Religions of the Constantinian Empire

Religions of the Constantinian Empire provides a synoptic review of Constantine's relation to all the cultic and theological traditions of the Empire during the period from his seizure of power in the west in 306 cEE to the end of his reign as autocrat of both east and west in 337 cEE. Divided into three parts, the first considers the efforts of Christians to construct their own philosophy, and their own patterns of the philosophic life, in opposition to Platonism. The second assembles evidence of survival, variation or decay in religious practices which were never compulsory under Roman law. The 'religious plurality' of the second section includes those cults which are represented as demonic burlesques of the sacraments by Firmicus Maternus. The third reviews the changes, both within the church and in the public sphere, which were undeniably prompted by the accession of a Christian monarch. In this section on 'Christian polyphony', Mark Edwards expertly moves on from this deliberate petrifaction of Judaism to the profound shift in relations between the church and the civic cult that followed the Emperor's choice of a new divine protector. The material in the first section will be most familiar to the historian of philosophy, that of the second to the historian of religion, and that of the third to the theologian. All three sections make reference to such factors as the persecution under Diocletian, the so-called 'edict of Milan', the subsequent legislation of Constantine, and the summoning of the council of Nicaea. Edwards does not maintain, however, that the religious and philosophical innovations of this period were mere by-products of political revolution; indeed, he often highlights that Christianity was more revolutionary in its expectations than any sovereign could afford to be in his acts.This authoritative study provides a comprehensive reference work for those studying the ecclesiastical and theological developments and controversies of the fourth century.

Table of Contents:
Preface Philosophical Variations 1: Christian versus Pagan in Eusebius of Caesarea 2: Latin Apologists and Roman Culture 3: The Metamorphoses of Platonism 4: Pagan Holiness 5: New Forms of Christian Holiness Religious Plurality 6: Religions of the Vanquished 7: Religions of Transformation 8: Jews and Judaism Christian Polyphony 9: The Religious Integrity of Constantine 10: The End of Sacrifice? 11: The Bible of the Constantinian Church 12: Celebrating Christ 13: From Origen to Arius 14: Retrospectives, Christian and Pagan Epilogue Bibliography

About the Author :
Mark Edwards is Professor of Early Christian Studies at University of Oxford. His publications include Catholicity and Heresy in the Early Church (Ashgate, 2009) and John Through the Centuries (Wiley-Blackwell, 2003).

Review :
Throughout this useful volume, the repeated appearances of some of the same themes, issues and authors -- and, on occasion, the same texts -- in multiple chapters cumulatively invite the reader to appreciate the interconnectedness of diverse forms of literature and practice, and thus to ask whether the designation of them as 'diverse' would have been as obvious to readers and authors at the time. Perhaps more importantly, Edwards also warns against letting superficial similarities between texts become the basis for simple, reductionist statements about the 'religious identity' of authors, or seeking to neatly pigeonhole their works within clear intellectual genealogies. This detailed and thoughtful account is a useful introduction to a wide selection of early fourth-century writings and provides a fascinating insight into the innovation, experimentation and complexity of the age. [Edwards] is remarkably successful at ordering this diverse and complex material into a comprehensible whole, writing in a style that is elegant, precise [...], urbane and sometimes funny Those interested in exploring the complex nature of christianisation will find much here to stimulate their thoughts. Mark Edwards's remarkably rich book, at once a tour d'horizon and a tour de force, in many ways represents the distilled result of decades of patient work. It is written in crisp language, and its thirteen chapters are at once concise and sharp... The great strength of Edwards's book lies with his sophisticated analysis of philosophical and patristic texts. The author's decision to read such philosophical polemics within the broader framework of religious history offers a new and enlightening perspective. He can thus highlight the emergence of new forms of saintliness (philosophical as well as Christian). In this rich study, Edwards offers a holistic picture of the age of Constantine, in which the religious, theological, and philosophical aspects stand out most conspicuously... this is a thorough, valuable, and enjoyable analysis, which will be in many ways an inspiration to scholars in ancient religions, early Christian studies, patristic theology, Roman history, and history of ancient philosophy. Edwards's volume invites the reader on a wide-ranging tour of the philosophical and religious landscape of late antiquity. Those who accept the invitation will perceive a scholar who displays a deft touch for eliciting valuable insights from a remarkable array of primary sources and facility with an equally broad range of academic disciplines. Each chapter has material that should encourage readers to reconsider time-honored theories and explore new avenues for scholarly research. I consider this book to be a major achievement in Constantinian studies, and graduate students and scholars in the late antiquity field will find pearls of knowledge in its pages. This remarkable book is essential reading for all who engage with the early fourth century.