Originally Posted by George Knighton
Just a couple of questions.
1.Mithraism was extant in the Near East at the same time, and gained ground as a majority religion in Egypt and Asia Minor at the same time that Christianity was spreading.
Do you have an opinion about why Christianity replaced Mithraism and other religions as the religion of the majority?
2.Most people believe, and it's even taught in schools, that Constantine I (Ever August) was the one who established Christianity as the state religion.
However, all he did was stop the persecutions, and visibly adopt Christianity as his personal religion.
It was actually Theodosius I (Ever August) who adopted it as the state, imperial religion in place of all the others that were available, and it was with his reign that the title Pontifex Maximus referred to the Emperor as the chief Christian bishop and priest.
Do you have an opinion about why Theodosius the Great established Christianity so firmly in Roman Imperial consciousness? What made it attractive as an imperial faith?
1. i'm unfamiliar with Mithraism, so i cant really give an opinion on that particulary.
2. from what i remember, christianity was embraced in rome initially during a war. didnt they paint crosses on their shields and 'miraculously' win a battle after the general had a dream about it or something? anyway, i imagine that christianity was adopted because it was easier to control than the 'pagan' religions of the time.
so now that ive given you my answer, wont you enlighten me and tell me why these questions are relevant?