Constantine's Religion

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Through out history, empires, democracies, and totalitarian governments have tried to shape different aspects of their society through laws and policies that the rulers or governments put into affect. In the 4th C, the Roman government tried to shape the religious views of its people towards Christianity through the laws and policies that Constantine and the government put into affect. The goals of the government and Constantine’s laws and policies differed from the laws and policies that prior Roman rules put into affect because Constantine’s laws and policies helped the Christian religion expand, not hinder it. The laws and policies on religion that were put fourth during Constantine’s rule proved that the Roman government wanted to alter…show more content…
The laws and polices that were put into affect not only shaped how they could live, but it also shaped the roman’s religion. One action that helped the government shape religion towards Christianity were the national polices that were enacted. These policies included the Edict of Toleration by Galerius and the Edict of Milan. First enacted in 311 A.D. by Emperor Galerius, the Edict of Toleration by Galerius implicitly granted Christianity the privilege of being a recognized religion and an accepted religion by the Roman Empire (Edict of Toleration by Galerius). Because of this edict, Christians could now “hold their conventicles” and worship with out fear of prosecution within the Empire (Edict of Toleration by Galerius, line 17). With the enactment of the Edict of Toleration, many individuals in the Empire saw the Christian religion as a safe religion to worship, therefor many joined the Christian movement. With these individuals joining the Christian religion, the Christian religion spread through out the Empire. Another edict that was enacted that helped shape religion with in the Empire in the 4th C was the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D. by Constantine and Licinius Augustus (podcast 6a). The Edict of Milan established religious toleration for Christianity within the Empire (The “Edict of Milan”). With the removal of “all conditions whatsoever…concerning Christians,” Christian people could then observe their religion “freely and openly” (The “Edict of Milan,” line 16). Because of the removal of punishments on the Christian worshipers in the 4th C, individuals became more willing to worship God in a public setting, spreading the religion through out the Empire and shaping the Empire towards Christianity. Additionally, under Constantine’s rule in the 4th C, not only was the Edict of Milan enacted, but there was correspondingly a ban on the building on pagan temples and

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