Roman Civilization

CMS 206 /History 206   

Alana M. Burns on Muhlberger and O'Donnell

Christianity: The Road to Religious Domination ( word count 893)

The three articles I am using in this analytical paper are Muhlberger's'Religion and the Roman Empire: Christianity' and'Constantine', and O'Donnell's'Christianity in the Roman World'. With these articles, I will discuss the basis for Christianity's religious victory in the Roman Empire.

Muhlberger's'Religion and the Roman Empire: Christianity' article, mapped out the beginning structure of Christianity, which would later lead to Christianity's religious domination. This structure consisted of an open door that welcomed almost every race, gender, and social class, a way to make contact with the divine, set answers one could guide their life by, and a hierarchy of power. According to Muhlberger, these four basic things were the foundation on which Christianity strengthened as a religion. The open door'united a people who rejected other obligations'. A way to make contact with the divine and having set answers to living one's life by created a community and structure in which'salvation could be worked out'. A hierarchy of power was very appealing to the Romans, especially the respectable families outside the'magic circle' because it gave them a'new community to participate where their modest wealth and influence counted for something'. Although, Muhlberger states that by 300 AD the religious victory of Christianity was not yet apparent, the basic structure of Christianity's future success was well established.

Muhlberger's'Constantine' article explains how Christianity became stronger as a religious power by the late fourth century. When Constantine established his imperial rule over Rome, he also established himself as a believer of the Christian God. Constantine's Christian faith was prompted by a vision he saw before conquering Emperor Maxentius in battle. As Constantine prayed for divine help in this battle, a cross appeared to him with the words'conquer by this' inscribed on it. After Constantine conquered Maxentius, he adopted the cross as his banner and was convinced that the God of Christians was the only'true God'. However, according to Muhlberger, Constantine's belief in the Christian faith was questionable, especially since he killed his own eldest son and wife. A common saying was that'Constantine believed in Constantine'. However, even though Constantine seemed to be concentrated on his own needs, his wealth and power enabled him to strengthen the wealth and power of the Christian religion in a'society still largely pagan'.

In O'Donnell's'Christianity in the Roman World', he uses Pliny's letter's to Emperor Trajan to illustrate how traditional pagan Romans encountered and dealt with what they thought was just a strange religious cult. Pliny the younger served as the governor of Pontus and Bithynia from 111 ñ 113 AD. During this time he wrote letters to Emperor Trajan asking him whether his procedure for dealing with these Christians was appropriate because he had never'participated in the trials of Christians' before. The procedure Pliny described to Trajan was a series of interrogations in which he would threaten the person to deny he was a Christian. If the person would not deny it after two or three interrogations, Pliny would have the person executed since'stubbornness and inflexible obstinacy surely deserved to be punished'. However, if the accused were Roman citizens, they would be sent back to Rome for their trial. Pliny felt that many people were hiding things from the state, but he also felt that it would be possible to'check and cure it'. The terms on which Pliny would let a person free was only if they worshipped Trajan's image, the gods, and cursed Christ. Pliny states that'it is easy to imagine what a multitude of people can be reformed if an opportunity for repentance is afforded' because he noticed people using the temples again once the consequences of being a Christian were known. Trajan assured Pliny that his procedure in dealing with the Christians was appropriate, and told him to continue to let those free who start worshiping the gods again obtain a pardon through repentance.

Muhlberger's and O'Donnell's articles all show ways in which Christianity was able to eventually dominate the religion of the empire. Muhlberger's articles show how the base of Christianity's religious strength was established through beliefs and practices that allowed many people to feel a part of a community which could guide them through life and lead them to salvation. O'Donnell's article shows through Pliny's letters how the traditional pagan followers of Rome didn't recognize the potential power of Christianity, thus Christianity eventually became too powerful for a few traditional Roman pagan followers to overcome.

The major points made in these articles have been reiterated in our class discussions on Christianity. We have discussed how Christianity was able to attract followers from paganism and win the war over religious power in the empire. In class, the reasons given for Christian domination over the empire were consistent with Muhlberger's reasons of accepting a wide variety of people to join, providing a guide for one's daily life as well as one's spiritual life, and having an appealing hierarchy of power. These reasons were more attractive to the multitude of people than the Roman State religion of paganism, which only led the people in community prayer and sacrifice to please the gods. People tend to want more security in their lives. Christianity provided this comfort with the belief in an afterlife and a path to salvation.