorable to them because THEIR wives & friends were. The Emperor himself was a pagan of the more superstitious flavor. But as a pragmatic politician, he believed restoring the Empire demanded a return to the old religion. Although due to family & friends he postponed the religious question, ultimately he had to take it on. There could be no peaceful co-existence between Christianity & Paganism. It was High Noon in Diocletian's court.The chief instigator in all this was Diocletian's co-ruler, his son-in-law, Galerius. He prevailed on Diocletian to authorize the persecution for which his reign is so well-known.In 303, at Gallerius' urging, Diocletian issued a series of edicts calling for the total eradication of Christianity. Places of worship were to be torn down, sacred writings were to be burned, and clergy were to be slaughtered. The next year, all Christians had to engage in a very public display of emperor worship or face immediate execution. Although it wasn't exactly like this, it's close enough . . .A raised dais was built in the center of town with a little altar where people would drop a pinch of incense and say, “Caesar is Lord.” Then they'd take a few more steps and be handed the libelli; that little scroll affirming they were good, loyal subjects. Another path led form the altar to a chopping block where an executioner stood. Those who refused to drop incense & said “Jesus, not Caesar, is Lord,” took that route where they got a haircut at the neck. Thousands died.In the Eastern empire were Diocletian and Galerius ruled, the persecution was especially fierce. The Western Augustus Maximian, fastidiously carried out the edicts in Italy and Africa. But his subordinate, Constantius, who ruled Gaul, Britain, & Spain, refused to execute people for their faith. Persecution effectively ended in 305, when Diocletian abdicated and retired to grow cabbages at his estate.But it was Galerius who'd put Diocletian UP to it in the first place. And Galerius stepped into the role of Eastern Augustus – so why didn't the persecutions continue? The answer to that is because Galerius realized à It wasn't working! He admitted that the policy of eradicating Christianity had failed miserably. In fact, he reversed himself and wrote à"Wherefore, for this our indulgence, they ought to pray to their God for our safety, for that of the republic, and for their own, that the republic may continue uninjured on every side, and that they may be able to live securely in their homes."It's reported that at the end of his life, as he lay abed, ill, he asked his Christians subjects pray for him. To encourage their prayers he passed an Edict of Toleration in 311, officially ending persecution. It was followed a year later by Constantine's famous Edict of Milan saying much the same.Since we shared a little about the interplay of the Early Church in the Roman Empire & their enemies to the East, the Persian Sassanids, in Season 1, we won't go into that whole chapter now, except to say that when Christians were persona non-grata in the W, the Sassanids welcomed them with open arms. Many refugees fled there, turning the E into a Christian enclave that quickly developed into a HQs and center of scholarship. The Sassanids followed the old line that the enemy of my enemy is my friend & assumed the Christians would be allies in their on-going tussle with Rome. But when Constantine revoked persecution and claimed to be a Christian, the Sassanids began to fear Christians as a dangerous 5th column in their ranks and persecution began. More of the details to that are to be had in Season 1.Let's end this short series on the Persecution of the Church in the First Centuries by considering the impact in had on the Church. Most of the Emperors eventually realized, as did Galerius too late, persecution didn't really work. Killing Christians didn't end the Faith. On the contrary, many were won to Christ by observing the gracious & courageous way so many of the martyrs died. A quote from the early church father Tertullian is oft given: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” The sheer NUMBER of Christians may be less due to persecution. But one positive effect persecution yielded was that those who DID claim the name of Christ were real-deal followers of the Son of God. People didn't join a church just so they could pad their resume or enhance their social standing. Being a Christian was risky across the board. People stood in danger socially, economically & physically. Persecution also encouraged the spread of the faith to new regions as people fled hostility.Persecution helped to settle the challenge church leaders faced on what belonged in the canon of NT Scripture. The tests they applied to settling the canon had to be rigorous, because they knew people would not give their lives for spurious inkings.Persecution also sharpened the thinking of church leaders as they defended the faith in the face of often erudite attacks by pagan critics. What's interesting is that the vast majority of arguments against the Faith voice by critics & skeptics today were leveled by critics of the 1st thru 3rd Cs. These critics were learned men, skilled in philosophy and rhetoric. But each of their objections were amply answered by early Church Fathers known today as The Apologists. The answers modern day apologists use in defense of the Faith are largely built on the pioneering work of the originals. Even many of the