By the time the Emperor Constantine died, in 337, the Christian faith was firmly established in the Roman Empire. Constantine himself was converted to Christ and in 313 made the faith a recognized religion of the Empire, on a level with all other state religions … Apostolic Christianity had conquered a mighty empire …However, as time was to show, in its sweep across the Greco- Romans world Christianity had lost some of its original zeal, as well as much of its earliest simplicity. The Christians had won a decisive and astounding victory. The basis of this initial period of staggering growth was aggressive evangelism: the preaching of the dynamic message of the Gospel which brought new hope and peace with God through a crucified and risen Christ to hundreds of thousands of people. Furthermore, the movement appealed to an even wider audience as it attracted individuals who were able to grapple with the doctrinal issues of the age and to refute attacks upon the faith by pagan intellectuals. Persecutions …appeared to aid [ the growth of Christianity ]. …Many historians feel that the acceptance of Christianity during the fourth century as the official state religion seriously damaged spirituality, as Christian leaders became confidants of emperors. Others go further, and interpret this period as the fall of the church from its apostolic purity … A Lion Handbook: The History of Christianity, 1977, Lion Publishing, pp xiii,xiv
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 11:14:44 +0000
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