Augustus to Constantine

by Robert M. Grant

s/t: The Thrust of the Christian Movement into the Roman World Beginning with the death of Augustus, the 1st Roman emperor, in AD 14, & ending with the death of the 1st Christian emperor, Constantine, in 337, this study of early Christianity brings to life the religious, political & cultural developments thru which a Jewish sect became the religion of the Roman emperor. Grant aims to examine the growth of the Chriatian movement in the wider context of the Graeco-Roman world of the Empire. In doing so, he attempts to assess how much the direction of its development was shaped internally by its beliefs & practices & how much its development was shaped by its social & cultural context in which it existed. The work ranges over the history of the 1st three centuries of Christianity, not only where it interacted directly with the state, but also with reference to the changes in its own internal life, such as theological disputes & divisions in the Christian community. He's concerned not to overemphasise the significance of the persecutions. Such periodic confrontations with the authorities were no more than isolated outbursts against the background of the more patient & lasting process of Christian accommodation with the Empire. Indeed much of the hostility to Christianity took place at a local level when long held religious practices brought Christians & pagans into conflict at a local level. It was in these circumstances of civil disorder that the authorities tended to act against the Christian's in order to restore civil peace.

Genres: History, Religion, Church, Christianity, Nonfiction

348 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Robert McQueen Grant was an American academic theologian and professor.


There are more authors with this name in this data base. This one is Robert M.^^Grant. For the strategic management expert go to Robert M. Grant.

Reviews

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

How did a small sect from an even smaller sect of religion (Judaism) developed into becoming the official religion of Imperial Rome? In this book, Grant provided the answer by giving an overarching description of how early followers of Christianity and Imperial Rome interacted and ended up shaping and reshaping each other.

It is interesting to read that as a movement, Christianity grew from a persecuted group to a large network of followers with the establishment of positions of bishops, deacons, presbyters and priests. This division of areas of governing and the sophisticated arrangement of hierarchy of power parallels Roman administration's divisions of districts. It is also important to see that as the as the time passes, and the anticipated arrival of "Kingdom of God" did not materialize within a generation as expected in the Gospel of Mark (13:30), there is more shift towards governing, and trying to establish a set of accepted "ways of conducts" of what it means to be a Christian. It was a chaotic time when different apologetic were thrown back and forth within the Christian community. Debates, disagreements, excommunications about everything from the nature of Christ as opposed to the Father, to when to observe Easter divided bishops and congregations. Keep in mind that this was also the time frame when the New Testament canon was compiled and finally closed. The crystallization of what is accepted creed, ways of worship and so forth, the standardization and the unity that we see in the Catholic church today, is a direct result of when Constantine decided that the unity in Christianity is essential and beneficial to the unity of the now CHRISTIAN Imperial Rome. According to Eusebius, Constantine himself opened the proceeding during the beginning of the Council of Nicaea by expressing his hope that military victory over tyrants would now be followed by peace in the church of God. Thanks to Constantine, what is beneficial to Rome, and what is beneficial to Christianity becomes linked and inseparable.

This book, was originally first published by Robert M. Grant in 1970. Therefore, other than the usual apostolic resources such as Didache, writings of Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria and others, most of other works cited are books published in the 1960's and earlier. So,unless you have access to a good university library, I doubt you will find any of them in bookstores. However do not fret for this edition, is actually a republication without alteration of the original printing, with the addition of new foreword by Margaret M. Mitchell, and a new, more current "suggested reading list" at the end. The style of writing somewhat dry at at times tedious. However, to me, this is mainly because this book reads and is structured like a textbook. Also, please remember, that this book is trying to cover a period of about 300 years!. Textbooks, especially good ones, are not meant to be easy reading. For a book that is more than 50 years old, the contents are still relevant, thorough, well organized and well written. I highly recommend this book.

[Rob Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subtitle of the earlier edition of this book is, The Emergence of Christianity in the Roman World, which, when reprinted, was changed to The Rise and Triumph of Christianity in the Roman World. The earlier subtitle suits Grant's dry style, while the latter sounds more exciting than it is.

Nonetheless the book was a somewhat enlightening read though I cringed at times through Grant's questioning of the authenticity of the canon (Did Paul really write Colossians?) and his assigning unproven motives to straightforward scripture passages (The Apostles must have had a disagreement for this to happen!), while never questioning the accuracy of the post-apostolic writers who he quotes in abundance. The emperors are mentioned sparingly and the Didache is quoted extensively.

As a side to the point of the book I found the introduction of the allegorical method of interpretation of scripture, which was caused by the influence of Greek philosophy in the Alexandrian church, and the history of the introduction of infant baptism, which as opposed by Tertullian and others around 200AD, rather interesting.

A grudging 3/5 stars.

[John Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the late antique and patristics period. I treasure the philosophical and ecclesiaological discoveries I make in reading about it. But I must admit that I mark that I have finished it because GR does not seem to have a setting for indicating that you simply put the book down and decided to stop reading. I certainly enjoyed reading it and think that it is well written.

[Erik Graff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, albeit dry, scholarly study of Roman and Church history from Augustus Caesar until Constantine by a former professor of the Divinity School of the University of Chicago.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

school material

[Bruce Morton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert M. Grant at his best. His pen gives flesh to the Roman Imperial period -- when Jesus walked the earth. An important portrait of the background of earliest Christianity.