A nice recommendation from Library Thing for Charles Freeman's A.D. 381: ""In AD 381, Theodosius, emperor of the eastern Roman empire, issued a decree in which all his subjects were required to subscribe to a belief in the Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This edict defined Christian orthodoxy and brought to an end a lively and wide-ranging debate about the nature of God; all other interpretations were now declared heretical. It was the first time in a thousand years of Greco-Roman civilization free thought was unambiguously suppressed. Yet surprisingly, the popular histories claim that the Christian Church reached a consensus on the Trinity at the Council of Constantinople in AD 381. Why has Theodosius's revolution been airbrushed from the historical record? In this groundbreaking new book, acclaimed historian Charles Freeman shows that the council was in fact a sham, only taking place after Theodosius's decree had become law. The Church was acquiescing in the overwhelming power of the emperor. Freeman argues that Theodosius's edict and the subsequent suppression of paganism not only brought an end to the diversity of religious and philosophical beliefs throughout the empire, but created numerous theological problems for the Church, which have remained unsolved. The year AD 381, as Freeman puts it, was "a turning point which time forgot."
Showing posts with label counicl of constantinople. Show all posts
Showing posts with label counicl of constantinople. Show all posts
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Charles Freeman's A.D. 381 and "A Turning Point that Time Forgot"
A nice recommendation from Library Thing for Charles Freeman's A.D. 381: ""In AD 381, Theodosius, emperor of the eastern Roman empire, issued a decree in which all his subjects were required to subscribe to a belief in the Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This edict defined Christian orthodoxy and brought to an end a lively and wide-ranging debate about the nature of God; all other interpretations were now declared heretical. It was the first time in a thousand years of Greco-Roman civilization free thought was unambiguously suppressed. Yet surprisingly, the popular histories claim that the Christian Church reached a consensus on the Trinity at the Council of Constantinople in AD 381. Why has Theodosius's revolution been airbrushed from the historical record? In this groundbreaking new book, acclaimed historian Charles Freeman shows that the council was in fact a sham, only taking place after Theodosius's decree had become law. The Church was acquiescing in the overwhelming power of the emperor. Freeman argues that Theodosius's edict and the subsequent suppression of paganism not only brought an end to the diversity of religious and philosophical beliefs throughout the empire, but created numerous theological problems for the Church, which have remained unsolved. The year AD 381, as Freeman puts it, was "a turning point which time forgot."
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
More Praise for A.D. 381 by Charles Freeman
George M. Eberhart, senior editor of American Libraries, offers a critique of Charles Freeman's A.D. 381: Heretics, Pagans, and the Dawn of a Monotheistic State: "A.D. 381 explores the crucial year of 381, when the Council of Constantinople ratified the edict of Roman Emperor Theodosius I, who decreed in 380 that the Nicene version of the Christian Trinity would become state religion in the east. . . Freeman points out that the Council's decision was far from democratic and in fact was a politically expedient move by the Nicene bishops to extend their power as Theodosius attempted to patch the cracks in the empire. This seemingly obscure decision had the effect of stifling free discussion of a spiritual matters and scientific knowledge for centuries to come and ushered in an orthodoz partnership of church and state that lasted until the Renaissance." - College and Research Library News, June 2009.
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