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Constantine and the Bishops

The Politics of Intolerance

H. A. Drake

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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...

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.

Reviews

Reviews

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.

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.

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.

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

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About

Book Details

Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
5.5
x
8.5
Pages
632
ISBN
9780801871047
Illustration Description
10 b&w illus.
Table of Contents

Preliminaries
Part I. Contstantinople 335 AD
Chapter 1. The Game of Empire
Chapter 2. The Church Becomes a Player
Chapter 3. Opportunities
Part II. The Old Guard Changes
Chapter 4. In Search of a Vision
Chap

Preliminaries
Part I. Contstantinople 335 AD
Chapter 1. The Game of Empire
Chapter 2. The Church Becomes a Player
Chapter 3. Opportunities
Part II. The Old Guard Changes
Chapter 4. In Search of a Vision
Chapter 5. Building a Coalition
Chapter 6. Consequences
Part III. Consensus Politics
Chapter 7. Controlling the Message
Chapter 8. Controlling the Agenda
Chapter 9. Unintended Consequences
Part IV. The Fine Print
Chapter 10. Power Players
Chapter 11. Milan, 390

Author Bio