The church & the nations - part II

It has been said, ‘if you can’t beat 'em join 'em’. In 325BC, under the rule of Constantine the Great, this maxim proved more than just a catchy phrase. A hollow victory was accomplished whereupon Christianity was declared the official religion of the Roman Empire. It was hollow because it was followed by a misguided attempt to enforce a kingdom that can only emanate from “within”, flouting clear biblical delineation - “the kingdom of God is within”. 

With greater state involvement in church affairs, the church grew increasingly syncretic, tainted by practices of pagan religions of the prevailing culture. The subsequent descent into heresy and apostasy, from which it would emerge only centuries later during the Reformation, was the inevitable result.

Nevertheless, it is telling that even with its subsequent apostasy, as the steward of God’s truth, the beneficial outcomes of the church’s influence on society are undeniable. Its teachings created a value system that underpinned internal stability and growing European prosperity. Not unlike yeast, the message of the kingdom of God leavened the entire Roman Empire. Historian Woodruff notes: “Christianity’s spiritual dynamism invaded the temporary sphere and helped to provide the foundation for the rise of the West”. The collapse of the Roman Empire in 476AD gave rise to a vacuum that was duly occupied by Christianity, which became a dominant feature in European socio-political affairs for a period of well over a millennium, infiltrating every area of society.

By simultaneously teaching submission to governing authorities from the subjects and just governance from kings, the Christian message promoted a social contract between the governors and the governed, which was conducive to social stability under which trade could gainfully thrive. This was underpinned by an emphasis on personal accountability to Divine authority for nobility and commoner alike. This reinforced self-governance along with a universally acceptable moral code, which, by and large, is still the standard. The associated elevation of the family and women also fostered strong communities, the inter-generational transfer of skills and character along with a general social cohesion. All of ths reinforced a virtuous cycle of ever-increasing societal beneficence.

The impact of the church on other spheres of society was equally far-reaching. A desire for deeper study of the scriptures spawned an environment of learning in which the modern university was birthed. And so arose some of the great learning institutions of the world, a number of which have endured to this day. The rise of modern science occurred in this environment, premised on an orderly and predictable universe, which had a design and was underpinned by laws that can be discovered. All of which were possible under a worldview that presupposed the existence of a transcendent Creator of the natural order.

It is worth highlighting that the unceremonious closure of this era of the church’s influence on society was largely of its own making. Increasingly encumbered by internal corruption and error, which resulted in growing apoplexy, it gradually relinquished its moral authority until it became a shadow of its former glory. The consequent societal vacuum coincided with a growing desire for reinvention and a longing for the romantic Greek and Roman eras, giving rise to an era that is appropriately known as “The Renaissance”, translated as “rebirth”.