objections raised by the New Atheists are rebutted by 2000 year old answers.Though it's questionable whether or not they ever read them, the Early Apologists wrote some of their defenses of Christianity to no one less than the Emperor, seeking to reason with him on why persecuting Christians was bad policy. These “Apologies” as they're called, weren't wild-eyed polemics threatening the Emperor with God's wrath if they didn't lighten up. They were most often attempts to use Roman law, Greek philosophy and the weight of tradition, which remember the Roman's put great store by, to persuade the Emperor that Christianity ought to be tolerated along with Rome's other faiths.All that is persecution's up-side. What about the down? Well, Believers ended up so busy protecting themselves there was scant opportunity for them to develop a deep theological heritage to enrich those who came after. Yes, there were a handful like the Apologists who managed to get out some material, but with the many thousands who DID in fact come to faith, we would expect a much larger body of literary work. Persecution both limited the opportunity to produce that, and what work that WAS produced, was frequently used to fuel the fires Christians were then burnt on.Another problem that rose, and we dealt with this in Season 1, was what to do with those believers who faltered during persecution and gave in to the pressure to recant. What was to be done with those Christians who burned a pinch of incense, said “Caesar is Lord,” took a libelli, then, once the threat of persecution was passed, repented of recanting and wanted to come back to church? These were called the lapsed, because their faith had lapsed in the heat of persecution. This became an especially trying issue after Constantine officially revoked persecution once & for all, for 2 reasons . . .1) Constantine took over right after the 10th & most virulent phase of persecution. It was also empire wide, though it was enforced more firmly in the E. A major test used for weeding out believers was the requirement of swearing by the Emperor's genius, which as we've seen, the faithful could not do. But, a bunch of the lapsed, DID! And that leads to the 2nd reason à2) All those who'd lapsed realized that with the Edict of Milan official persecution was most likely over for good. So, instead of staying de-canted, so as to avoid upcoming persecutions, they figured it was safe to return to Church. Andà Here they came.The Church was split over whether to allow them back or not. Some favored restoration, others, not so much. Many fellowships split over the issue. Church leaders took sides in the debate and fired off sometimes heated missives at one another. For more on this, you can listen to the episode in Season 1 called The Lapsed Dance.Another negative effect of persecution was a warped result of a positive. The faith & courage of the martyrs not only challenged the shallowness of rank paganism, it inspired people to follow their example. But not just to live by faith in Jesus; they went further and longed to die like their heroes. The desire to suffer martyrdom became a problem church leaders had to address at a few points.Ha! Think of that. Instead of Pastor Alexius asking for volunteers for the nursery ministry, he had to plead with his people not to go to the marketplace crying out that they're Christians; “Please! Somebody arrest & torture me to death.” But that gives us a hint as to just how highly martyrs were regarded in the Early Church. When they were regarded that highly, it's not difficult to see why there were many in the Church who regarded lapsed believers as scum.What made for a major brouhaha was when it wasn't just everyday church members who'd lapsed, but when it as a pastor.
This 17th episode is titled “What a Difference a Century Makes.”During the mid-4th Century, the history of the Church walked apace with the history of the Roman Empire. With the death of Constantine the Great, the rule of the Empire divided among his 3 sons, Constantine II, Constans, & Constantius. In the power-hungry maneuverings that followed, they did their upbringing in a Christian education little honor. They quickly removed any challenge by their father's relatives, then set to work on one another. 3 years after their father's death they went to war in a struggle for sole supremacy. Constantine II was slain by Constans, who was in turn murdered by a Gallic commander of the Imperial guard named Magnentius. After the defeat and suicide of Magnentius, Constantius became sole Emperor & reigned till his death in 361.Constantius departed from his father Constantine's wise policy of religious toleration. Constantius was greatly influenced by the Arian bishop of Constantinople Eusebius who inspired him to use the authority of his office to enforce the Arian-brand of Christianity not only on the pagans of the Empire but also on those Christians who followed the Nicene Orthodoxy. Paganism was violently suppressed. Temples were pillaged and destroyed with the loot taken from them given either to the Church or Constantius' supporters. As Christians had earlier been subject to arrest & execution, so now were pagans. Not unexpectedly, large numbers of former pagans came over to Christianity; their conversion feigned. A similar persecution was applied towards Nicaean Christians. They were punished with confiscation and banishment.Constantius meddled in most of the