life in the past lane - sample lesson
DESCRIPTION
Life in the Past Lane, looks at the fascinating spread, conflicts, and individuals of the church throughout the ages opening up students' understanding of our world and all the complexities of involved in living well now.TRANSCRIPT
Teacher’s manual
Written by Stephen Renn
to be used with
Life in the Past Lane Student handbook
and
Life in the Past Lane CD-ROM
3
ContentsUsing Life in the past lane Teacher’s manual 4
Chapter 1 The Roman peace 9Hidden trap for Christians – 1st–2nd century AD
Chapter 2 Retreat or Relate 23Living as Christians in a non-Christian World – 3rd century AD
Chapter 3 Emperor Constantine 37A Christian Empire? – 4th century AD
Chapter 4 The struggle for power 55Power and Politics in the Middle Ages – 5th–6th century AD
Chapter 5 The Crusades 69The Church tries to stop the spead of Islam – 12th–13th century AD
Chapter 6 The Renaissance 83Knowledge versus faith? – 14th–16th century AD
Chapter 7 The Reformation 95Rediscovering the Gospel – 16th century AD
Chapter 8 Heroes of the faith 109Paying the ultimate price for your faith – 15th–16th century AD
Chapter 9 The Age of Enlightenment 123Turning the Light on Man and placing God in the dark – 18th century AD
Chapter 10 The Salvation Army 139Caring for those in need – 19th century AD
4
Using LIFE IN THE PAST LANE Teacher’s manualWelcome to Life in the Past Lane Teacher’s Manual. This publication is written for teachers and students in years
9–10, aged 14–16 years. It is designed to accompany Life in the Past Lane student handbook that will examine
key people and events in the history of the Christian church over the past 2000 years or so. Life in the Past Lane
investigates this history with a view to helping students understand its signifi cance for their lives in the here
and now of the 21st century.
This Unit forms part of the CEP range of high school resources developed for Christian Studies in independent
schools and Special Religious Education in State Schools.
All Christian Education Publications are grounded in the belief that God is the source of all truth and
his Word, the Bible, is where God reveals himself and his saving purposes. God has acted in Christ to
achieve his saving purposes for humanity.
CEP high school resources aim to help students grow in their understanding of the Christian faith,
to respond to the claims of Christ and to grapple with how to apply their faith to life.
CEP high school resources cover the following six aspects of the Christian Studies program assisting
students to:
Engage with the Bible
Students will be helped to read, understand and learn to apply the Bible to their lives and will be
introduced to the concepts of Biblical theology.
Know the gospel
Students will learn about the life and teaching of Jesus, come to appreciate the signifi cance of his
death and resurrection and consider their own response to him.
Examine different worldviews
In a safe and supportive environment students will be encouraged to question, discuss and evaluate
critically other worldviews and practices.
Learn about their Christian heritage
Students will have the opportunity to learn about key events and people from the past 2000 years in the
life of the Christian church, each of which has signifi cantly impacted the course of history over that time.
Examine ethical issues
Students will be encouraged to see the relationship between faith and behaviour as they examine a
range of personal and public ethical issues.
Have opportunity for personal spiritual growth
Students will be encourage to grow in their personal knowledge of God and in their worship, trust and
obedience in the context of Christian community and through opportunities to serve others.
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Unit Aim
To present students with an overview of 10 key events from Church history since the beginnings of the early
church, helping them explore how to live now by learning from the past.
Outcomes
By the end of the unit students will:
Know about:
• The lives and careers of certain key individuals in the history of the church
• Signifi cant events that changed the course of history over the past 2000 years for better or for worse.
Be able to:
• Understand how these people and events impacted the course of history
• Begin to describe and analyse the eff ect of such people and events on the present
• Articulate reasons why these things are so important to learn about
• Learn from the mistakes of the past so that, hopefully, these will not be repeated in their own lives
• Apply lessons learned to their own individual circumstances
• Refl ect on relevant biblical passages that relate to the period of history under investigation.
