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Defending Constantine: The Twilight of an Empire and the Dawn of Christendom
Contributor(s): Leithart, Peter J. (Author)
ISBN: 0830827226     ISBN-13: 9780830827220
Publisher: IVP Academic
OUR PRICE:   $37.62  
Product Type: Paperback
Published: October 2010
Qty:
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- Religion | Christianity - History
Dewey: 270.109
LCCN: 2010019863
Physical Information: 1.11" H x 6.04" W x 8.84" (1.27 lbs) 384 pages
Themes:
- Religious Orientation - Christian
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:

We know that Constantine

  • issued the Edict of Milan in 313
  • outlawed paganism and made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire
  • manipulated the Council of Nicea in 325
  • exercised absolute authority over the church, co-opting it for the aims of empire

And if Constantine the emperor were not problem enough, we all know that Constantinianism has been very bad for the church. Or do we know these things? Peter Leithart weighs these claims and finds them wanting. And what's more, in focusing on these historical mirages we have failed to notice the true significance of Constantine and Rome baptized. For beneath the surface of this contested story there emerges a deeper narrative of the end of Roman sacrifice--a tectonic shift in the political theology of an empire--and with far-reaching implications. In this probing and informative book Peter Leithart examines the real Constantine, weighs the charges against Constantinianism, and sets the terms for a new conversation about this pivotal emperor and the Christendom that emerged.

Contributor Bio(s): Leithart, Peter J.: - Peter J. Leithart is a senior fellow at New Saint Andrews College, Moscow, Idaho, and a pastor of Trinity Reformed Church in Moscow. He is the author of several books, including Deep Exegesis: The Mystery of Reading Scripture and Solomon Among the Postmoderns.