History of Christianity

This article outlines the history of Christianity and provides links to relevant topics.

Fourth century

• Many of the writings from this period are translated into English in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers books.

Development of the canon of scripture

• Bible
• Biblical canon

Christianity legalized in the Roman Empire

Constantine I

The Emperor Constantine I was, like emperors before him, high priest of the Mithraic religion. However, he was also interested in creating unity for the sake of ease of governance, and to this end involved himself in a dispute between Christian groups over Arianism, summoning the First Council of Nicaea; this Council produced the Nicene Creed.

Related Topics:
Constantine I - Arianism - First Council of Nicaea - Council - Nicene Creed

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Constantine mitigated some differences between orthodox Christianity and its main competitor, the official religion of Sol Invictus. For example, he moved the date of celebration of Jesus' birth to December 25th (since this was the celebration date for the birth of Mithras and Bacchus, and also the date of other winter solstice festivals such as Saturnalia). In addition, Constantine instituted use of the Chi-Rho symbol, representative of Christianity, also alleged by some scholars to have had use as an obeloi for "auspicious" thus serving both Christian and non-Christian purpose simultaneously.

Related Topics:
Bacchus - Saturnalia - Chi-Rho symbol - Obeloi

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Popular legend holds that Constantine I was Christian; however, he never publicly recanted his position as high priest of Mithras Sol Invictus, and the only alleged occurrence of Constantine I converting was on his deathbed (as reported by later Church Fathers), which is impossible to verify. However, it was not that unusual for people in the fourth century to avoid fully converting to Christianity until quite late in life, because of the strong warnings against continuing in sin after having converted and the spiritual consequences thereof.

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Constantinian shift

Critics of the merger of church and state point to this shift of the beginning of the era of Constantinianism when Christianity and the will of God gradually came to be identified with the will of the ruling elite; and in some cases was little more than a religious justification for the exercise of power.

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Arianism

Nicene Creed

Caesaropapism

Fourth-century pagan revival by Rome

Shocked by these developments, the emperor Julian the Apostate (denoted "the Apostate" because of his rejection of Christianity and conversion to Mithraism and Neoplatonism) attempted to restore the former status among religions by eliminating the privileges (exemption from the heavy burden of taxation and tax collection duties for Christian clergy for example) given by former Roman Emperors like Constantine I, forbidding one sect of Christians from persecuting another Christian sect and recalling bishops who had been banned for Arianism, while encouraging both Judaism (including a failed attempt to rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem) and a sort of neo-paganism.

Related Topics:
Julian the Apostate - Apostate - Mithraism - Neoplatonism - Christian - Constantine I - Arianism - Neo-paganism

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Nicene Christianity opposed by Byzantine emperors

• Saint Athanasius of Alexandria exiled from his bishopric in Alexandria at least five times for opposing Arianism.
• Saint John Chrysostom (Patriarch of Constantinople) dies in exile for criticizing the imperial court in his homilies.

Christianity becomes a state religion

Julian's opposition was short lived, as emperors such as Constantine II repealed Julian's actions and encouraged the growth of Christianity. This state of affairs was finally enforced by a series of decrees by the Nicene Christian emperor Theodosius I, beginning in February of 381, and continuing throughout his reign.

Related Topics:
Constantine II - Theodosius I - February - 381

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Other material from this era

• Ambrose of Milan (bishop and saint)
• rise of desert monasticism (Saint Anthony the Great, Saint Pachomius)

The Christological controversies

The Christological controversies include examinations of questions like the following. Was Christ divine, human, a created angelic being, or beyond simple classification into one category? Did Christ's miracles actually change physical reality or were they merely symbolic? Did Christ's body actually arise from the dead or was the resurrected Christ a supernatural being not limited to a physical frame?

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• Arius, Athanasius
• Diodore, Theodore and Apollinarius
• Cyril of Alexandria and Nestorius
• The anti-Nestorian council at Ephesus and the anti-Monophysite reaction at the Council of Chalcedon in 451.
• The search for reconciliation and the heresy of one will (monothelitism, the belief that Jesus Christ had one (divine) will as opposed to two wills, one divine and one human will). Fifth Ecumenical Council condemned monothelitism and failed to achieve the reconciliation desired by the Byzantine emperor.