Though Constantine News Today

Wipe it out. >> the empire at this time was maybe 60 million people, so there might have been something like 3 million christians at this time. and they were known to be a problem throughout the empire, and so dioclesian decided to try and persecute the christians. >> a religion whose founder told people to turn the other cheek now witnessed its followers slaughtered by the thousands in public spectacles. it was another roman emperor, constantine, who came to the rescue. was his vision of jesus ...

So he made christianity legal in the year 313 that ended decades of brutal persecution. but it marked fierce internal battles in the church. the biggest of which went to the heart of christianity. >> now while the church was persecuted in an illegal religion and underground, there was only so much work that it could do to normalize what would be the heart of christian teaching about the nature of god, about the nature of jesus, about relationships within the church. >> but once constantine legal...

The year 313 that ended decades of brutal persecution. but it marked fierce internal battles in the church. the biggest of which went to the heart of christianity. >> now while the church was persecuted in an illegal religion and underground, there was only so much work that it could do to normalize what would be the heart of christian teaching about the nature of god, about the nature of jesus, about relationships within the church. >> but once constantine legalized the church, long standing do...

Christianity because he wanted a unified empire, and he wanted to use christianity to help him unifiy his culturally diverse empire, so he wanted christians throughout the empire to agree on major theological issues. >> in the year 325 a.d., constantine called the worlds bishops to the small town of nicaea outside the imperial city of byzantium to grapple with the essence of christian belief. >> what we now call the nicaean creed, "i believe in god, the father almighty and heaven on earth." thos...

On the banks of the tiber river near the milvian bridge to fight for control of the empire. though constantines soldiers were outnumbered four to one, he had a secret weapon. >> before the battle, he had a vision in which he saw a sign of the cross in the sky, and the words written over it that said "by this conquer" he didnt know what this meant, so he called in some dream interpreters, and they told him this meant that it was the cross of christ that would allow him to be victorious. and so he...

Church of the holy sepulcher built where jesus was buried and rose from the dead. and also a church built to honor the giving of our father, the lords prayer. she had a building program there. and she had the money and his support. >> constantine also found in her faith something that would redeem him. >> he knew christian faith very well, and he knew baptism remitted all your sins, and he had quite a bit of blood on his hands. he wasnt the head of the roman empire for being mr.nice emperor.

Teaching about the nature of god, about the nature of jesus, about relationships within the church. >> but once constantine legalized the church, long standing doctrinal questions broke into the open. the biggest of them going to the core of christian belief. was jesus truly the son of god or just a wise man? >> constantine didnt care which side won this debate. constantine wanted a unified christianity because he wanted a unified empire, and he wanted to christianity to help him unifiy his cult...

And christianity offering something that appeared to be utterly and beautifully coherent. about everything, from the smallest detail of your daily live and community around you through to eternity. this is very compelling. >> some would say it was ultimately power politics, both divine and earthly, with an emperor recognizing the power of the people and their faith. >> it seems to me that what really made the difference in turning what was the whole greco-roman world into christian was essential...

The shields of all of his warriors. >> constantine vowed to convert to christianity if he won the battle. and for centuries, his victory was seen as a turning point for christianity. but did constantine really convert to the faith his empire had tried to destroy? >> some historians have doubted whether constantine actually converted in the year 312, and its true that theres some evidence that he retained a devotion to some of the roman gods. even after allegedly converting, for example, he minte...

On october 28th in 312 a.d., emperors maxentius and constantine and their armies met on the banks of the tiber river near the milvian bridge to fight for control of the empire. though constantines soldiers were outnumbered four to one, he had a secret weapon. >> before the battle, he had a vision in which he saw a sign of the cross in the sky, and the words written over it that said "by this conquer" he didnt know what this meant, so he called in some dream interpreters, and