Christian Roman Empire
Tolerated
Official
Then sole legal religion except Judaism
Arianism
Donatists
Manicheans
Constantine died 337
When he died empire restored to former glory
Fourth century often seen through the lens of 410 sacking
Inequality one of signs/problems
Time of social mobility
Many paths open
Barbarians taking major positions in Roman Empire, especially in army
Sometimes empire divided sometimes not
395 Theodosius dies
After always two, east and west
Julian the apostate 360-363
Tried to restore traditional paganism
Intellectual of sorts
After his death no paganism
Marcus Aurelius was a philosopher
393 Theodosius made only
Christianity legal and small space for Judaism
The saints are a kind of substitute for polytheism
Rural people and intellectuals
Especially platonists
Chief occupation of emperors
Persians and on Danube Barbarians
Arianism
Christ different from God
Platonism emphasises the absolute
and the superiority of the spiritual
Material is mortal passes away
In Platonism
The one
The Demi-urge
Matched up with God the father
And son
There was a time when Christ was not
Nicean
All co eternal, members of trinity
Missionaries that converted barbarians were Arians
By time barbarians in empire
Arianism was gone
370s
Barbarians – generally Germanic
Tribes
320s Nicea
381 Constantinople a heresy
In west still Arianism
Donatists
If it turns out priest is bad
Had buckled under torture
Your baby was not properly baptised
Marriage didn’t count etc
But if Bishop was fine but anointed by failed priest – not legitimate
Lends itself to sectarianism
Office greater than man?
Manichaeans
Teaching about good and evil
Have real existence
War between good God and evil one
Eg Devil
Or the God of the Old Testament
Also matter evil
Salvation means casting off the flesh
What’s wrong
God is limited
Takes away individual responsibility
Roman emperors had to intervene
Frustrating for emperors as can’t kill the heretics
He was afraid of upsetting God
Didn’t want to let it go
Also frustrated with Arianism
Considered it over subtle and trivial
Summoned bishops in Nicaea 325
God and Christ are the same essence but different persons
Begotten but not made – not in time
Athanasius
Constantine was baptised just before he died
He was a moderate Arian later in life
Augustine introduced child baptism
330s understanding that Christian no longer a sinner
Why read confessions?
An autobiography
Intimate
Anxiety, desires, doubts
Shows the fluidity of religious scene
First Platonist
Then a Manichaean
Then Christian Manichaean
Then Christian Platonist
Then Orthodox Christian
More time is spent on stealing pears than his concubine
A lot of prayers, quotations from scripture
Platonism
More interested in the one and trying to apprehend the one
Superiority of spirit over material
Unlike Manichaeans material not
Sinful it is good but inferior
Platonic love –
Platonism is a turning away
Loving physical more
Result of poor education
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