Church's affairs, which during his reign was fraught with doctrinal controversy. He called a multitude of councils; in Gaul, Italy, Illyricum, & Asia. He fancied himself an accomplished theologian and enjoyed being called Bishop of bishops.Constantius justified his violent suppression of paganism by likening it to God's command to Israel to wipe out the idol-worshipping Canaanites. But intelligent church leaders like Athanasius argued instead for toleration. Athanasius wrote,Satan, because there is no truth in him, breaks in with ax and sword. But the Savior is gentle, and forces no one to whom He comes, but knocks on and speaks to the soul: ‘Open to me, my sister?' If we open to Him He enters but if we will not, He departs. For the truth is not preached by sword and dungeon, by the might of an army, but by persuasion and exhortation. How can there be persuasion where the fear of the Emperor is uppermost? How exhortation, where the contradictory has to expect banishment and death?The ever-swinging pendulum of history foretells that the forced-upon faith of Constantius will provoke a pagan reaction. That reaction came immediately after Constantius during the reign of his cousin, Julian the Apostate. Julian had only avoided the earlier purge of his family because he was too young to pose a threat. But the young grow up. Julian received a Christian education and was trained for a position in church leadership. But he harbored and nurtured a secret hatred for the religion of the court, a religion under which his family was all but exterminated. He studied the banned texts of Eastern mystics & Greek philosophers; all the more thrilling because they were forbidden. Julian became so immersed in paganism, he was made the leader of a secret order devoted to keeping the ancient religion alive.Despite his hostility toward Christianity, Julian recognized the Faith was too deeply entrenched in the Empire to turn back the sundial to a time when Christians were persona non grata. He decided instead to simply pry loose the influence they'd established in the civil realm. He appointed non-Christians to important posts & reclaimed some of the old pagan temples that had been turned into churches back to their original use.Julian enacted a policy of religious tolerance. Everyone was free to practice whatever faith they wanted. Make no mistake, Julian wanted to eliminate Christianity. He felt the best way to accomplish that, wasn't by attacking it outright. After all, 200 years of persecution had already shown that wasn't effective. Rather, Julian figured all the various sects of Christianity would end up going to war with one another and the movement would die the death of a thousand cuts, all self-inflicted. His plan didn't work out, of course, but it was an astute observation of how factious the followers of Christ can be.When Julian was killed in 363 in an ill-advised war against the Sassanids, the pagan revival he'd hoped for fizzled. The reasons for its demise were many. Because Paganism is an amalgam of various often contradictory beliefs and worldviews it lacked the cohesion needed to stare down Christianity. And compared to the virtuous morality and ethical priorities of Christianity, paganism paled.Julian's hoped-for elimination of Christianity by allowing its various sects to operate side by side never materialized. On the contrary, major advances were made toward a mutual understanding of the doctrinal debates that divided them. The old Athanasius was still around and as an elder statesman for the Church he'd mellowed, making him a rallying point for different groups. He called a gathering of church leaders in Alexandria in 362, right in the middle of Julian's reign, to recognize the Creed of Nicea as the Church's official creedal statement. His resolution passed.But trouble was brewing in the important city of Antioch. While the Western churches under the leadership of the Bishop of Rome remained steadfast in their loyalty to the Nicean Creed, the Eastern Empire leaned toward Arianism. Antioch in Syria was a key Eastern city split between adherents of Nicea & Arianism. The official church, that is, the one recognized by the Emperor in Constantinople had an Arian bishop. The Nicean Christians were led by Bishop Paulinus in a separate fellowship. But in 360, a new bishop rose to lead the Arian church at Antioch – and he was a devoted Nicean named Meletius! This occurred right at a time when more & more Eastern bishops were coming out in favor of the Nicene Creed. These Eastern bishops supported Meletius and the New Niceans of Antioch. We might think this would see a merger of the old-Niceans under Paulinus with the new, and à we'd assume wrongly. Rome & the Western church considered Paulinus the rightful bishop of Antioch & remained suspicious of Meletius & the new-Niceans. Efforts on their part to negotiate with & be accepted by the Western church were rebuffed. This served to increase the divide between East & West that had already been brewing for the last few decades.A new center of spiritual weight developed at this time in Cappadocia in central-eastern Asia Minor. It formed around the careers of 3 able church leaders, Basil the Great, his brother Gregory of Nyssa, and their friend, Gregory of Nazianzus. Their work answered the lingering concerns that hovered around the words the Nicaean Council had chosen to describe Jesus as being of the same substance as the