Some distinctive benefi ts of Life in the Past Lane for the teacher
It is hoped that teachers will:
• Develop an overview of church history that will deepen an understanding of each topic within a broad
historical context
• Strengthen the realisation that learning about church history can facilitate a better understanding of
modern life and culture
• Replace a ‘facts and fi gures’ view of history with a more thematic and refl ective approach that enables
students to understand each topic within a broad historical framework
• Develop skills in bringing church history to life by assisting students to grasp and apply each unit’s ‘big
idea’ for themselves in the here and now
• Use a light-hearted approach in the communication of historical values, while recognising that not all
topics will lend themselves to humour
• Develop a greater capacity to present a realistic, balanced approach to the teaching of church history,
highlighting successes as well as failures, in an honest, sensitive way.
A Lesson Outline Template (LOT) for teachers with accompanying CD-ROM
This feature will greatly assist teachers in the preparation and presentation of lesson material for each chapter
of the Student Handbook for Life in the Past Lane.
The Lesson Outline Template contains a step-by-step guide to the teaching approach for each chapter, or unit
of material. And since the format for each chapter follows the same pattern throughout, the template can
provide a consistently valuable tool for teaching varied content across an entire unit of learning with fairly
uniform goals and objectives.
It is suggested that teachers follow the template fairly closely. This will help the teacher become familiar with
the format of each chapter, which has been deliberately designed to maximise the eff ective transfer and
processing of content for students. This advice however, is not to discourage teachers from implementing
other activities of their own, should they wish to do so. The only proviso to keep in mind is that any processing
or refl ection activity needs to tie in with the overall aim and focus question for each chapter.
6
The broad scope of topics in the course provides a genuinely varied learning experience for the students
that allows for the sustaining of intrinsic interest. However, by adopting a relatively uniform teaching
methodology, student understanding can be developed and nurtured in a consistent fashion.
The CD-ROM that accompanies the Teacher’s Manual contains of a series of teaching aids in the form of
PowerPoint slides that present the Focus question, key points for Processing the past, Bible passages and
Discussion question for each chapter.
Lesson Outline TemplateEach lesson follows this Lesson Outline Template
Step 1: Begin the lesson by introducing students to the Focus Question of the chapter. Initiate a brief
brainstorm on this question without any reference to the historical topic at hand. Point out to the class
that their responses to the question now may prove interesting when they come to appreciate how
people responded to it in the past. Encourage students to keep the question in mind as they work
through the material.
Step 2: Link the Focus Question to the Big Idea from the Past. This can be reinforced a number of
ways, eg. have students write it, verbal repetition, written reinforcement by means of a game or puzzle.
Any of these approaches – singly or in combination – can be an eff ective means of reinforcing a very
important element of each chapter. Students do need to know this content summary well if they are to
maximise their understanding of the unit.
Step 3: Introduce the relevant background material. To use this material eff ectively, it is recommended
that students make a written summary of this material as it is presented. Two suggestions: They may
either copy it from the board, or be given a blank outline with major headings to fi ll in the details
progressively as the teacher presents it to them.
The students will then record a summarised version of this key content in the Processing the past
section in the Student handbook. The information the students need to fi ll in each of the boxes of the
mind map are provided in summary form on the CD-ROM.
Step 4: During the presentation of the background material, point out the meaning of key words.
These are contained in the Student Handbook.
Note: Steps 5 – 12 contain crucial processing, interpretation, and refl ection activities that will vary slightly in details
in relation to the topic under investigation. However, the Template provides basic, common strategies that will
be eff ective for each unit of material. This is made easier by the fact that each chapter format is the same.
Step 5: Processing the Past: This strategy involves presenting to the students key elements of the
interpretation of the chapter content in its context. For example, a key component of Chapter 1 is
understanding why Christians in the early Church were persecuted. In this case, a mind map is used
to convey the point. Whatever is needed for this step is provided in the Teacher’s Manual under this
heading for each chapter.
