What was the relationship between church and state in the first three centuries and then in the fourth century?

Answer 1

Answer
First three centuriesBy and large, during the first three centuries of Christianity, the Roman Empire chose to ignore Christianity, or merely to display curiosity towards it. It is generally agreed that there was no organised, general, centrally directed persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire before the edict of Emperor Decius in 249. There were some short periods of persecution, but historians now say that official persecution of Christianity was limited to the three persecutions of 249-251, 257 and 305-311 CE. A later Christian tradition is that there were ten periods of persection, but historians can find no evidence for this. Euan Cameron (Interpreting Christian History: The Challenge of the Churches' Past) tells us, "Persecution was sporadic, intermittent, and mostly local."

Another later tradition was that Emperor Nero (54-68 CE) instituted a period of persecution of Christians, but the evidence indicates otherwise. However, Nero probably did unfairly blame some Christians in Rome for starting the Great Fire.

Pliny, who had clearly never assisted in any judicial proceedings against the Christians, submitted to the emperor Trajan an impartial and, in some respects, favourable account of the new superstition, requesting that Trajan would resolve his doubts and instruct him on dealing with Christians. Though Trajan directed the magistrates to punish such persons as are legally convicted, he prohibited them from making any inquiries concerning the supposed criminals. Nor was the magistrate allowed to proceed on every kind of information. . He rejected anonymous charges and strictly required, for those to whom the guilt of Christianity is imputed, the positive evidence of a fair and open accuser. His successor, Hadrian, inflicted capital punishment on any witnesses who unsuccessfully accused their fellows of being Christians. These edicts remained in force and were observed until 303 CE.

Martyr Acts, invented in the second century, were a new genre of Christian literature that helped create a tradition of persecution and suffering under the tyrany of pagan leaders. They were brief and purposive accounts of martyrs' heroism, suffering and death, read out in church meetings and on the anniversaries of martyrs' deaths. The events they described were most unlike the corresponding Roman court transcripts. There seems to be a common structure, which is too formulaic to be believable for modern readers:

• The hero's modest reluctance but unshakeable faith
• The volunteer who then fails and recants
• A crude, uncultured Roman underling
• The governor/judge's initial courtesy and evolving cruelty
• His curiosity about Christianity and his easy deception by the martyr, whose double entendre jokes only the Christians understand
• The martyr's incredible bravery and endurance under torture
• The pagan crowd as chorus and swing voters
• A loyal minority of fervent Christians
• Miracles
• Death, burial and more miracles.

Both Jews and Christians sought Roman support for one side or another in their bitter disputes. Edward Gibbon (The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire) tells us:
The provincial governors declared themselves ready to listen to any accusation that might affect the public safety; but as soon as they were informed that it was a question not of facts but of words, a dispute relating only to the interpretation of the Jewish laws and prophecies, they deemed it unworthy of the majesty of Rome seriously to discuss the obscure differences that might arise among a barbarous and superstitious people. Fourth centuryIn the fourth century, Emperor Constantine gave state patronage, including substantial financial support, to the Christian Church. He called the Nicaean Council, in order to encourage unity and establish a single, agreed dogma for the Church. The army refused to participate in his persecution of the pagan temples, so Constantine sent Christians from the palace, to plunder the temples of their treasures. His mother, Helena, went to Jerusalem and miraculously discovered place of the crucifixion of Jesus, the surprisingly close place of his burial, and the three crosses, still intact, used for Jesus and the two who were crucified with him. With only a brief interlude under Julian the Apostate, the Church flourished, at the expense of the increasingly persecuted pagan temples. By the end of the fourth century, the triumphant Christian church could, with state connivance, destroy and pillage pagan temples for the Church's enrichment.

Answer 2

First three centuriesBy and large, during the first three centuries of Christianity, the Roman Empire chose to ignore Christianity, or merely to display curiosity towards it. It is generally agreed that there was no organised, general, centrally directed persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire before the edict of Emperor Decius in 249. There were some short periods of persecution, but historians now say that official persecution of Christianity was limited to the three persecutions of 249-251, 257 and 305-311 CE. A later Christian tradition is that there were ten periods of persection, but historians can find no evidence for this. Euan Cameron (Interpreting Christian History: The Challenge of the Churches' Past) tells us, "Persecution was sporadic, intermittent, and mostly local."

Another later tradition was that Emperor Nero (54-68 CE) instituted a period of persecution of Christians, but the evidence indicates otherwise. However, Nero probably did unfairly blame some Christians in Rome for starting the Great Fire.

Pliny, who had clearly never assisted in any judicial proceedings against the Christians, submitted to the emperor Trajan an impartial and, in some respects, favourable account of the new superstition, requesting that Trajan would resolve his doubts and instruct him on dealing with Christians. Though Trajan directed the magistrates to punish such persons as are legally convicted, he prohibited them from making any inquiries concerning the supposed criminals. Nor was the magistrate allowed to proceed on every kind of information. . He rejected anonymous charges and strictly required, for those to whom the guilt of Christianity is imputed, the positive evidence of a fair and open accuser. His successor, Hadrian, inflicted capital punishment on any witnesses who unsuccessfully accused their fellows of being Christians. These edicts remained in force and were observed until 303 CE.

Martyr Acts, invented in the second century, were a new genre of Christian literature that helped create a tradition of persecution and suffering under the tyranny of pagan leaders. They were brief and purposive accounts of martyrs' heroism, suffering and death, read out in church meetings and on the purported anniversaries of martyrs' deaths. The events they described were most unlike the corresponding Roman court transcripts. There seems to be a common structure, which is too formulaic to be believable for modern readers:

• The hero's modest reluctance but unshakeable faith
• The volunteer who then fails and recants
• A crude, uncultured Roman underling
• The governor/judge's initial courtesy and evolving cruelty
• His curiosity about Christianity and his easy deception by the martyr, whose double entendre jokes only the Christians understand
• The martyr's incredible bravery and endurance under torture
• The pagan crowd as chorus and swing voters
• A loyal minority of fervent Christians
• Miracles
• Death, burial and more miracles.

Both Jews and Christians sought Roman support for one side or another in their bitter disputes. Edward Gibbon (The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire) tells us:
The provincial governors declared themselves ready to listen to any accusation that might affect the public safety; but as soon as they were informed that it was a question not of facts but of words, a dispute relating only to the interpretation of the Jewish laws and prophecies, they deemed it unworthy of the majesty of Rome seriously to discuss the obscure differences that might arise among a barbarous and superstitious people.

Fourth centuryIn the fourth century, Emperor Constantine gave state patronage, including substantial financial support, to the Christian Church. He called the Nicaean Council, in order to encourage unity and establish a single, agreed dogma for the Church. The army refused to participate in his persecution of the pagan temples, so Constantine sent Christians from the palace, to plunder the temples of their treasures. His mother, Helena, went to Jerusalem and miraculously discovered place of the crucifixion of Jesus, the surprisingly close place of his burial, and the three crosses, still intact, used for Jesus and the two who were crucified with him. With only a brief interlude under Julian the Apostate, the Church flourished, at the expense of the increasingly persecuted pagan temples. By the end of the fourth century, the triumphant Christian church could, with state connivance, destroy and pillage pagan temples for the Church's enrichment.