How much did Constantine the Great influence modern Christianity?

Answer 1

Tough to say, from my research history's a little fuzzy on that.

I guess the best way to describe Constantine's involement is that he formalized the religion. Christianity up to this point was really just a bunch of guys who thought Christ was great...but there was little consensis (sp) on anything. Constantine wanted one solid, formal religion under his reign.

- Constantine made Christianity official.

- He brought together the council of Nicea...but no one's sure exactly what the council discussed. There are rumors that he demanded the bishops deify Christ as the son of god or face excommunication...and even still the vote barely passed.

- He DID make it official that Christ was the son of God (not all Christians believed that at the time), we just don't know if the rumors of the Council participating are true.

- He incorperated pagan elements into the religion to ease the transition as much of his domain was currently pagan. Dec 25th was an important day in many pagan religions, he made it Christ's b-day. Halos resembled Egyptian sun marks, etc.

- Some claim he chose the books that were to become the bible and threw out the ones that didn't shape the religion the way he wanted. While he may have had some influence, this is in doubt. It is commonly thought the books were chosen over a period of many years.

So, you could make the arguement that he guided and unified Christianity. Or, you could make the arguement that he molded it to fit his political purposes.

Hope this helps.

Oh, and From1st2Last - Dionysis was born on Dec 25th as well ;)

Answer 2

Influenced? Constantine created Christianity. He empire was at a fued with each other between the pagans and the people who believed in jesus. He needed a way to bring his empire back together. So he and his Clergy Men in a sense fused the beliefs of the pagans and beliefs of the people who believed in chirst togehter. The end result was christianity. This is way the Christain faith has so many fictious beliefs in it. Here are a feww.
1. The rapture (Millions of people disapperaing of the earth)
2. The belief of angels
3. The belief of demons.
4. Moses spreading the sea apart
5. The nile river turing to blood
6. Armagedeon
7. Jesus being ressurected
8. Jesus walking on water

There is a great connection between jesus and the greek god Dionysus. Many people Christians would be horrified to think that Jesus is in some way a manifestation of Dionysus, but the parallels are complex and deep. Like Jesus, Dionysus is a God in human form, who dies and is resurrected, born of a mortal mother by a divine father. Like Jesus, Dionysus is a god whose tragic passion is re-enacted by eating his flesh and drinking his blood. Like Jesus, Dionysus is a miraculous god associated with the immortality of the soul. Like Christianity, the religion of Dionysus spread like wildfire. Like Jesus, Dionysus is the God of the visionary state acheived through the sacrament. The rites of Dionysus frequently involved violent sacrificial death, which would make a Christian cringe. So what ever christain reads this out there, you just got schooled by a 16 year old.

Answer 3

Roman Emperor Constantine is among the few men whose name history has embellished with the term “Great.” Christendom has added the expressions “saint,” “thirteenth apostle,” “holy equal of the apostles,” and ‘chosen by God’s Providence to accomplish the greatest turnabout in the whole world.’ At the other end of the spectrum, some describe Constantine as “bloodstained, stigmatized by countless enormities and full of deceit, . . . a hideous tyrant, guilty of horrid crimes.”Religiously, Constantine was a worshiper of the sun, like other pagans of his day. Apollo was his “patron saint”. It may be related, for example, that after putting down rebellion among the Franks in the year 308, he went immediately to the temple of Apollo and offered up gifts and prayers of thanksgiving to that pagan god.
Now to such a man, we are supposed to believe, the Lord gave exceeding precious privileges and blessings.

Answer 4

Constantine influenced apostate Christianity to a great extent. To this day, pagan doctrines,practices and traditions continue to be part and parcel of apostate Christianity which claims to mirror first century Christianity – and does not.

Answer 5

Considerably less than Madison Avenue has influenced Christian holidays!

He stopped the persecution of Christians and allowed them equal access to the Empire's goodies. He asked the leaders of the Church questions about the faith. He waited on his own baptism until his deathbed, just in case some philosophers were right and sinning after baptism could put you right back in Satan's clutches.

Is that's influence, then I could stand to hear your definition of many other words. I'm into enlarging my appreciation of the ridiculous.

Answer 6

He didn't influence it, he invented it.

Addtional comment:

There is no valid debate, prior to the Nicene Council in 325 CE, there was no "Nicene Creed," nor was there a bible (although it took nearly another 100 years to actually invent the bible), nor were people executed who refused to adopt Constantine's Universal religion.

There can be no valid dispute regarding the FIRST (<<<--- KEY WORD) Ecumenical Council in 325 CE. It is a matter of recorded history.

Answer 7

Not at all. He issued an edict of toleration. For state reasons. He fit what HE perceived to be the church into that infrastructure. He had the written record but doubt very much he studied it seriously or knew what it really meant. To his dying day, on his deathbed, wrestled with doubt as to whether he was a believer or not.

Answer 8

He made it the state religion and got a bunch of politicians together to decide whether Jesus was the son of God. Politicians also decided which of the hundred gospels would become part of the bible. Christianity was a business invention to bring money into the collection plate. Praise Jesus! Let us prey!!

Answer 9

Modern Christianity would not exist if not for him. He was responsible for the established doctrine and the canonization of the New Testament.

Answer 10

Quite substantially. He had all Christian perspectives other than his exterminated and basically invented the RCC and solidified the canon. If not for him, Christianity would probably be nothing but another extinct ancient religion.