Father. These 3 Cappadocian Fathers were able to convince their Eastern brothers that the Nicean Creed was the best formulation they were likely to produce and to accept that Jesus was of the same substance as the Father, and so God, not a similar substance and so something other than or less than God, as the Arians held it. They pressed in on terms that made it clear there was only one God but 3 persons who individually are, and together comprise that one God; The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They said the 3 operated inseparably, none ever acting independently of the others. Every divine action begins from the Father, proceeds thru the Son, and is completed in the Holy Spirit.In 381 at the Council of Constantinople, the Eastern Church demonstrated its acceptance of the Cappadocian Fathers' theology by affirming their adherence to the Nicean Creed. This effectively marked the end of Arianism within the Empire. And unlike the previous 3 ecumenical councils, the Council of Constantinople was not followed by years of bitter strife. What the council failed to do was resolve the split in the church at Antioch. The West continued to support the Old-Niceans while the East supported the New. It was clear to all tension was building between the old seat of Imperial power & the new capital; between Rome & Constantinople. Which church & bishop would be the recognized leader of the whole? Antioch became the site where that contest was lived out thru their surrogates, Paulinus & Meletius.The Council of Constantinople attempted to deal with this contest by developing a system for how the churches would be led. The rulings of the Council, and all the church councils held during these years are called Canon Law, which established policy by which the Church would operate. One of the rulings of the Council of Constantinople established what was known as dioceses. A diocese was a group of provinces that became a region over which a bishop presided. The rule was that one diocese could not interfere in the workings of another. Each was to be autonomous.Though Jovian followed Julian as emperor in 363 his reign was short. He followed a policy of religious toleration, as did Valentinian I who succeeded him. Valentinian recognized the Empire was too vast for one man to rule & appointed his younger brother Valens to rule the East. Valens was less tolerant than his brother & attacked both paganism & the Nicean Christians. But Valens was the last Arian to rule in either East or West. All subsequent emperors were Orthodox; that is, they followed the Nicean Creed.When Valentinian died in 375, rule of the Western Empire fell to his son Gratian. When Valens died, Gratian chose an experienced soldier named Theodosius to rule the East.Gratian & Theodosius presided over the final demise of paganism. Both men strongly supported the Orthodox faith, and at the urging of Bishop Ambrose of Milan, they enacted policies that brought an end to pagan-worship. Of course, individuals scattered throughout the Empire continued to secretly offer sacrifices to idols & went through the superstitious rituals of the past, but as a social institution with temples & a priesthood, paganism was eradicated. Under the reign of Theodosius, Christianity was made the official religion of the Empire.We'll end this episode with a look at how the church at Rome emerged during the 4th & 5th Centuries to become the lead church in the Empire.In theory all the bishops of the Empire's many churches were equal. In reality, from the time of the Apostolic Fathers, some gained greater prominence because their churches were in more important cities. During the 2nd & early 3rd Centuries Alexandria, Antioch, Rome & Carthage were the places of the greatest spiritual gravity; their senior pastors recognized as leaders, not just of their churches but of The Church. The Council of Nicaea in 325 recognized Alexandria as the lead church for all North Africa, Antioch in the East & Rome as preeminent in the West.Constantinople, the new Eastern political capital, was added to that list in 381 by the Council of Constantinople. As one of its rulings in canon law, the Council declared Constantinople 2nd only to Rome in terms of primacy in deciding church matters.We might assume the Bishop of Rome would gladly accept this finding of the Council, being that it acknowledged the Roman “see” (that is, a bishop's realm of authority) as primary. He didn't! He objected because the Council's ruling implied the position of a Church and its Bishop depended on the status of their city in the Empire. In other words, it was the nearness to the center of political power that weighed most. The Bishop of Rome maintained that the preeminence of Rome wasn't dependent on political proximity but on historical precedent. He said the decree of a Synod or Council didn't convey primacy. The Roman Bishop claimed Rome was primary because God had made it so. At a Council in Rome a year after the Council of Constantinople, the Roman Bishop Damasus said Rome's primacy rested on the Apostle Peter's founding of the Roman church. Ever since the mid-3rd C, Roman Christians had used Matthew 16, Luke 22 & John 21 to claim their church possessed a unique authority over other churches & bishops. This Petrine Theory as it's come to be known was generally accepted by the end of the 6th C. It claimed Peter had been given primacy over his fellow apostles, and his superior