REL_ST 2110 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Toleration, Polytheism, Political Capital
27 Oct 2017
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Document Summary
. hard for christians to give up polytheism for monotheism also. Christianity became important for imperial advancement (christianity in church and state: christianity and status. Starting w constantine, all emperors (except one) were christian. important for conversion of old, wealthy, traditional families. Needed assurance that conversion would not lead to loss in status. ***christianity must become imperial in order for the empire to become christian. church adapted itself to become more popular: religion and state. After constantine, the empire divides again into east and west empires. Political capital constantinople (istanbul), religious capital of rome. eventually becomes istanbul after ottoman turks take over byzantine empire. Christianity becomes official religion of roman empire under theodosius i in 380 ce. Good and bad for church--emperor now weighs in on doctrine. Western empire falls in 476, eastern empire survives until 1463. Nicene creed: nestorian controversy, nicene creed written as a response to condemn arian creed and it"s beliefs.
