Constantinian shift
The religious development is called Constantinian shift that was initiated by the I of the Roman Emperors Constantine and adopted (on Constantine's acting out ) Licinius in 313, Milan Agreement ( often referred to as factually incorrect Edict ). In the course of Christianity gained influence in the Roman Empire and was eventually charged in the year 380 as the state religion.
The Constantinian turn made from the state discriminated against and persecuted in phases bloody Orthodox-Catholic Church a first tolerated, then legally privileged institution and last under Theodosius I, a Reich Church.
The turning point had very large internal and external changes result. Is of central importance to the Emperor Constantine, although the motives of his devotion to Christianity are controversial. Constantine was baptized only at the end of life, endured the traditional imperial cult and barely went in front against the traditional cults. However, he considered himself to be of the pagan ( heathen ) cults far and encouraged them no more after 312. The new capital of Constantinople Opel contained no temples of the ancient main gods, but worship of the traditional civil religion as Rhea or Tyche. Christians and Christian institutions were favored by Constantine in the aftermath often fiscally (mainly tax ).
This was Constantine's decision to no longer worship the sun god Sol Invictus, but the Christian God, of great importance. Especially the fact that he had to educate his sons Christian, was crucial because they 've been far less willing to tolerate other religions. The relief of the Christians over the end of the persecution was especially in some court officials and bishops into a hasty State piety, which was initially characterized largely Arians in the fourth century, there was also persecution of Arians and Arians by (depending on the commitment of each emperor and his religious policy ). At the end of the 4th century, the creed of Nicaea prevailed, later, there was also persecution of followers of the ancient cults by the imperial church. The Roman state was based, like all ancient communities on religious- cultic basis and the place of the old pagan cults now joined Christianity. There was, however, until the end of late antiquity so-called pagans in the empire.
Within a hundred years, the increasingly Christianized Roman Empire was. Both with the biblical kingdom of God as well as with Christianity almost equated (see the kingdom theology of Eusebius of Caesarea ), whereas Augustine of Hippo spent in his City of God The strict disciplinary and liturgical standards of the early church were thereby softened by the large influx of less religiously -motivated in the church.
As an internal corrective arose almost simultaneously with the Constantinian shift in Egypt Christian monasticism. The attempt at a return to Paganism by Constantine's nephew Julian ( emperor 361-363 ), partly connected to a hardening of attitudes on both sides failed. The end point of the action taken by Konstantin development represented the elevation of Christianity as the state religion by Theodosius I, being now in the sense of exclusive claim of Christianity, the pagan cults were forbidden. An exception is Judaism is that, although restricted by laws, but was not banned. Despite very strict laws against the ancient paganism ( under Theodosius as viewing of statues or temples was considered high treason ) was exposed to this rarely systematic state interference. Rather, the law could provide a basis for the violence perpetrated by Christian institutions, which was directed primarily against pagan heritage. After the various pagan cults had increasingly lost until around the middle of the 4th century to influence because they had about the charitable work and the missionary impetus of Christianity oppose anything, this process has been accelerated by additional state legislation in the 6th century. In this context, the real penetration of the population with Christianity is not exactly tangible and in research therefore controversial. The Empire finally turned into a Roman Empire Christianum.
Especially in the older literature, the term Constantinian turning the turning of Constantine to Christianity and the consequent abandonment of the traditional cults. The event is said to have taken place in 312, shortly before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge Christian sources said. In more recent research is hardly assume a "conversion ," but rather by a process according to which Constantine was probably about the sun god to the Christian faith. Whether this was already the case 312, is controversial. Although many questions in this regard are still being debated, the personal religiosity of the Emperor in the recent research (unlike even by Jacob Burckhardt in the 19th century) made hardly in question.