position had been passed on from him to his successors, the bishops of Rome, by apostolic succession.In truth, there was already a substantial church community in Rome when Peter arrived in Rome and was martyred. The Christians honored Peter as they did all their martyrs by making his grave a popular gathering place. Eventually, it became a shrine. Then, when persecution ended, the shrine became a church. The leader of that church became associated with Peter whose grave was its central feature.When Constantine came to power, he ordered a basilica built on the site on Vatican Hill. To mark that a new day of favor toward the Church had come, Constantine gave the Lateran Palace where the Roman Empress had lived to the Bishop of Rome as his residence. But the story that arose later which puts Emperor Constantine on his face before Sylvester, the Bishop of Rome, pleading forgiveness in sackcloth & ashes & handing over to him the rule of Italy & Rome, is a fiction.Until Bishop Damasus in the mid-4th C, the Roman bishops were competent leaders of the church but tended toward weakness when dealing with the Emperors, who often sought to dominate the Faith. A dramatic change occurred at the end of the 4th C, when under Ambrose of Milan, the Church dictated to the Emperor.Bishop Damasus, a contemporary of Ambrose, installed the Primacy of Peter as a central part of Church doctrine. He claimed the Roman church was started by Peter, who'd passed on his authority to the next bishop, who'd, in turn, handed it to his successor and that each Bishop of Rome was a recipient of Peter's apostolic authority. Since Peter was the leader of the Apostles that meant the Roman church was the lead church and the Bishop the leader, not just of Rome but of all Christendom. Damasus was the first to address other bishops as ‘sons' rather than ‘brothers.'Historical events during the 4th & 5th Centuries enhanced the power of the Bishop of Rome. When Constantine moved the political capital to Constantinople in 330, it left the Roman Bishop as the strongest individual in Rome for long stretches of time. People in the west looked to him for temporal as well as spiritual leadership when a crisis arose. Constantinople & the Emperor were hundreds of miles & weeks away; the Roman bishop was near; so people turned to him to exercise authority in meeting political as well as spiritual crises. In 410 when Alaric and the Visigoths sacked Rome, Bishop Innocent I used clever diplomacy to save the city from the torch. When the Western Empire finally fell in 476, the people of Italy looked to the Roman Bishop for civil as well as religious leadership.Great leaders like Cyprian, Tertullian, & Augustine were outstanding men of the Western church who counted themselves as being under the leadership of the Bishop of Rome. The Western Empire had also managed to stay free of the heretical challenges that had wracked the East, most notably, the brouhaha with Arius and his followers. This doctrinal solidarity was due in large part to the steadfast leadership of Rome's Bishops.Another factor that contributed to Rome's rise to dominance was the decline of the other great centers. Jerusalem lost its place due to the Bar Kochba rebellion of the 2nd C. Alexandria & Antioch were overrun by the Muslims in the 6th & 7th Centuries; leaving Constantinople & Rome as the centers of power.In an Imperial edict in AD 445, the Emperor Valentinian III recognized the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome in spiritual affairs. What he enacted became Canon law for all.Another great boon to the influence & prestige of the Roman Bishop was the missionary work of monks loyal to Rome. Clovis & Augustine planted churches in northern France & Britain, all owing allegiance to Rome.But above all, the Roman church was led by several able bishops during this time; men who overlooked no opportunity to enhance & extend their power.Leo I was bishop at Rome from 440 to 461 & by far the ablest occupant of the Bishop's seat until Gregory I, 150 years later. His skill earned him the title “Leo the Great.”We're not sure when Rome's bishops began to be called “pope”, a title which for years had been used by the bishop of Alexandria. But Leo was the first to refer consistently to himself as pope – from Latin, a child's affectionate term for papa. In 452, Leo persuaded Attila the Hun to let the city of Rome alone. Then 3 years later when the Vandals came to sack the city, Leo convinced them to limit their loot-fest to 2-weeks. The Vandal Leader Gaiseric kept his word, and the Romans forever after esteemed Leo as the one who saved their city from destruction.Pope Leo insisted all church courts & the rulings of all bishops had to be submitted to him for final decision. This is what Valentinians III's edict of 445 granted and he was determined to apply it.Pope Gelasius I, who ruled from 492 to 496, said that God gave sacred power to the Pope and royal power to the King. But because the Pope had to account to God for the King at the judgment, the sacred power of the Pope was more important than royal power. So, civil rulers should submit to the Pope. While the emperors didn't all automatically knuckle under to popes, most did resign a large part of authority & political influence to the Roman Bishops.