The next three steps involve the utilising of creative exercises under the concept of Profi ting from the Past.
The aim behind this approach is to facilitate the students’ understanding of the meaning of the past for
them. Once this is done, then a meaningful application to the present time and circumstances may be made.
Teachers should feel free to select whichever activity (or activities) best suits their class.
7
Step 6: Blog entry … : This ‘Blog’ will be a continuing feature of the entire course. Instructions for
each chapter are included in the Student Handbook. Encourage as much creativity as possible. One
approach could involve keen students in actually making their own diary for the specifi c purpose
of responding to each ‘Blog entry’ segment in the Handbook. The purpose here is to have students
internalise their understanding as much as possible.
Step 7: Time machine theatre: The second creative activity revolves around students dramatising
a particular aspect of the historical incident being studied. Again, instructions are provided in that
segment in the Student Handbook. The teacher is free to modify or adapt this to whatever degree he or
she chooses. The idea is to provide fl exibility and diversity, as long as the aim of the exercise is always
clearly in focus, for both student and teacher.
Step 8: Heroes from the past: This segment gives students the opportunity to refl ect on the
contribution made by one or more signifi cant people in the historical event under review.
Step 9: Media reporter
This creative writing exercise allows students to use their imagination under the guise of an ancient
investigative reporter. A variety of suggestions will be off ered over the course of the unit.
Step 10: Reality check: What does the Bible say?
In this section, relevant Bible passages are suggested in the Student Handbook, with key questions. It is
assumed that classrooms have access to Bibles. The Bible passages are also be provided on the CD-ROM
and also as Black line masters that the teacher can copy. Teachers are encouraged to discuss student
responses in class.
Step 11: Making the past plain for now
In this fi nal section of the lesson, the student handbook contains a number of application questions
designed to focus students’ attention on how the content of the chapter just studied may be
specifi cally applied to them. Teachers are encouraged to work through these questions sensitively, as
some of them may be a little confronting to some students. It is suggested that a maximum of two
be chosen, either as a written response, or as the basis for a discussion or debate. There is also a fi nal
Discussion question posed at the end of each chapter. The teacher can use this for either whole class
or small group discussion.
Step 12: A puzzle or game activity is provided at the end of each chapter. This could be a Crossword or
Find–a–Word.
CD–ROMThe CD–ROM that comes with the teacher’s manual contains:
• supporting PowerPoint presentations for each chapter which follow the fl ow of the student handbook,
highlighting headings and quotes
• pdf version of the Teacher’s manual for you to download and print as required
• pdf versions of the Black line masters for each chapter.
C L U D E S T EA
CH
ER
SO
M •
8
Format for each chapterAim
This is included at the beginning of each chapter. It is intended to give the teacher a sense of the direction to
take for that topic, and to provide an opportunity for lesson evaluation.
Big Idea from the past
This is a content summary statement for the chapter.
Outcomes
These may be viewed as educational objectives for the students arising out of the Aim and the Big Idea for each topic.
Focus Question
This is a question designed to highlight the practical application of the historical event or person to the present day.
Background notes
These are designed to provide the teacher with a comprehensive summary of the range of key historical issues
associated with each topic. The notes provided for the teacher are more extensive than those provided in the
Student handbook so that the teacher will have adequate resources to teach the chapter content eff ectively.
Processing the Past
This section contains some suggestions for presenting a content summary of the chapter in a mind map form
for students to process. The student handbook contains an outline template of this summary which they can
fi ll in with the relevant details. Of course, the teacher is free – and encouraged – to adapt this material to the
learning capabilities of their students. The key points the students should be recording in the boxes of the
mind map are provided on the CD-ROM presentation for each chapter.
Profi ting from the Past
Here is a selection of various extension activities to choose from, all of which relate to the Focus Question. The
teacher should feel free to select activities that are appropriate to the skill levels of the students he/she is teaching.
