Who was Constantine and why was he important for Christianity?

Answer 1

After Jesus and Paul, Constantine is perhaps the most important person for the development of the early Christian Church. That is why I chose him. What is most important to remember about Constantine is that he ascended the throne of an empire Christianity filled Constantine's need for a basis of religious unity quite well. Christians may have been a minority through the empire but they were a well-organized minority. First, Constantine moved to eliminate the external challenges posed by paganism, destroying their temples and books.

Answer 2

Constantine was the first Roman Emperor to openly declare that he was a Christian. It was following his conversion that he and his colleague, Emperor Licinius, published the Edict of Milan, in which the Christians were granted official tolerance, and they were urged to pray for the emperors, the Empire, and for themselves.

This edict brought about a period of peace for the Church, and also a strong measure of imperial patronage for the Church and for the Christian leaders of the time.

Constantine and his (mostly Christian) successors considered that the safety of the state depended upon the proper conduct of the Christian religion. (This paralleled the former status of the traditional cults, whose support in affairs of state was sought.) As a result, the emperors involved themselves in resolving matters of doctrine in the Church, thus adding a political element into the consideration of Church doctrine and Christian belief.

Answer 3

Constantine was the son of Constantius Chlorus, a junior emperor of the Roman Empire. After a long period of intrigues, betrayals and bloody civil war, Constantine himself finally became undisputed emperor of Rome in 324. He is described as ruthless and murderous but a good military leader.

He extended new privileges to the Christian community, extended state patronage to the Christian churches and began the persecution of the pagan temples. He is best remembered because his intervention saw Christianity eventually dominate the Roman Empire.