The Triumph of Christianity in the Roman Empire Essays

Christians went from being persecuted to dominating Rome rather quickly. In a world where separation between church and state does not exist, a Christian becoming the sole emperor of Rome symbolized a huge turning point in history. The power switched and the Pagans in turn became persecuted. Christians rose up and took control of all aspects of Roman society. The Pagan past was destroyed, banned, or forgotten about. Those Christians that did not agree with how things were being run either left the empire and became monks or formed their own sect. All of Rome changed. The part that interested me the most in these readings were those that strayed away from the standard Christianity that the emperor instated and followed their own†¦show more content†¦Like the monks they too believed in penance, suffering, and martyrdom (164). Led by Donatus, this movement dominated North Africa. The church was not purely religious; however, its underlay was a revolutionary social movement. It was popular among peasants due to promises of reversing roles of slaves and masters. What confuses me is that the base of their religion seems very much involved with the government. That alone would not be surprising, since many religions share that quality; but, Donatus insisted on complete separation of this Spirit-directed Church from the state (164). Separation of church and state was a big issue in the beginning of Christianity, mostly because it didnt exist. God supposedly chose the emperor Constantine and in turn Constantine chose Christianity as the empires official religion. The union of church and state may not have been as great a problem if freedom of speech had also existed. It seems weird to imagine a right that I have taken for granted all of my life not to be present. Pagans experience a loss of political rights and status. Anti-pagan and anti-Semitic preaching rallied everyone against the outsiders. Those, such as the popes, that enjoyed high ranks in Christianity now enjoyed high ranks in the government. Those, such as the emperor, that enjoyed high ranks in the government now enjoyed high ranks in Christianity. The lineShow MoreRelatedConstantine the Great1359 Words   |  6 PagesConstantinople, creator of the Byzantine Empire, military conqueror, and honored saint, has been labeled by many the most instr umental emperor of the Roman Empire. Constantine played a crucial role in the development of Europe during the Middle Ages, and founded Christianity as the formal religion of the Roman Empire. His dynamic yet effective predominance laid the infrastructure of European development. 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