Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 83 No. 4, 2013.
Original scientific paper
Constantine’s Religious Policy During and after the Council of Nicea in 325
Anto Barišić
orcid.org/0000-0001-6118-7233
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The first ecumenical Council held in Nicea in 325 represented a great novelty in the history of the Church until then. Answering the call of the Emperor Constantine I, the bishops of the immense Roman Empire gathered for the very first time at the Council which will have a global significance not only for the Christian world of that era, but also for the later history of Christianity as well as for the history of the relationship between ecclesial and political government. As a true pontifex maximus of both political and religious realm, Constantine I ushered a new era of the Church history in which, from now on, the political influence on the life of the community of Christ’s disciples will be strongly felt. Political influence of the Emperor is quite evident already in the Arian controversy, which seized the whole Christian world. Constantine was personally interested in fi nding a solution for the theological problem caused by Alexandrian priest Arius. Not only did Constantine intercede in fi nding a solution, but went occasionally beyond that by forcing or, one could say, ordering a solution. Eventual condemnation of Arius at the Council of Nicea resulted in a twofold punishment of ecclesial excommunication and political exile, both supported by the Emperor Constantine I. However, aft er the Council the Emperor started to shift his religious policy in an opposite direction to such an extent that it eventually led to a rehabilitation of Arius himself, despite the fact that shortly aft er the Council, in a letter addressed to the Church in Alexandria, Constantine called Arius »the Devil’s minister« and his teaching »a deadly poison«. In this article, the author aims to describe the main reasons and causes which influenced and decisively determined the religious policy of the Emperor Constantine I. In this regard, the author will especially pay attention to the post-Conciliar continuation of the Arian Controversy and to Constantine’s stance towards it; that is, towards its main protagonists who took part in anti-Nicean reaction such as Arius himself, Athanasius the Great, Eusebius of Caesarea, Eusebius of Nicomedia, and others. The prosecution of Athanasius the Great and strengthening of pro-Arian currents after the Council of Nicea are a good indication of the instability and levity of Constantine’s religious policy.
Keywords
Constantine I; religious policy; The Council of Nicea; Arius; Athanasius the Great; The Eusebians
Hrčak ID:
115779
URI
Publication date:
7.2.2014.
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