Examples: • role plays • creative writing • source analyses
Reality Check: What does the Bible say?
This section suggests Bible passages with appropriate questions attached that are relevant for the topic. This
section will encourage students to critique the past and the people involved, in the light of what the Bible
teaches. It will also encourage students to apply the biblical teaching to the here and now.
Making the past plain for now
This will contain issues and questions for discussion, debate and refl ection. The main focus of these questions
will be to help students understand the ‘here and now’ from the ‘there and then’. There is also a fi nal
Discussion question designed for the class or a small group.
Puzzle
This will be either a Crossword or some similar word puzzle to reinforce the content of the chapter.
37
Chap
ter
A Christian Empire?4th century AD
3
Aim To understand the impact of Constantine’s decree that Christianity should be the dominant religion of
the Roman Empire from the early years of the 4th century AD.
Outcomes By the end of this chapter, students will be able to: ■ Understand what Constantine’s policy regarding the new status of Christianity actually meant
for both pagans and Christians in the Roman empire
■ Identify some positive and negative consequences of such a policy
■ Begin to understand whether or not Constantine’s conversion to Christianity was genuine
■ Have a greater appreciation for what is really meant by a ‘Christian society’.
Big Idea from THE PASTEmperor Constantine declares Christianity to be the dominant religion of the Roman Empire during his
reign – a decision that carries enormous signifi cance for both Christians and pagans.
FOCUS QUESTIONIs it possible to create a Christian society merely by passing laws grounded in the value system of the
Christian faith?
ConstantineConstantineEmperorEmperor
38
Key wordsNote: This is a fuller version than the list shown in
Student handbook.
Tetrarchy: literally a ‘rule by four (leaders)’ This
was the imperial system of rule founded by the
emperor Diocletian where the Roman Empire
was governed by four emperors – two ‘senior’
and two ‘junior’, sharing control over the Eastern
and Western halves of the realm.
Chi-Ro: a stylised representation of the fi rst
two letters of the name of Christ in Greek.
Superimposed on each other, these two letters
formed the basis of a shield insignia and military
banner for Constantine’s army.
Labarum: Latin term for a decorative
banner which served as a military emblem
for Constantine’s army. The Chi-Ro was the
centrepiece of this banner.
Baptism: a ritual washing either by sprinkling,
pouring, or immersion in water that signifi es
a formal initiation into the Christian church
community.
Ecumenical council: a meeting of bishops of the
entire church community, summoned to discuss
matters of church doctrine and practice.
Arianism: heretical teaching of the 3rd and 4th
centuries which claimed that Jesus Christ was
not the eternal, divine Son of God, but rather a
created being, inferior to God the Father.
Heresy: any teaching or doctrine which
contradicts the offi cial or orthodox position – in
this context – of the Christian church.
Monotheism: belief in and worship of one god.
Polytheism: belief in and worship of many gods.
Pontifex Maximus: Latin term for ‘chief priest’ –
one of the titles assumed by Roman emperors.
Theocratic kingship: the belief that royal power
and authority derive from the divine realm and
not human sources.
Nicene Creed: formal doctrinal statement issued
by the Council of Nicaea in AD 325, focusing on
the divine nature of Christ as the Son of God.
Deity: another term for God or a god (from the
Latin: deus).
Syncretism: a blending or merging of the
teaching or doctrines of two or more religious
belief systems.
Anachronism: referring to the existence of a
person, event, object, or concept at a time when
such things did not exist.
Divination: the use of supernatural means to
determine the future, or gain access to, the
unseen spiritual realm.
39
Timeline of key events of Constantine’s life and reign
(approx AD 274–337)
337 Constantine given Christian baptism
several days before his death
326-327 Constantine executes his son Crispus and
his second wife Fausta
326 Constantine chooses Byzantium in the East
as the new capital of the Empire and renames
it Constantinople
325 Constantine convenes Council of Nicea,
Arianism is rejected. Arius is banished.
