We continue to look at the different sides of the Trinitarian Controversy: the homoean Arians – who said the Father was like the Son “according to the Scriptures” and the neo-Arians – who said the Father was unlike the Son in nature. The faith of Liberius, bishop of Rome, fails as the “whole world groans […]

One cannot overestimate the importance of Pachomius and Pachomian monasticism upon the development of religious life in the Catholic Church. His emphasis on the importance of living together in community as the means for obtaining holiness will not only influence monasticism throughout the East and West, it will set the foundation for all religious communities […]

The Christian bishops at Nicaea strive to resolve the Arian Controversy as well as other conflicts within the Church in order to fulfill Constantine’s desires for unity and peace. Links: Image of Constantine and Bishops holding Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed of 381 Creed of Eusebius of Caesarea The Nicene Creed Letter of Eusebius of Caeasarea regarding the […]

After an evaluation of Constantine’s Christianity, we look at the establishment of Constantinople and review earlier theological debates to prepare ourselves for the outbreak of the Arian Controversy. Links: Image of Mosaic of Constantine presenting Constantinople to Mary and Jesus Constantine’s “Oration to the Saints” Coins of Constantine from 312 and 318 showing Sol Invictus […]

The Great Persecution also effected the Western half of the Roman Empire. While the territory of Constantius Chlorus was only mildly affected, the Christians of Italy and North Africa faced a more difficult situation. Some Christians chose death over submission to the Imperial authorities. Other Christians will abandon their faith in order to preserve their […]

The History of Religions and the Chronology Theory attempt to explain why Christians in the Roman Empire began to celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th and whether there is a relationship between the celebration of the birth of Christ and the pagan celebration of the birth of Sol Invictus. The origins of Christmas […]

As Christianity expanded and developed in the Roman Empire it would use pagan images and symbols to express Christian theology – Christ as the Good Shepherd, Christ as the Philosopher, Christ as the Unconquered Sun. But the Christians did not simply adopt these images, they gave to them particularly Christian meanings to show how the […]

While the Christianity was expanding in the Roman Empire, it was also expanding to the east, in the Parthian and Sassanid Empires. The Syriac Christianity dominant in these territories will develop differently than Church of the West and offer new ways to think about the faith. Links: Image: Map of the Sassanid Empire Christianity in […]

We continue our examination of Christian worship in the 3rd century with a return to the Domus Ecclesiae house churches and the development of the Aula Ecclesiae. We also look at how developments in the understanding of the Eucharistic liturgy influence the way Christians pray. Links: Image of Dura Europos domus ecclesiae by Marsyas In […]