Background Information
Throughout much of antiquity, most of Europe and the Middle East were pagan civilizations. Emperors of these regions typically followed the religion their subjects did, and actively worked to spread and protect it. Christianity, however, posed a challenge to these traditional religious loyalties. It wasn’t until the middle of the fourth century that enough political and social momentum was shifted to allow the emperor to convert to a new religion.
On February 28th, AD 313, the first Christian-styled imperial order reshaping the Empire was published by the Emperor Constantine and Licinius, who was based in the East of the Empire. This edict declared that everyone should practice their own religion – a major step forward for religious tolerance. It is unclear when Constantine personally followed suit and converted to Christianity, but by the time of his death in 337, he had become a full-fledged proponent of the faith.
Relevant Data
Throughout his life, Constantine made major efforts to shift the Empire towards Christianity. He provided funds to construct churches, officially declared Easter to be a holiday, and allowed the religion to spread through its educational system. He was sometimes given the title of “Equal-to-the Apostles” in recognition of his efforts.
Constantine is considered by many to be the first Catholic Emperor of the Roman Empire. He continued the work of predecessors such as Marcion, who spread Christianity during the 2nd century and allowed a period of limited religious tolerance. Constantine also forced pagans to convert or be banished and removed idols from state temples.
Constantine’s co-emperor Licinius was a pagan, and some speculate that Constantine was cautious with his conversion in the early stages for fear of potential opposition from him. By 324, the two rulers had separated the Roman Empire and both were actively ruling territory. This allowed Constantine to be open about his Christianity and move to securely install it in the West of the empire.
Expert Perspectives
There is debate about whether Constantine was a true convert or if his embrace of Christianity was politically motivated. Since Constantine was able to manipulate the religion to maintain political power, many historians feel that his conversion was more of a power ploy than a spiritual decision.
Theologian Grant Hardy argues that Constantine was looking to unite the people of the Empire during his reign and saw Christianity as a way of doing that.
“While Islam was quickly accepted by people due to its clear set of religious rules, Christianity was accepted by Constantine as a way of unifying the people and cutting down on religious divisions. In a sense it was purely a political move.”
Bart Ehrman, a professor at University of North Carolina, agrees with this opinion. “Constantine was a brilliant politician who knew how to play to different groups. His conversion to Christianity was an attempt to cement his power and bring the empire together.”
Analysis
It is clear that Constantine’s conversion to Christianity, whatever the motive, altered the course of history and blazed a trail for the rest of Europe and the Middle East to convert to some form of the faith. Without Constantine’s backing, Christianity would not have spread across the empire and become the world’s largest religion.
To this day, Constantine is highly revered within Catholic circles and is seen as the Father of Western Christianity. Despite the doubts of some historians, there is evidence that Constantine held an honest faith and spiritual devotion to the Christian God. He shared a common belief with the early Church fathers and was an outspoken proponent of Christian values and virtues.
Cultural Impact
Constantine’s conversion allowed Christianity to move from a persecuted minority faith to a dominant presence in the Empire. This transition forced the religion to become more political and embrace a variety of worldly values, something which can still be seen to this day.
Constantine’s short-term impact on the spread of Christianity can be seen in how other nations in the region quickly mimicked his conversion. In the 4th century, the Hungarian King St. Stephen switched from traditional paganism to Christianity after hearing about Constantine’s move.
The cultural impact of Constantine’s conversion continues to reverberate today. The calendar, for example, was heavily influenced by Christianity and was first formalised by Constantine by making Easter the official holiday of the Empire.
Political Ramifications
Constantine’s conversion had a dramatic impact on the politics of the Roman Empire. His embrace of Christianity signalled a major shift in the power of the Church and the Emperor, providing greater influence to the clergy at the expense of the state religion.
This move had immediate ramifications. For example, the new Christian laws allowed the clergy to influence the government, in a way which hadn’t been allowed before. This saw the Church become more powerful, so much so that it began to rival the state’s own authority.
The politics of the region was significantly impacted by the growing influence of Christianity. In the Western empire, it was no longer enough for Christians to simply ‘tolerate’ their pagan neighbours. The new laws mandated Christian adherence to certain social standards which traditional paganism could no longer offer. The result was an increasing pressure for neighbouring nations to convert and adopt Christianity as the official religion.
Legacy
Constantine’s conversion to Christianity marked a major milestone in the history of the region. The so-called ‘Age of Constantine’ saw the Roman Empire become a Christian superpower, with its territories becoming increasingly aligned to Christianity in terms of culture, politics and social norms.
Within Catholic and Christian circles, Constantine is often considered to be an important spiritual figure. He is remembered for his decisive contribution to the spread of Christianity, for allowing religious freedom for all people, and for establishing a new form of Christian leadership in the Empire.
Geographical Shift
Constantine’s conversion to Christianity marked the start of a shift in the geography of religion in the region. Christianity was already present in the eastern parts of the empire, however Constantine’s personal endorsement of the faith sparked a surge in its popularity.
New Christian churches were built across the former territories of the Empire, many of which remain standing to this day. This building makeover was also augmented by a de-paganisation of many public sites, as obligatory devotion to the Christian faith grew.
In the north, Christianity began to spread to areas like Germany and Scandinavia. These countries had previously been firmly rooted in the traditional pagan religions, but with Constantine’s edict they started to see Christianity as the religion of choice. Areas like the Netherlands and Flanders adopted a similar mindset, leading to an increase in Christian missionary work in the region.
Role of Education
Constantine’s edict not only allowed for the freedom of religion, but also for the freedom of religious education. This opened the door for Christianity to be taught in public schools, providing students with access to the faith in a formal setting.
By allowing religious education, public schools could teach students about the Bible and Christian values, helping the faith to become better understood and more widely accepted. This was a major challenge for traditional paganism, as its teachings were often shrouded in mystery.
Despite this initial success, Constantine’s educational plans were largely opposed by the pagan elite as a form of religious discrimination. Despite this pushback, the policy remained in place and Christian educational centres began to thrive in the Empire, contributing to the spread of Christianity throughout the region.
