Roman Empire and Christianity

Constantine and Christianity Constantine was born on February 27, 272 or 273 at Naissus to a couple named Flavius and Helena Constantius. Constantine's father, Flavius Constantius, was an army offer who divorced his wife and mother of Constantine in 289 to marry Theodora who was the daughter of his commander (Arakaki par, 5). Constantine started his own military career that saw him conquer the Roman Empire and became the next Emperor at a time when Christianity or the early church was experiencing one of the bloodiest and fiercest persecution known as the Diocletian persecution.

During this period of persecution by the Roman government, many Christians lost their lives while scriptures were burned and churches destroyed. Constantine later converted to Christianity and made significant contributions to the expansion and evolution of the early church. One of the major ways through which Emperor Constantine contributed to the expansion and evolution of the early church was through favoring Christianity over other religions.

When Constantine was born, Christianity was one of the religions practiced in the Roman Empire since there were other religious groups that existed in this region. Unlike other religious groups, Christians refused to conform to the demands of the Roman government, which contributed to suspicion and persecution. Christians were subjected to fierce and bloody persecutions by the Roman government for their avoidance and failure to accept military duties as well as to engage in pagan rituals that were performed for the good of the empire (The Vizier par, 2).

When Constantine became the emperor, he favored Christianity over other religions for various reasons including the supernatural encounters he had throughout his life. Additionally, he favored Christianity because he had deep admiration for Christian values and organization and believed that persecution against this religious group had failed because it created disharmony.

The second way through which Emperor Constantine contributed to the expansion and evolution of the early church following his favoritism of this religious group was through the signing of an agreement with the Eastern emperor Licinius, which is commonly known as the Edict of Milan (The Vizier par, 6). This agreement focused on tolerance and political support for Christianity since it was succeeded by the enactment of several legislations that favored the clergy.

The Edict of Milan had several benefits that encouraged tolerance for Christianity including reclamation of property and reimbursements of legal rights and losses incurred in disputes or controversies. Following the enactment of several legislations based on the Edict of Milan, church lands were free from taxation and church clergy were entitled to an allowance for their service to God. Additionally, Christians were given the freedom to obtain assistance from government officials in building new churches.

The emperor himself embarked on an initiative to build churches throughout the Roman Empire in order to glorify Christianity. These efforts played a crucial role in the expansion and evolution of the early church since millions of people joined the church. However, Constantine's efforts towards building churches throughout the Roman Empire has been controversial, especially on whether they helped in the expansion and evolution of the early church. This is primarily because his initiatives.