This week's episode is titled, “Keeping a Record”The first 3 Cs of Church History are at times a difficult puzzle to sort out because no coherent historical narrative was being kept.Luke's account in the Books of Acts recounts a time span of about 30 yrs & roughly narrates the spread of the Faith from Jerusalem to Rome. The next narrative doesn't come till the writings of the Christian historian Eusebius in the 4th C. What we have for a period of over 200 yrs are the writings of the Fathers whose letters give little more than a thumbnail sketch of what was happening. We have to infer & assume a lot by picking up what facts we can about what was happening. As we've seen, the work of the Church Fathers focused mainly on providing pastoral & apologetic support. Gaining an historical framework for this period comes from merging secular accounts of history with the commentary of the Fathers. But with the work of Eusebius at the opening of the 4th C, the narrative becomes significantly clearer.Eusebius began compiling his magnum opus of Church History in the 290's. Titled Ecclesiastical History, it's an attempt to provide a narrative of the Communion of the Saints from the Apostles to his time.Eusebius was born & raised in Caesarea on the coast of Israel. He was a student of the Christian leader Pamphilas, who was himself a student of the great Apologist Origen. Eusebius became the bishop at Caesarea in 313. He played a major role in the Council of Nicaea in 325, which we'll take a closer look at in a future episode.Eusebius is a key figure in the study of Church History because his Ecclesiastical History is the first work after Luke's to attempt an historical narrative of the Faith. He's also an important figure because of his close association with the Emperor Constantine.I want to quote the opening of Eusebius' narrative because it gives us a sense of the monumental nature of his work. He knew he was attempting to reconstruct a narrative of the Church from scant resources.In Chapter 1, which he titled, “The Plan of the Work” he writes –It is my purpose to write an account of the successions of the holy apostles, as well as of the times which have elapsed from the days of our Savior to our own; and to relate the many important events which are said to have occurred in the history of the Church; and to mention those who have governed and presided over the Church in the most prominent parishes, and those who in each generation have proclaimed the divine word either orally or in writing.It is my purpose also to give the names and number and times of those who through love of innovation have run into the greatest errors, and, proclaiming themselves discoverers of knowledge falsely so-called, have like fierce wolves unmercifully devastated the flock of Christ. …But at the outset I must crave for my work the indulgence of the wise, for I confess that it is beyond my power to produce a perfect and complete history, and since I am the first to enter upon the subject, I am attempting to traverse as it were a lonely and untrodden path. I pray that I may have God as my guide and the power of the Lord as my aid, since I am unable to find even the bare footsteps of those who have traveled the way before me, except in brief fragments, in which some in one way, others in another, have transmitted to us particular accounts of the times in which they lived. From afar they raise their voices like torches, and they cry out, as from some lofty and conspicuous watch-tower, admonishing us where to walk and how to direct the course of our work steadily and safely.Having gathered therefore from the matters mentioned here and there by them whatever we consider important for the present work, and having plucked like flowers from a meadow the appropriate passages from ancient writers, we shall endeavor to embody the whole in an historical narrative. …This work seems to me of especial importance because I know of no ecclesiastical writer who has devoted himself to this subject; and I hope that it will appear most useful to those who are fond of historical research.Eusebius was unaware of any previous attempt to provide an historical narrative of the development of the Faith from the late 1st C to his time in the early 4th, a period of a little over 200 yrs. From a modern perspective, Eusebius' account might be considered suspect, relying as it does on tradition & at best fragmentary evidence. What must be remembered is the importance of that oral tradition and the accuracy of such transmission over long periods of time. Because the ancient world didn't possess cheap and plentiful means of recording information, it was dependent on oral tradition & rote memorization. With the advent of the printing press and more economic media, the priority of the oral tradition declined. Eusebius had both written and oral source material to draw from. His work can be considered dependable, while subject to question when it leaned toward the ancient penchant for using history as propaganda.As we return to the narrative timeline of Church history we need to pick up the story with the reign of the Diocletian who presided over the last & in many ways worst round of persecution under the Roman emperors.Though Christians remember Diocletian for that, he was in truth one of the most effective of the Roman Emperors. By the time he came to the throne, the Roman Empire was a sprawling & unwieldy beast of a realm to rule. The City of Rome was an old & decayed relic of its former glory. So Diocletian moved his headquarters eastward to Nicomedia in Asia Minor, modern