Formulation of the Nicene Creed
325 Licinius sentenced to death and executed
for treason against Rome.
324 Constantine defeats Licinius and assumes
control of the entire Roman Empire
314–324 An uneasy truce and rivalry between Emperors
Constantine (West) and Licinius (East) –
occasional outbreaks of hostilities
313 Edict of Milan paves the way for Christianity
becoming the ‘state religion’ of the Empire
313 Constantine assumes total control of the
Western Empire, end of Diocletian Tetrarchy
312 (Oct 28) Battle of Milvian Bridge, Constantine is
victorious over Maxentius
312 (Oct 27) Constantine’s vision of the cross, which he takes as
an omen of victory for the battle on the next day
312 Open hostility breaks out between
Constantine and Maxentius
306 (Oct) Maxentius proclaimed emperor in the
West in Rome – rival to Constantine
306 (July) Constantius dies in Britain.
Constantine immediately succeeds
his father as Emperor in the West
293 Constantius Chlorus – father of Constantine –
made an emperor of the Western Empire.
One of the original tetrarchs
293 Introduction of the Diocletian Tetrarchy (ends 313)
274 Born around (date of birth uncertain)
40
The date of Constantine’s birth is uncertain, but
is thought to be around AD 274. His mother was
Helena, a devout Christian woman of humble
background and his father was Constantius Chlorus
who assumed the position of Emperor in the West
of the Empire in 293.
During the years 293–313 a system known as
the Tetrarchy was implemented by the Emperor
Diocletian, who conceived of the idea in order
to maintain a greater measure of political and
administrative control over a vast empire. The
Tetrarchy was essentially a rule shared by four
emperors: two in the West, and two in the East.
Of the pair of Imperial rulers, one was designated
Augustus (indicating the ‘senior’ emperor), while
the other was referred to as Caesar (ie. the ‘junior’
emperor). However, these titles appear not to
be used consistently in the historical sources.
Therefore, to simplify things, we shall refer to each
ruler as ‘Emperor’. In addition, the interactions
between the four Roman Emperors during this
period was complex, often involving open military
confl ict as emperors strove to gain power over
one another. By the year 313, the Tetrarchy had
essentially broken down.
Constantine’s early career was that of a soldier,
and he served in the army of several emperors,
including his father. Constantine served with
distinction with his father’s troops in Britain. When
his father died in 306, the soldiers serving with
Constantine immediately proclaimed him Emperor.
What is clear from this remarkable period of
political instability is that Constantine and Licinius
emerge in 313 as the sole rulers of the Eastern
and Western halves of the Roman Empire. All
other imperial members of the Tetrarchy were
dead by this time. The catalyst for Constantine’s
rise to prominence was the Battle of the Milvian
Bridge in 312. Before that battle took place, there
is an intriguing story recorded in the writings of
the ancient historian Eusebius: he relates that on
October 27, 312 Constantine had a daytime vision
in which he saw an emblem with the inscription ‘by
this sign you shall conquer’. This sign has come to
be known as the ‘Chi-Ro’ – indicating the fi rst two
letters of the name of Christ in ancient Greek.
This was followed by a dream vision that same
night when Christ appeared to the Emperor with
the identical sign he had witnessed that day. With
the dream there came a divine instruction to copy
and use that sign in all battles with his enemies.
The next morning Constantine set about having
the sign embroidered on a banner that would
lead his troops into battle. The Chi-Ro was then
incorporated into the Roman Army’s military
standard with ornate decorations. This banner from
that time on was known as the labarum. The truth
BACKGROUND notes
The Chi-Ro emblem on Constantine’s military standard. The fi rst two letters of ‘Christ’ in Greek.
41
or accuracy of these accounts cannot be validated
with any certainty. Many historians are sceptical
about these stories.
