The paper analyses various documents from Trajan to Justinian times, dealing with religion, politics and law. These sources show the absence of any major change in the traditional intertwining of religion and politics in the Roman Empire. In fact, after its conversion to Christianity, the Empire in the end remained faithful to itself. Christian writers endorsed religious freedom until the beginning of the 4th century AD on the basis of the autonomy of religion from politics. At the end of the 4th century AD Augustine fostered a different approach, revising his own opinion on religion, politics and coercion. Christian emperors firmly opposed religious freedom, applying the traditional intertwining of religion and politics without the flexibility allowed until then by a polytheistic pantheon.
The Kingdom and the Empire. Christianity and the Politics of the Roman Empire
Ulrico Agnati
2022
Abstract
The paper analyses various documents from Trajan to Justinian times, dealing with religion, politics and law. These sources show the absence of any major change in the traditional intertwining of religion and politics in the Roman Empire. In fact, after its conversion to Christianity, the Empire in the end remained faithful to itself. Christian writers endorsed religious freedom until the beginning of the 4th century AD on the basis of the autonomy of religion from politics. At the end of the 4th century AD Augustine fostered a different approach, revising his own opinion on religion, politics and coercion. Christian emperors firmly opposed religious freedom, applying the traditional intertwining of religion and politics without the flexibility allowed until then by a polytheistic pantheon.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
