Roman Emperors and their Impact on Jesus and the early Church

Abstract

The paper discusses the impact of Roman Emperors on the religion of Christianity and the cocnept of God and Jesus. It details the era of Roman Emperors, precisely studying the Constantine I the Great. The paper starts with an overiew of the history of Roman Empire and discusses the reign on Constantine I the Great. It further highlights the legal and ecclesiastical policies of Constantine and the formation of his new image as the the Christian Emperor. The paper also states the construction of a Church and the concept of unity of Christianity that was there in those times. It further discusses the Intra-Church conflict specifically focusing on the Donatist Controversy and the Arian Controversy. The paper concludes with an overall impact of the Roman Emperors on the current religion of Christianity.

Table of Contents

Introduction4

Discussion4

Overiew of the History4

Constantine I the Great, Roman Emperor (306-337)6

Legal and Ecclesiastical Policies of Emperor Constantine7

The New Image of the Christian Emperor8

The Construction of a Church Organization9

The Unity of Christianity10

Intra-Church Conflict11

The Donatist Controversy11

The Arian Controversy11

Conclusion13

References14

Roman Emperors and their Impact on Jesus and the early Church

Introduction

As early as AD 64 under Emperor Nero began the persecution of Christians, when burned several districts of Rome, and he accused the Christians of the arson. Although the religious faith of Rome was not limited strictly to the respective state cult could not face rejection. Sun was the refusal of Christians to other deities and their refusal to worship the Roman emperor of the Romans revered as the Empire as a god, as proof of their disloyalty. It was also strongly condemned wickedness, and because the only "God of the Christians and Jews" was invisible, they came to be wicked under suspicion. Therefore, the followers of monotheistic religions were cruelly put to death unless they abschwörten their God and to the traditional Roman beliefs about running.

However, faded over the years, particularly in the upper and middle classes, the traditional "Roman" religion displaced (particularly by the Greeks) the old faith gradually. Emperor Augustus tried with the principate of Augustus herzuführen a religious restoration, which he did not. More and more, the Romans sought salvation in religion, which promised, in contrast to traditional religion individual salvation.

Discussion

Overiew of the History

In the third century, the army had become the decisive factor of power in the Roman Empire. The soldiers placed the Emperor quite according to their desire. Because of disputes about the kingdom broke apart about 260 in an east and west. To the domestic political crisis came from outside threats: the threat of the Germans took to menacing, in the east grew stronger, the New Persian Empire of the Sassanids.

In the year 270 the Emperor Aurelian succeeded unite the Roman Empire. After his death, 275 were followed by chaos. In the year 284 of Diocletian, commander of his troops at Chalcedon was proclaimed emperor. Within a year he secured the power throughout the Roman Empire. His most important domestic decision was the division of his empire, ...