Turkey. Instead of trying to exert control over the entire empire himself & solely, Diocletian appointed Maximian as co-emperor to rule the western half of the Empire from Rome while he ruled the East.One of the persistent problems that led to so much unrest in the recent decades was the question of succession; who would rule after the current emperor? To forestall that turmoil, Diocletian appointed dual successors for both himself & Maximian. Flavius Constantius became Maximian's successor while Diocletian took on Galerius. This established what's known as the Tetrarchy.While Diocletian had no warm & fuzzy feelings for the followers of Christ, it was really his successor Galerius that urged him to launch a campaign of persecution. Galerius was a military commander who thought Christians made poor soldiers. He knew their loyalty was supremely to their God and thought they made for unreliable troops. Galerius was also a committed pagan who believed in the Roman deities. He attributed any setback for the Army & any of the regular natural disasters that shook the realm, to their displeasure that so many of Rome's subjects were turning to the new god on the block. So it was really at Galerius' urging Diocletian approved the severe measures taken against Christians and their churches. When Diocletian retired to his villa to raise cabbages & turned the eastern half of the Empire over to Galerius, persecution increased.Eventually, Constantius replaced Maximian in the West, just as Galerius had assumed the mantle in the East. And Diocletian's tetrarchy began to unravel. Galerius decided he wanted to be sole ruler and abducted Constantius' son, Constantine who'd been named successor to his father in the West. When Constantius fell ill, Galerius granted Constantine permission to visit him.Constantius died, & Constantine demanded Galerius recognize him as his co-emperor. No doubt Galerius would have launched a military campaign against Constantine's bid for rule of the West, but Galerius himself was stricken with a deadly illness. On his deathbed, Galerius admitted his policy of persecution of Christians hadn't worked and rescinded his policy of oppression.In the West, Constantine's claim to his father's throne was contested by Maximian's son, Maxentius. The showdown between them is known as the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. Maxentius didn't want Constantine marching his troops into Rome so he tore down the Milvian Bridge after marching his troops across it to meet Constantine. Just in case the battle went against Maxentius, he had a temporary bridge built of a string of boats across the river.At this point, the story gets confused because there's been so many who've written about what happened and the reports are varied. On the day before the battle, Constantine prayed, most likely to the sun-god. As he did, he looked toward the sun & saw a cross. Then, either he saw the words or heard them spoken, “By this sign, Conquer.” That night while he slept, Jesus appeared to him in a dream, telling him to have his soldiers place a Christian symbol on their shields. The next morning, chalk was quickly passed round & the soldiers put what's called the Chiron on their shields. Chi & Rho are the first 2 letters of the Greek word Christos, Christ. In English it looks like a P on top of an X.When the 2 forces met, Constantine's veterans bested Maxentius' less experienced troops, who retreated to their makeshift bridge. While crossing, Maxentius fell into the water & drowned. Constantine then marched victoriously into Rome.A year later, he and his new co-emperor Licinius issued what's known as the Edict of Milan, which decreed an end to all religious persecution, not just of Christians, but all faiths. For Constantine, Jesus was now his divine patron & the cross, an emblem of shame & derision for generations, became instead—a kind of charm. Instead of being a symbol of Rome's brutality in executing its enemies, the cross became a symbol of Imperial power.Bishops began to be called priests as they gained parity with their peers in pagan temples. These Christian priests were shown special favors by Constantine. It didn't take long for the pagan priests to realize which way the winds of political favor were blowing. Many converted.Now à there's been much debate over the legitimacy of Constantine's conversion. Was he genuinely born again or was he just a savvy politician who recognized a trend he could co-opt and turn to his favor? People will disagree on this and my meager offering is unlikely to convince anyone. But I think Constantine was probably a genuine Christian. He certainly did some things after his conversion that are difficult to reconcile with a sincere faith, but we have to remember the moral base he grew up in as the son of a Caesar & as a general of Roman legions was very different from the Biblical morality that's shaped Western civilization. Also, Constantine's actions which are so decidedly non-Christian, like murdering those who threatened his power, may have been rationalized not as personal acts so much as attempts to secure the peace & safety of the empire. I know that's a stretch, but when analyzing history, we need to be careful about judging people when we don't have at our disposal all the facts they did.If we could sit down with Constantine and say, “You shouldn't have executed that guy.” He could very well say something like, “Yes, as