Why Did Christianity Become A Major Religion Essay

Christianity really became a major religion in Rome in the 4th century. Roman history would not have gone the way it did if Christianity hadn’t had become the major religion. Constantine I used Christianity to help him gain control of Rome, and he also tried to unite the Trinitarians and the Arians. However, he was unable to stop the violence of caused by the spread of Christianity and allowed by Theodosius I once he became emperor.

Constantine the Christian

Constantine claimed to see a vision before a battle, telling him that using a Christian symbol would guarantee him a victory. From then on, Constantine was a Christian. Although there is some question still as to whether or not he actually believed, there’s no denying that he tried to accomplish what he could for the good of the church. While he was emperor, he worked to unite the Christian church. At the time, there were many conflicts between the Arians and the Trinitarians. He called together meetings to work out the issues, make the final decisions on what would be considered right, and then use his position as emperor to enforce what he decreed. Eventually, he began letting the letting the Church take care of some parts of the government, which made it a political power, and allowed him even more control of the Christians. They would support the emperor since he gave them power. The Roman emperor,

Constantine at this time, was also appointed the head of the church.
Trinitarians and Arians
The Trinitarian Christians believe that God and Jesus are the same being, consubstantial and coeternal. This belief was spearheaded by a bishop from Alexandria named Athanasios. The Arian Christians, who believe that God the Father came before and is greater than Jesus, were started by a man named Arieos. The two versions of Christianity were in constant battle with one another, and the Trinitarians seemed to view Arian Christianity as worse than the pagan religions, leading them to persecute them while Trinitarians were backed as the official state religion. They also had Arianism outlawed for some time. The conflicts between the two often led to riots.
A Violent Christianization
Unfortunately, Christians haven’t always accepted other religions. This was true in the beginning also. When emperor Theodosius I was first in charge, he wasn’t strict towards ‘pagan’ religions, allowing them to continue following their own religion and beliefs as long as there were no sacrifices. However, following his excommunication from the church, he became harsh towards them, likely as a way to gain favor and be allowed back into the fold. He made it illegal for anyone to visit a place of worship that wasn’t Christian. He also made it okay for the Christians and the clergy to destroy any other temples, including the Serapeum in Alexandria, a massive temple complex. He seems to have been mostly influenced by a bishop named Ambrose, who believed that the Arians, not the pagans, were the biggest problem. Ambrose also seemed to hate the Hebrews, blaming them for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He seemed to believe that they should have no civil rights and was able to oppose the emperor’s plan to build a new temple for them. He was someone who used Christianity as an excuse to persecute others. Theopolis of Alexandria actually became rich from his persecution of other religions. He was the one actually responsible for the destruction and looting of Serapeum. He also seemed to be responsible for turning many of the monks against one another since they opposed him, and he believed that violence was justified. This is an example of some of the anger, hatred and violence some people used to spread Christianity.
Conclusion
Christianity was one of the most important ways that Constantine I was able to take and keep sole control of the empire.

He tried to help quell the conflicts within the religion and use it to preserve the empire. However, Christianity is what led the ancient empire of Rome to its decline. The violence and intolerance from many members of the religion and members of the clergy, sanctioned by the emperor was a massive turning point in history. It influenced how people came to interact with one another and proved that the church would be in charge, or fighting to be in charge, for years to

come.