Response Paper on Christianity

Question: How does Christianity become the most dominant religion in the Roman Empire in 400 CE?

While Christianity’s dominance as a western religion is almost irrefutable today, how it emerged as the most dominant religion in the Roman Empire in the 4th century after years of persecution is extraordinary. Certain key events marked the beginning of the growth of a persecuted religion with diverse beliefs to a more unified one that eventually became the official religion of Rome. Yet the most crucial event was Constantine’s “conversion” that inspired the issuance of the Edict of Milan and Theodosius to make Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.
For example, although Paul was the first to attempt to thoroughly state the beliefs of Christianity, his role only provided a better backdrop for Constantine. His allowing gentiles to become Christian’s without first converting to Judaism made his converts from almost any background be a part of the church. Although this made it possible for Christianity to become independent from Judaism, it also made room for far stretched interpretations by converts which turn into early theologian controversies. Paul’s persecution proves that although he was instrumental in transforming Christianity, his contributions did not change its political acceptance in the Roman Empire.
Followed by persecutors such as Nero and Diocletian, Constantine, on the other hand, took Christianity one step ahead by officially ending its persecution. His Christian mother and wife strongly influenced his decision to issue the Edict of Milan in 414 C.E. which gave Christians the same rights and privileges as any other religion on Rome. He officially ended Christian persecution and in fact, stopped the Church Council of Nicaea’s conflict over the nature of Christ. Constantine’s official baptism marked a turning point for Christianity’s role in the Roman Empire for it allowed Theodosius to making it the Empire’s official religion.
Although compared to Judaism, Christianity as an independent religion had no nationalistic or political intentions; the biggest role in its dominance in the Roman Empire was played by a political figure, Constantine. It can be debated that theological gains were more important than the emperor’s conversion; however, had it not been for Constantine, Christian persecution would have never ended. Hence without him Christianity couldn’t have been made the official religion of the Roman Empire and eventually the most dominant religion in the western world.