“Constantinian Christianity” — Who uses this expression, and why?

[BartholomewB]

A few years ago, we suddenly started seeing the expression “Constantinian Christianity” all over the internet. At the time, I did a quick search to trace the origins of the phrase, and I came up with three names: Stanley Hauerwas, John Howard Yoder, and Cornel West. I have never read a single book or article by any of the three, but I came away with the impression that their intention, when they use the expression “Constantinian Christianity”, is to convey that they see it as a Bad Thing. Is the term ever used in a favorable sense? Has anyone ever self-identified as a “Constantinian Christian”?

 

[Wesrock]

Based on my experiences with accusations made against Catholics over Constantine, I would assume it’s a negative. I have referred to myself as a Nicene Christian, but never as a “Constantinian Christian.”

 

[CarmeliteKnight]

I’ve never heard of that phrase until today. Thou in my past anytime St Constantine is brought up it is always coupled with some Protestant conspiracy theory I know how he was literally the worst thing to ever happen to Christianity ever. Paganising the religion and all that mumbo jumbo.

So I have a feeling it’s used in that context in regards to those three authors who I’m not going to even bother to look up.

 

[Hodos]

A few years ago, we suddenly started seeing the expression “Constantinian Christianity” all over the internet. At the time, I did a quick search to trace the origins of the phrase, and I came up with three names: Stanley Hauerwas, John Howard Yoder, and Cornel West. I have never read a single book or article by any of the three, but I came away with the impression that their intention, when they use the expression “Constantinian Christianity”, is to convey that they see it as a Bad Thing. Is the term ever used in a favorable sense? Has anyone ever self-identified as a “Constantinian Christian”?

This goes back to the Dan Brown conspiracy theories that somehow Constantine coopted the Church, introducing the concept of the Trinity, and fundamentally changed the faith. It is really a back-handed insult by people ignorant of the history of the Church, and the fact that Constantine actually died as an Arian, not an Orthodox Christian.

 

[Dan_Defender]

I’ve heard the term used in a negative connotation implying that Emperor Constantine somehow ‘created’ the Catholic Church, that it wasn’t Catholic before him. I usually point out that St Ignatius of Antioch in the early 2nd century already used the word Catholic.

 

[po18guy]

It is a pejorative reference the Church, based on the utterly false fabrication that Constantine “invented” the Catholic Church. This, as I see it, is done out of both ignorance as well as desperation, so as to provide them with an end-run around Church history.

Having painted themselves into a corner, what they neither see nor perceive is that they must then be Orthodox!

 

[historyfan81]

its a slander against the catholic curch that Constantine created the catholic curch wich is one of the biggest historical errors of protestants

its up there with Peter funded the Curch of rome (in a literal sense)

 

[BartholomewB]

I’ve heard the term used in a negative connotation implying that Emperor Constantine somehow ‘created’ the Catholic Church, that it wasn’t Catholic before him.

It is a pejorative reference the Church, based on the utterly false fabrication that Constantine “invented” the Catholic Church.

its a slander against the catholic curch that Constantine created the catholic curch wich is one of the biggest historical errors of protestants

The three writers I named are certainly not Catholics, but the argument they are advancing is more than just an obvious fabrication of that kind. It has to do with the so-called “Constantinian shift,” defined as:

“First and foremost, what happens to the church when worldly power is used to accomplish what God has given his people to do without such power.”

 

[historyfan81]

while i do agree that Constantine changed somethings and is partialy responsible for the later decrepency of the curch that would come in the middle ages, since Constantine is the reason why curch and state where united

he didnt create or add x thing or y this to the the roman catholic curch