a Christian, I shouldn't have. You're right. But I didn't execute him out of personal anger or suspicion or mere selfishness. It really bothers me that I had to off him; but I discovered he was plotting to usurp my throne and it would have thrown the empire into years of civil war & chaos.” To which we'd reply, “Well Constance, you need to trust God more. He'll protect you. He put you on the throne, He can keep you there.” And Constantine might reply, “Yeah, I considered that & I agree. But it's a tough call. You see, in terms of my personal life, I trust God. But when it comes to my role as Emperor, I need to make tough choices others who don't wield the power I do will understand.”Let's not forget that Constantine, while being a competent general & astute politician, was at best a novice believer.I share this little made-up discussion because it points up something we're going to encounter again & again in our review of the history of the Church. We look on past ages, on what they believed and the things they did, with an attitude of moral superiority because we wouldn't do the terrible things they did, or we assume would do some things they failed to. We need to be cautious with this attitude for the simple reason that when we take the time to listen to the voices of the past and let them explain themselves, we often come to a new appreciation for the difficulty of their lives & choices. We may not agree with them, but we at least realize in their own minds & hearts, they thought they were doing what was best.You make up your own mind about the genuineness of Constantine's faith, but let me encourage you to spend a little time looking up what Eusebius wrote about him and some of the tough decisions Constantine had to make during his reign.Some of the things regarded as incompatible with a genuine conversion is that he retained his title of Pontifex Maximus as the head of the state religious cult. He conceived & hatched political plots to remove enemies. He murdered those deemed a threat to his power.On the other hand, from 312 on, his favor of Christianity was quite public. He granted the same privileges to bishops, pagan priests enjoyed. He banned crucifixion & ended the punishment of criminals by using them in gladiatorial games. He made Sunday a holiday. His personal charity built several large churches. And his private life demonstrated a pretty consistent genuine faith. His children were brought up in the Church & he practiced marital fidelity, at least, as far as we know. That of course, was certainly NOT the case with previous Emperors or even the wider Roman nobility.Critics like to point to Constantine's delay of baptism to shortly before his death as evidence of a lack of faith. I suggest that it ought to be read exactly the opposite. Remember what we learned about baptism a few episodes back. In that time, it was believed after baptism, there were certain sins that couldn't be forgiven. So people delayed baptism to as close to death as possible, leaving little chance for commission of such a sin to occur. Following his baptism, Constantine never again donned the imperial purple of his office but instead wore only his white baptismal robes. That sounds like he was concerned to enter Heaven, not a casual disregard of it.Chief among Constantine's concerns upon taking control of the Empire was unity. It was unity & strength that had moved Diocletian to establish the tetrarchy. Decades of civil war as one powerful general after another seized control and beat down his challengers had desperately weakened & impoverished the realm. Now that Constantine ruled, he hoped the Church would help bring a new era of unity based on a vital & dynamic faith. It didn't take long before he realized the very thing he hoped would bring unity was itself fractured.When the Church was battered & beaten by imperial persecution, it was forced to be one. But when that pressure was removed, the theological cracks that had been developing for a while became immediately evident. Chief among them was the Donatist Controversy we recently considered. In 314 the Donatists appealed to Constantine to settle the issue on who could ordain elders.Think about what a momentous change this was! The church appealed to the civil authority to rule on a spiritual affair! By doing so, the Church asked for imperial sponsorship.At this point we need a robot to wave its arms manically & cry “Danger! Will Robinson, Danger!”Constantine knew this was not a decision he was capable of making on his own so he gathered some church leaders in Arles in the S of France to decide the issue. The Donatist bishops were outnumbered by the non-Donatists – so you know where this is going. They decided against the Donatists.Instead of accepting the decision, the Donatists called the leaders who opposed them corrupt and labeled the Emperor their lackey. The Church split between the Donatist churches of North Africa and the rest who now looked to Constantine as their leader.As tensions rose, the Emperor sent troops to Carthage in 317 to enforce the installation of a pro-government bishop opposed by the Donatists. For the first but far from last time, Christians persecuted Christians. Opponents of Constantine were exiled from Carthage. After 4 years, he realized his strong arm tactics weren't working and withdrew his troops.We'll pick it up and this point next time.
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