As it turned out, Constantine’s army dealt a fatal
blow to the much larger army of his enemy and
rival Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge
over the river Tiber on October 28 – the day after
the reporting of the Emperor’s visions. During the
fi ve years prior to this battle in 312, Constantine
and Maxentius had been constant rivals for sole
command of the Western Roman Empire. During the
course of the battle at the Milvian Bridge the troops
of Maxentius were either killed in the fi ghting, or
drowned when the bridge collapsed. Maxentius
himself drowned in the river while trying to escape.
As a result of the victory Constantine is said to
have been convicted of the truth of Christianity,
and some historians believe he was converted
at this point in time. However, it is in fact unclear
whether this was the moment of his conversion.
It may have been a process that began during
his childhood, as his mother Helena was a
devout Christian. In any case, records show that
Constantine did not receive Christian baptism until
he lay on his death bed in 337. It is not possible to
say with any certainty exactly when Constantine
may have been converted.
This question is further complicated by evidence
that suggests that Constantine was still favourably
disposed towards the worship of pagan deities
during the latter part of his reign after the victory
at the Milvian Bridge. For example, Constantine
dedicated his coins to Sol Deus Invictus (the sun god
of the late Roman Empire).
Returning to the events of major importance of
Constantine’s career, it cannot be too strongly
emphasised that the issuing of the Edict of Milan was
a signifi cant factor in the establishing of Christianity
as the dominant religion of the late Roman Empire.
When emperors Constantine and Licinius met
in Milan early in 313, they no doubt must have
discussed religious policy in relation to the realm.
However, the Edict of Milan was in fact one of a
series of letters jointly issued by Constantine and
Licinius and sent to all the governors of the Eastern
Empire. The Edict granted freedom of worship to
Christianity and other religions throughout the
Empire. It also specifi cally legislated the ending of
all offi cial persecution against individual Christians
and the Christian church. The Edict of Milan
generally revolutionised the status of Christianity
in the empire and paved the way for the Christian
faith to become the primary religion of the Roman
Empire. In addition, the Edict provided for the
restoration of all property to Christians and the
Christian church – property that had previously
been seized by the Roman authorities.
In the decade following the Battle of Milvian Bridge
there was an informal and uneasy truce between
Constantine and Licinius, the only two remaining
survivors of the Diocletian Tetrarchy. There was,
however, a serious outbreak of hostility between
these two rulers in 314, which resulted in Licinius
being soundly defeated. Ten years later, Constantine
attacked Licinius again, when the latter provoked
him into a military confrontation. By this time,
Licinius had openly professed paganism, but was
not content to leave it there. By the year 322, he had
begun to actively persecute Christians, and at the
same time treat Constantine’s imperial status with
contempt. In 324 Constantine launched an attack
and infl icted a crushing defeat on Licinius. One year
later Licinius revived his treacherous practices for
which he was sentenced to death by the Roman
Senate and executed. This left Constantine as sole
ruler of the Roman Empire by the year 325.
The latter phase of Constantine’s rule, from 313
to his death in 337, gives us some signifi cant
insights into the question of whether or not the
Empire during Constantine’s reign was in any sense
‘Christianised’. To what extent is it true to say that
Constantine presided over a Christian state after
the Edict of Milan in 313?
42
The following features of Constantine’s reign,
especially after 325, are relevant for determining an
answer to this question:
• In 325 Constantine convened an ecumenical
council of the Christian church at Nicea (modern
Iznik in N.W.Turkey, south-east of Instanbul on
the shore of Lake Iznik). See map on page 44.
The council was assembled in order to address the
problem of the Arian heresy (known as Arianism)
which claimed that Jesus Christ was a created
being and therefore inferior to God the Father.
