tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30648257.post5883147876739734970..comments2024-02-19T04:50:58.170-08:00Comments on Shuck and Jive: Jesus and ConstantineJohn Shuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00798753206614838161noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30648257.post-4323260062772052002008-10-16T22:58:00.000-07:002008-10-16T22:58:00.000-07:00Thanks, Gentleexit. Welcome. Nice website.Thanks, Gentleexit. Welcome. Nice website.John Shuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00798753206614838161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30648257.post-41959496422149323922008-10-16T22:23:00.000-07:002008-10-16T22:23:00.000-07:00I don't think Constantine's "conversion" was quite...I don't think Constantine's "conversion" was quite so clearcut or calculating. He was <A HREF="http://www.conorpdowling.com/496/they-had-a-dream" REL="nofollow">one of many</A> with similar notions, all of them tied up in <A HREF="http://www.conorpdowling.com/386/another-secular-word" REL="nofollow">their own time</A>.gentleexithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09927205755336868330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30648257.post-1540082693027939332008-10-15T23:18:00.000-07:002008-10-15T23:18:00.000-07:00This is where I think Crossan is at his best, doin...This is where I think Crossan is at his best, doin' it to the empire.John Shuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00798753206614838161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30648257.post-28074546391994805942008-10-15T18:11:00.000-07:002008-10-15T18:11:00.000-07:00Were entering Dominic Crossan territory aren't we?...Were entering Dominic Crossan territory aren't we? I really need to buy some of his books - I like this look at history and the rise of Christianity - it's a fine critique.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30648257.post-70303364904731883402008-10-15T11:43:00.000-07:002008-10-15T11:43:00.000-07:00One God. One Emperor. One EmpireThat's it. Consta...<I>One God. One Emperor. One Empire</I><BR/><BR/>That's it. Constantine didn't give a hoot about the theological quibbles. He couldn't stand the diversity of views. He needed a united Christianity. Let the bishops fight it out at Nicaea and the Empire will give the winner the establishment. In turn, the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church will give the Empire soldiers for its battles and its pious blessing.John Shuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00798753206614838161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30648257.post-16301391656374446202008-10-15T10:48:00.000-07:002008-10-15T10:48:00.000-07:00“Did Constantine distort the message of Jesus or d...“Did Constantine distort the message of Jesus or did he embrace it?”<BR/><BR/>I’d say neither. It suited his purposes, One God. One Emperor. One Empire. One good thing in the post-modern world is that Christianity has been disestablished in the West. It is an opportunity to find our way home.<BR/><BR/>I found no heresies.<BR/><BR/>John MJohn McNeesehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18301421993866391399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30648257.post-44951082801846710972008-10-15T06:21:00.000-07:002008-10-15T06:21:00.000-07:00I have always found it interesting that this "wily...I have always found it interesting that this "wily coyote" did not embrace Christianity until he was on his deathbed. I think perhaps he was just "hedging his bets." Anyway,"C" did more to destroy the original premise of Christianity than any other person. And that story about his mother going about the Holy Land identifying places.... quite a new addition to the myth of Christianity. Just goes to show what happens when you let government in on something.jaycoles@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16299489611656202052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30648257.post-72276352637861765282008-10-15T04:13:00.000-07:002008-10-15T04:13:00.000-07:00This is a valuable and challenging question.In the...This is a valuable and challenging question.<BR/><BR/>In the end, I would come down on the side of distort.<BR/><BR/>However I do think that it was because of Constantine's "embrace" if you will, of Christianity, that it spread as it did and that means with the good parts.<BR/><BR/>Isn't that always the rub, the dualism exposed? How do we separate chaff from grain? The good from the evil? I guess for me, Jesus is the very response to polarized, dualistic messages.<BR/><BR/>And yet Christianity, such as it is, often creates those messages.<BR/><BR/>Ultimately, I find it hard to believe that Jesus would promote war as Constantine's history would suggest... so that puts me in the distort column at the end.<BR/><BR/>This is a great and very thought provoking post. <BR/><BR/>Frankly, in the end, I blame Theodosius!Franhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07181529277715646835noreply@blogger.com