312–337 AD — CONSTANTINE’S FOUNDATION
- 312: Vision/Battle of Milvian Bridge
- 313: Edict of Milan (tolerance)
- 321: Sunday Edict
- 325: Council of Nicaea
- 337: Constantine dies after deathbed baptism
(See previous page for details.)
337–361 AD — THE SONS’ CONSOLIDATION
- Constantine’s Sons Divide Empire: Constantius II (East), Constans (West), Constantine II (died 340)
- All raised Christian — now no religious hedging
- 340–350: Council of Antioch (341): Eastern bishops reject parts of Nicaea; Arian Controversy splits empire
- Christianity becomes a tool of imperial power struggles
- 350–361: Constantius II rules entire empire, imposes Arianism, exiles pro-Nicene bishops, Christianity now totally subordinate to imperial authority
361–363 AD — JULIAN’S PAGAN REVIVAL
- Julian the Apostate — secretly pagan, openly restores old religion in 362
- Removes Christians from government, defunds churches, bans Christians from teaching classics
- Attempts to rebuild Jerusalem Temple
- Dies in 363 fighting Persians; program fails, Christians too numerous and entrenched
363–379 AD — THE CHRISTIAN RESTORATION
- Jovian (363–364): Immediately restores Christian privileges
- Valentinian I (West, tolerant) & Valens (East, pro-Arian): Christianity now regionalized
379–395 AD — THEODOSIUS THE GREAT: THE FINAL PHASE
- 380: Edict of Thessalonica — Christianity becomes mandatory: “Catholic Christians” = legal; others = criminal/insane
- 381: First Council of Constantinople — Finalizes Trinity doctrine; Constantinople now "New Rome"
- 382: Altar of Victory removed — Senate now Christian, Roman identity = Christian identity
- 391–392: Pagan Purge — Major temples destroyed, sacrifices criminalized, Olympic Games banned
- 394: Battle of the Frigidus — Last pagan army defeated under Christian banner
395–406 AD — THE INSTITUTIONAL COMPLETION
- 395: Empire permanently split — Arcadius (East), Honorius (West); bishops become local power
- 397: Council of Carthage — 27 NT books officially canonized, only church may interpret Bible
- 400–406: John Chrysostom: Most influential preacher, systematizes Christian anti-Judaism
- 405: Jerome’s Vulgate: Latin translation becomes Western standard, Christianity now speaks Latin
- 406: Alaric’s Approach: Gothic armies threaten Rome, Christian Empire vulnerable
THE COMPLETED TRANSFORMATION BY 406 AD
Institutional Structure:
- Emperor: Supreme head of church and state
- Bishops: Imperial administrators with religious authority
- Canon Law: Church rules = imperial law
- Hierarchy: Pope, Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests
Doctrinal Framework:
- Trinity: Official divine doctrine
- Biblical Canon: 66 books defined and closed
- Latin Christianity: Western empire now in Latin
- Anti-Judaism: Systematic separation from Jewish roots
Cultural Dominance:
- Pagan Elimination: All public paganism now illegal
- Christian Calendar: Holidays, weekly/yearly cycle enforced
- Imperial Theology: Caesar + Christ = Divine Authority
- Social Control: Heresy = treason; conformity = citizenship
The Ultimate Achievement:
In
94 years (312–406), Constantine’s heirs had:
- Made Christianity mandatory, criminalized alternatives
- Established imperial religious authority for 1000+ years
- Eliminated Jewish and pagan competition
- Merged Roman power with Christian symbols
- By 406 AD, "The Way" of Yeshua was completely buried under the Roman Church.
The vision Constantine claimed in 312 became the most successful religious-political fusion in history.