They also developed new ideas the topic in caesaopapism which lead having a better relationship between the church and the states. Leading to Caesaopapism joining the church and the state. This was different because the Catholic church had a separation of the church and the state. Although this is not the only thing differed from the Roman Catholicism. The Eastern Orthodox differed from the roman empire in the terms of Language the roman Catholicism used Latin were the Orthodox church used a different language being Greek.
The Emperor Theodosius affirmed Christianity in the Roman Empire in A.D. 380, naming it the official religion of the empire. Soon afterwards, in an attempt to stabilize Christianity, the bishops created a chain of command within its leadership organization that would come to be known as the Patriarchs, with the bishop of Rome at the top, also known as the Pope. Although Pope Gregory VII would not implement it until the 11th century, the title of pope (Latin for father) was used since the early church in reference to bishops in the Eastern Church. In addition to the Pope, the Patriarchs included the bishops of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. This regulation of Christianity was a necessary move that increased the authority being vested in the Roman popes, a much-anticipated victory after many centuries of Christian persecution. Macaulay writes:
Constantine tried to use this religion to unify the empire and regulate the eastern empire more efficiently. The eastern empire remained an effective political and economic
The Pope has final authority on all matters, names cardinals, and appoints bishops (“Roman Catholic Church”), which only adds to the power he has to change present and future church policy. The structure of Roman Catholicism is also quite different from that of Eastern Orthodoxy. Cardinals are the highest dignitaires after the Pope; they constitute the supreme council of the church, and elect the successor of the current Pope following his death.
In 1054, the Great Schism had taken place. After many disagreements involving the nature of the Trinity, the relative importance of the faith and reason, and especially the use of Icons, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic church had broken their communion. Although the churches based off Christianity and monotheism, the amount of control and association the church had over everything had varied. Roman Catholic churches in Western Europe no longer had any stable control or involvement in politics, as the region became decentralized and had instead became dependent on religion as more of a form of organization during the Middle Ages. Whilst the West had become decentralized, the Byzantine Empire had started to become even more successful in control over the association of government and
Then Christianity gets recognition from the Emperor Constantine in 312 and now the church has legitimacy and protection. During
Rome’s hierarchy system was very strict and it was based on how much money a family or person had. (Doc D) The Emperor was at the top, then it was his court which was made up of the wealthy and prestigious, then at the bottom the commoners, and people rarely moved between classes. (Doc D) Romans believed that the only way to a peaceful existence was through violence, victory, and no one opposing their rule. (Doc E) Christianity believed that you could have peace through nonviolence, justice, and when all was fair.
Moreover, Rome had a strict hierarchical system that was not ideal for every citizen. A passage from the documentary, From Jesus to Christ, states, “if you’re at the bottom of that social pyramid, not a whole lot of things are coming down to you anymore,” (Document D). The emperors were the direct connection to the Roman gods and their blessings because they were at the top of the status pyramid. Christianity supplied a superior alternative to the Roman beliefs because it leveled the playing field and allowed everyone fair and equal relationships with God. Unfortunately, Roman officials were not enthusiastic about Christianity’s rise in popularity.
According to our historical knowledge, although during the rise of Christianity the Imperial Cult did not dismantle or even discourage this religion, after oberserving the hegemony of Christianity over
In the Roman Empire, Christianity started out being a very minuscule religion. However, as Christianity grew, it formed into a significant threat to Roman politics. Before Christianity, the Roman Empire was extremely diverse and they believed the emperor
Bishops gained a lot of power with control of church memberships, finances, and the selection of priests. In 590, “Gregory the Great was named Bishop of Rome…and named himself ‘Pope’ and the ‘Head of the Universal Church.’” He was the key to asserting papal primacy and started the requirement of confession and penance. He also worked to convert the pagan kings, hoping more people would follow in their footsteps. With the belief that Constantine left his crown to the papacy, the future Popes had the power to crown the emperor acting as god’s representative.
These radical changes made to the Christian church allowed for imperial involvement in the religious cult, but it also allowed for a new power and influence of the church on politics and governing of the Roman Empire. The advance in power and status of Christian leaders has been maintained still in modern eras. Although it is debatable whether Christian leaders are as significant and powerful as the period of Constantine’ rule, it is blatantly obvious how Constantine and his Christianization marked the stepping stones for a lot of political and religious relations, as still seen today in the collaboration of the Queen of England and the Pope (Lenski,
Religion in Western civilization has undoubtedly played a pivotal role in shaping and developing Western society. Regardless of the form of religion, such as polytheism or monotheism, people in ancient societies believed in a God or Gods. This belief in a higher power was an important part of human progression and expansion. Religion was the backbone of Western civilization and has always been a very important foundation of culture, schooling, philosophy, art, and social interaction. Before Judaism and Christianity, philosophers such as Aristotle ponder the thought of a higher power and in his book Metaphysics wrote about eternal motion was an unmoved mover.
Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece were very powerful and influential forces around the time that Christianity had began to spread. In Rome’s society, people followed under an emperor, who had strict rules about religion and the type of beliefs one should have. At the time, Rome’s official religion was pagan, but later converted to Christian. Ancient Greece had different religious beliefs than those that Christianity consisted of, but these countries were both powerful and helpful in spreading this new religion. Greece and Rome were impactful on Christian doctrine as well as helping this religion thrive and continue to expand to new areas.
Even though Christians were persecuted on and off during the Roman Empire, Christianity flourished. In the early Roman Empire, when Claudius, Nero, Domitian, and Trajan were emperors, Christianity was banned and Christians were persecuted. Nevertheless, Christians found ways to spread Christianity, and many people converted. As trials occurred and the Empire lost good leaders, the people took security in Christianity and other religions. Christianity grew during the Roman Empire because Constantine helped create the Edict of Milan, Constantine had imperial favor toward The Church, and there was trade routes to spread Christianity to different areas.