The Council of Nicea affi rmed that God and Christ
are equally divine and co-eternal beings. As a
consequence, Arius – the founder of the heresy –
was excommunicated and banished. Signifi cantly,
Constantine did not involve himself directly in the
theological controversy, but fully supported the
outcome of the Council’s deliberation. Importantly
for our discussion, Constantine brought Arius
back from exile before the end of his reign. Then,
a few days before he died, Constantine received
Christian baptism from Eusebius the Arian bishop
of Nicomedia. There is one fi nal irony to add –
by the mid 4th century, under Constantius, one
of Constantine’s sons, Arianism is a favoured
theological position. In addition, most of the
leading bishops of the day were Arians.
In 326 Constantine selected Byzantium as the new
capital city in the Eastern half of the Empire and
renamed it Constantinople after himself. He correctly
observed that the Empire was leaning towards a
new centre of gravity in the East, where monotheism
was more prominent, as was the principle of
theocratic kingship where the Emperor was more
likely to be revered as a god-like ruler. This certainly
refl ected the lofty pride and high level of self-
importance that was typical of all rulers in ancient
Rome. Constantine was no exception in this regard.
In the Edict of Milan, toleration and freedom were
clearly extended to Christianity. However, the
wording of one part of the Edict is signifi cant. After
granting that everyone might follow that religion
he considered the best, Constantine, along with
Licinius, hoped that ‘the deity enthroned in heaven’
would look favourably on the Roman rulers and
their subjects, and protect them. Some historians
argue that the term ‘deity’ was deliberately chosen
so as not to exclude a pagan interpretation,
alongside the Christian one.
While Constantine was clearly impressed by the
truth of the Christian faith, he never entirely laid
aside pagan notions of worship and practice. This
phenomenon is known as syncretism – a blending or
merging of diff ering religious traditions. For example,
i) Constantine never forbade the practice of
pagan worship or festivals.
ii) At the dedication of Constantinople in 330
a syncretistic ceremony was conducted
involving both Christian and pagan elements.
iii) Shortly before he died, Constantine reaffi rmed
the legitimacy of privileges granted to priests
of the ancient Roman gods.
iv) Constantine formulated a prayer which he
commanded that his troops use – a prayer
which both a polytheist and a monotheist
could equally join in.
v) As Pontifex Maximus, Constantine watched
over pagan worship and guaranteed it’s rights
and privileges.
In support of Constantine’s clear preference
for Christian values and ethical standards, the
following observations are relevant.
i) The emperor sought to actively suppress
divination and magic – in full agreement with
the position of the Christian church. However,
it must also be noted that previous pagan
emperors had also advocated similar policies.
ii) The emperor also actively supported Christian
rights, and granted many privileges to the
church communities, leaders and offi cers
eg. immunity from compulsory military
service, freedom from taxation, the right to
inherit property. Constantine also legislated
Sunday as the Christian day of rest. He was
in addition, extraordinarily generous in
43
providing funds for the construction and
furnishing of Christian churches.
iii) Constantine was by nature a benevolent
and compassionate man. He actively
supported the church in its care of the
poor and disadvantaged in Roman society.
In particular, he did much for the social
advancement of children, slaves and women.
These groups in society had never been
treated at all well under old Roman law. Yet it
is admitted by scholars that Constantine was
only continuing what earlier Emperors had
begun to do in these areas of social welfare
policy. Constantine also prohibited the
abduction of young girls. He also sought with
the help of the church to limit the exposing
of infants children – a practice which often
led to their death.
iv) In the sphere of marriage relationships,
Constantius also made divorce more diffi cult
to obtain, while still allowing for it to take
place.
v) In relation to slavery, Constantine encouraged
the freeing of slaves. However, as with all
emperors – Christian and pagan – no slave
could be freed without due legal process.
vi) On a distinctly negative note, Constantine
was also guilty of occasional cruelty and
high-handedness eg. he had his son Crispus
executed in 326 on a charge of immorality
brought against him by his second wife
Fausta. He later learned from Helena his
mother that his son was innocent of the
charge. As an act of revenge Constantine
had Fausta fatally scalded in a bath of boiling
water. On another occasion he had one of his
slaves fl ogged to death in direct violation of
his own legislation.
