Constantine

ConstantineStephenson raises several crucial issues in the above passage. First, there is the issue of Christianity’s relationship to the military interests of the empire, and the emperor as a Christian leading military warfare. These issues will be addressed further in future blogs. Second, Constantine’s ideas about the emperor’s relationship to all other citizens was shaped in the world of his holding absolute power and of the emperor being considered a god. There was no easy way to demote him to mere mortal status, but Constantine moves in that direction by considering “himself a second Christ.” While this offends modern sensibilities, within the context of the Fourth Century Roman Empire and the sometimes and somewhat subordinationist views of some Christians, Constantine’s self analysis might be more understandable



he sees himself as a son of God rather than as a god himself, however he may have understood that difference. Additionally, while Constantine casts the new church-state relationship in terms of Christ (Constantine) and the apostles (the bishops), he elevates the decisions and teachings of the bishops to a higher (divine!) level. “As Constantine had reminded his bishops after Arles, ‘the judgement of the priests should be regarded as if God himself were in the judge’s seat, but when it was not, then he, Constantine, too that seat. The final right of appeal was to him alone, for the Holy Spirit had entered him as it did a bishop at ordination, and worked through him as it did a bishop when he administered the sacraments.


(Stephenson, CONSTANTINE: ROMAN EMPEROR, CHRISTIAN VICTOR, p 275) Constantine maintains his absolute authority in the empire, even while accepting Christianity. He is however elevating the role of the Christian leaders in the empire. Their decisions are to be respected as if coming directly from God. The elevation of the status of the bishops led to them being more incorporated into leadership status within the society. Stephenson sees this as somewhat negative because the bishops are being co-opted by the values of the Roman government.

Constantine