Constantine and the Bishops – The Politics of Intolerance (Ancient Society and History) - Softcover

Drake

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0801871042 ISBN 13: 9780801871047

Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002

Synopsis

Historians who viewed imperial Rome in terms of a conflict between pagans and Christians have often regarded the emperor Constantine's conversion as the triumph of Christianity over paganism. But in Constantine and the Bishops, historian H. A. Drake offers a fresh and more nuanced understanding of Constantine's rule and, especially, of his relations with Christians.

Constantine, Drake suggests, was looking not only for a god in whom to believe but also a policy he could adopt. Uncovering the political motivations behind Constantine's policies, Drake shows how those policies were constructed to ensure the stability of the empire and fulfill Constantine's imperial duty in securing the favor of heaven.

Despite the emperor's conversion to Christianity, Drake concludes, Rome remained a world filled with gods and with men seeking to depose rivals from power. A book for students and scholars of ancient history and religion, Constantine and the Bishops shows how Christian belief motivated and gave shape to imperial rule.

About this title

Review:

"A refreshingly original and powerfully argued re-conception of the issues and the forces at work in this period of the conversion not of Constantine, but of Christianity... With laser-keen insight, bold thinking, and also a large measure of wry humor, Drake has presented a plausible and powerful interpretation of this formative moment in Western history... A riveting story, and masterfully told. Anyone who rejoices in our Founding Fathers' constitutional conviction that church must be kept separate from state will read Constantine and the Bishops with deepest appreciation; and perhaps those who long for the opposite should read it, too. The lessons of late antiquity remain pertinent, alas, to the politics of religion in our own day."

(Paula Fredriksen New Republic)

"If you read one book on late antiquity this year, read this one. If you read one book on politics this year, read this one again... A work of visionary brilliance."

(Virginia Quarterly Review)

"The strength of this work is Drake's skillful use of a wide range of scholarship... This is a stimulating book, with a persuasive thesis."

(Nathan Howard Journal of Church and State)

"In its scholarship and size Constantine and the Bishops is clearly a work to benefit scholars, but the clarity of its explanations make it accessible to the enterprising undergraduate as well."

(Ronald J. Weber History: Reviews of New Books)

"Compelling... His overarching thesis provides a persuasive new paradigm."

(David Brakke Journal of Religion)

"A well organized, well documented, and well written study."

(Richard A. Lebrun H-Catholic, H-Net Reviews)

"This is a learned, broadly based, and carefully elaborated argument. It is also racily written, interesting, and hard to put down."

(Stuart G. Hall Journal of Theological Studies)

"A thoughtful and erudite book that breaks the mold... A powerful study with a strong, coherent thesis, Constantine and the Bishops is animated by a fresh vision of the early fourth century. It skillfully incorporates major historical themes in unexpected and rewarding ways."

(Richard Lim Speculum)

Synopsis:

Historians who viewed imperial Rome in terms of a conflict between pagans and Christians have often regarded the emperor Constantine's conversion as the triumph of Christianity over paganism. In this book, historian H.A. Drake aims to offer a fresh and more nuanced understanding of Constantine's rule and, especially, of his relations with Christians. Constantine, Drake suggests, was looking not only for a god in whom to believe but also a policy he could adopt. Uncovering the political motivations behind Constantine's policies, Drake shows how those policies were constructed to ensure the stability of the empire and fulfil Constantine's imperial duty in securing the favour of heaven. Despite the emperor's conversion to Christianity, Drake concludes, Rome remained a world filled with gods and with men seeking to depose rivals from power. A book for students and scholars of ancient history and religion, "Constantine and the Bishops" shows how Christian belief motivated and gave shape to imperial rule.

About this edition

• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0801871042
• ISBN 13: 9780801871047
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 632