How did the spread of Christianity impact democracy?

Answer 1

It is hard to find any evidence that Christianity played any positive role in the spread of democracy.

The Christian Roman Emperors, beginning with Constantine, were even more anti-democratic than their pagan predecessors. Before the reign of Constantine, there were some tentative reforms that could possibly have opened the way towards some form of democratic institution, but Constantine absorbed all power to himself, even introducing the process that would lead to medieval vassalage - the antithesis of democracy. Of course, it may be true that Constantine would have taken these action whether or not he became a Christian. Once Christianity was in the ascendancy in the fourth century, the emperors, assisted by the Church, began the long persecution of the pagans.

South African whites saw Judeo-Christian traditions as justifying their disenfranchisement of South African blacks, and American slave owners used The Bible to justify the continuation of slavery in the United States.

Whether or not Hitler was a true, practising Christian, he used religion to justify many of his actions. Even today, some Christian religious leaders see Judeo-Christian traditions as justifying the right of the Church to assert its domination over the state, to the detriment of real democracy. A true, vibrant democracy requires the separation of Church and State, with respect by each for the traditions and roles of the other.

Answer 2

Christianity first spread around the Roman Empire. There was no democracy in this empire. It also spread around areas of Europe outside the former Roman Empire during the Middle Ages. There was no democracy in this period either.

Answer 3

Ancient Athens is often recognised as the world's first democracy. Athens was then a pagan city-state, and democratic long before the beginning of Christianity.

Modern representative democracy arose in England, as a result of pressures for reform, first from the barons, then the middle classes and finally from the working class. Christianity did little to contribute to this process.

In terms of helping to spread the concept of democracy, the history of Christianity is mixed. For example, the Spanish dictator, Franco, had Church support. During the late twentieth century, the Christian Church supported the Polish movement for democratic reform, as well as in other countries such as the Philippines and parts of South America. Sometimes it has been claimed that the Vatican opposed the liberal views of some South American priests. In secular and non-Christian societies, the Christian church sometimes seeks to impose its doctrines in law, against the democratic wishes of the majority. This has given rise to the debate about separation of church and state.

Answer 4

Christianity made no real contribution to democracy, at least before the Protestant Reformation and then only indirectly.

Over the centuries, the Catholic Church has supported monarchical rule. The Protestant Reformation broke the power of the Roman Church and thereby allowed democratic ideals to flourich.

Answer 5

Christianity didn't influence democracy. Democracy is secular in nature and believes that man has natural rights and one of these is the ability to choose religion or not choose one. Christians on the other hand insist that people believe in the god hood of Jesus and unless you follow this thought you are wrong and a sinner. The two ideas are polar opposites. A good example of this is in 4 BCE the Romans became a Christian nation, but they did their best in taking Egypt to wipe out the temples, and gods of Egypt. They killed the priests of Egypt and burned the knowledge gained by the Egyptians. The very fact that this type of thing will happen over and over by Christian's who invaded lands shows that Christianity did not influence the growth of democracy.

Answer 6

I don't see any connect between Christianity and democratic ideas--if I am wrong, please fill me in. If anything, I see the Enlightenment values as being highly critical of Christianity.