Church and State: Constantine 313 and Charlemagne 800
by Rit NosotroComparative Essay
How was Constantine’s recognition of Christianity (313 A.D.) similar to Charlemagne being crowned by the Pope (800 A.D.)? In both cases, what was the result of the relationship established between the church and the state?
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Summary: In the early 300s, Constantine associated himself with Christianity. As a result of this association, Constantine gained legitimacy as a ruler and was able to better unite the Roman Empire under the flag of Christianity. So too, Charlemagne associated himself with Christianity by being crowned by the pope. Charlemagne received a rightful claim to the throne and harmony within his realm just as Constantine was given legitimacy as ruler and unity within his kingdom. Not only were the rulers benefited by the alliance between the church and state, but also the church. Christianity was able to spread throughout both Constantine's and Charlemagne’s kingdoms.
Constantine’s recognition of Christianity in 313 A.D. and Charlemagne’s crowing by the Pope in 800 A.D. are similar in that both events encourage the spreading and acceptance of Christianity in the early European world. Constantine first recognized Christianity on the battle field. The war Constantine was in the midst of fighting was a fight against his brother-in-law and co-emperor, Maxentius. (Northpark) Believing he needed Divine help, Constantine prayed for assistance. While praying the Roman ruler saw a vision of a cross in the midday light. On the cross were the words “in hoc signo vinces” which means “in this sign you will be victorious.” Later that night, Constantine claimed to have had a dream that reaffirmed what he had seen at battle.
From that point on Constantine accepted Christianity. The newly converted ruler helped Christianity in numerous ways. Christians were no longer persecuted for their faith, and the Emperor gave many gifts to Christian leaders. With the acceptance of Christianity, the faith was able to spread throughout Constantine’s empire. With the emperor converted, Christianity became apart of the government. Children were taught Christian beliefs and these were passed down through generations.
Constantine believed that the church and state should be as close as possible. (Northpark) With this belief came the distortion of the Christian faith. In order to please all of his subjects, Constantine combined pagan worship with Christianity. Some see this action as proof that Constantine did not really understand the theology of Christianity. (Northpark) However, though Constantine’s conversion is questionable when it comes to his true acceptance of the faith, he put all his power into advancing the cause of the Church of Christ.
With the church and state so closely intertwined, the empire became stronger. A council of 300 bishops was formed called the Council of Nicea. This council dealt with controversy about the divinity of Jesus. This council made an official statement claiming Jesus divinity, and because the church and state were so closely connected, Constantine supported this statement politically.
Years after Constantine’s rule Charlemagne was crowned emperor of Rome on Christmas Day, 800 A.D. Charlemagne’s reputation of an accomplished military leader, and the numerous times he fought for Christianity which led people to call him “the strong right hand of God”. (Northpark)
The crowning of Charlemagne by the Pope at the Church of St. Peters proved the closeness of the church and state. Some did not like the fact that the Pope had the authority to make Charlemagne emperor of Rome. However, Charlemagne was accepted as emperor, and he developed a very successful empire. By developing three elements: the Roman past, the Germanic way of life, and Christianity, the Roman Empire became very stable. (Capitol Hill)
Charlemagne took advantage of Christianity’s moral and ethical standards, and he made laws in favor of the spreading of the faith. Also, after Charlemagne became Emperor he came up with two policies for success. The first policy was expansion, and with Charlemagne’s military experience this was not difficult to achieve. The second policy was the conversion of all his lands to Christianity. (Capitol Hill) With this policy, the Christian faith spread rapidly throughout the lands, and many were converted.
In both Constantine’s and Charlemagne’s causes the spread Christianity is what made their empire so successful. And with the close relationship between the church and state, the spread of Christianity was not a difficult task. The two emperors enforced it because without the peaceful faith of Christianity, their massive empires would not have succeeded.
Commentary
Constantine and Charlemagne both associated themselves with Christianity. They each saw the union as a method in which they could strenghten their hold over their kingdoms. However, their allegiance to Christianity appears to have been nominal. Yes, they did wage war for Christianity, yet their personal lives to not seem to reflect the life of a true Christian. In other words, they appear to be Christian to those on the outside yet their inside does not seem to have been changed. Like the Pharisees, they cleaned the outside of the cup yet not the inside (as per Matthew 23:25). Also, though Christianity spread, it was forced upon the citizens. Usually, forced conversions do not create true Christians. Not to mention, Constantine and Charlemagne tried to add pagan elements into Christianity in order to make it more appealing to the people. That is not what God intended. Instead, the Gospel should be taught plainly without distortment (as per 2 Corinthians 4:2).
QuickQuiz
Bibliography:
1. http://campus.northpark.edu/history/WedChron/WestEurope/CharlCrown.CP.html,
NorthPark, 11/19/03
2. http://www.historyguide.org/ancient/charlemgane.html, History Guide, 11/19/03
3. http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Embassy/1221/family history/charlma.htm,
Capitol Hill, 11/19/03
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