Defending Constantine
Description
We know that Constantine
- issued the Edict of Milan in 313
- outlawed paganism and made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire
- manipulated the Council of Nicea in 325
- exercised absolute authority over the church, co-opting it for the aims of empire
And if Constantine the emperor were not problem enough, we all know that Constantinianism has been very bad for the church.Or do we know these things?Peter Leithart weighs these claims and finds them wanting. And what's more, in focusing on these historical mirages we have failed to notice the true significance of Constantine and Rome baptized. For beneath the surface of this contested story there emerges a deeper narrative of the end of Roman sacrifice--a tectonic shift in the political theology of an empire--and with far-reaching implications.In this probing and informative book Peter Leithart examines the real Constantine, weighs the charges against Constantinianism,and sets the terms for a new conversation about this pivotal emperor and the Christendom that emerged.
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Person
Peter J. Leithart (PhD, University of Cambridge) is president of Theopolis Institute and an adjunct senior fellow of theology at New Saint Andrews College in Moscow, Idaho. He is the author of many books including Defending Constantine, Traces of the Trinity and Gratitude: An Intellectual History. He is a blog writer and columnist for firstthings.com, and he has published articles in many periodicals, both popular and academic. Ordained in the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), Leithart pastored Reformed Heritage Presbyterian Church (now Trinity Presbyterian Church) in Birmingham, Alabama, and Trinity Reformed Church in Moscow, Idaho. He and his wife Noel have ten children and seven grandchildren.
Content
Preface Acknowledgments 1 Sanguinary Edicts 2 Jupiter on the Throne 3 Instinctu Divinitatus 4 By This Sign 5 Liberator Ecclesiae 6 End of Sacrifice 7 Common Bishop 8 Nicaea and After 9 Seeds of Evangelical Law 10 Justice for All 11 One God, One Emperor 12 Pacifist Church? 13 Christian Empire, Christian Mission 14 Rome Baptized Bibliography Author Index Subject Index