In this context it is also very important to mention
that debate has continued over the years as
to whether or not Constantine’s conversion to
Christianity was genuine or merely a pretence
made necessary by political opportunism. Evidence
for the latter position is cited for example, in the
fact that Constantine only received Christian
baptism in the days before he died. Yet, as has
been pointed out earlier, there is the equal
possibility that his conversion took place over a
period of many years, perhaps even beginning
during his childhood under the infl uence of his
Christian mother. Then there is the complicating
factor of his syncretistic policies in relation to
religious expression. In reality, this is something
that can never be determined with any certainty.
The position we have taken approaches the latter
one. In spite of all his failings and weaknesses,
evidence from the sources would seem to indicate
that Constantine did indeed undergo a genuine
Christian conversion – even though it may have
been over an extended period of time.
The fi nal issue that needs addressing here is the
one mentioned at the outset of these background
notes: Can we speak of the Roman empire under
Constantine as a genuine Christian state?
The answer to that question most likely must
be answered in the negative. It is almost an
anachronism to try and apply what is essentially
a modern concept to an ancient society that was
in the throes of signifi cant social and spiritual
upheaval. Even if we accept that Constantine was
genuinely converted to Christianity, his policies
and practices were not fully consistent with an
orthodox Christian position in all areas of life. This
is especially the case in his sympathetic attitude
towards pagan religion and the heretical position
of Arius and his followers. The Roman empire under
Constantine was too diverse ethnically, socially,
and religiously to be simplistically described
as a Christian state. In short, the presence of a
Christian leader together with some laws and
policies consistent with the Christian faith, does not
necessarily lead to the development of a Christian
society. Emperor Constantine was a man of his own
time, sharing the values of a proud, imperial class of
rulers alongside a commitment that most likely led
him to embrace a genuine Christian faith.
44
45
Processing THE AST
4TH CENTURY
1) The Battle of Milvian Bridge
2) The Edict of Milan3) The Council of Nicea
5) A Christian Roman Empire? 4) Constantine – Christian or not?
The following key points provide a summary of the
background notes on Emperor Constantine. You
may want to use this as a way to help the students
summarise the teaching from the Background notes
section – the essential content component of the
unit. The students can use this information to fi ll in
the blank boxes in this mind map in their student
handbooks.
PROCESSING THE PAST
• vision and victory
• freedom of worship to Christians• ends offi cial persecution
• return of property
• council of church leaders
• affi rms Jesus as divine
• pride• suppressed occult• supported Christian rights• money to build churches• compassion for the needy • cruel and brutal at times
• Christian leader and laws• but not a fully Christian society
46
In this section there are four creative exercises that aim to facilitate the student’s understanding of the meaning of the past for them. Teachers should feel free to select whichever activity (or activities) best suits their class.
Blog entry …
This is a creative writing exercise in which the
students are asked to compose a blog/diary entry,
imagining they are Emperor Constantine on
October 27, AD 312.
Imagine you are Emperor Constantine on October
27, AD 312. You have just witnessed a vision of
the cross of Christ with the mysterious symbol
of the Chi-Ro – symbol of Christ’s name. Record
your reaction to this vision, knowing that you are
going into battle with your rival Maxentius at the
Milvian Bridge the very next day.
Encourage the students to be as creative as possible
and to:
• Imagine their own reaction at seeing a vision
such as Constantine described.
• Would they doubt its validity?
• Would they tell someone or not? Call for a
doctor? Check whether their drink had been
spiked? And so on….
On the other hand, many people have experienced
visions they felt sure were from God.
• What would the students do and think if
they felt a sense of conviction that God had
communicated with them.
Time machine theatre
This is a dramatisation activity.
For this exercise, encourage your students to use all
relevant details from the background material you
have presented in order to make these dramatic
exchanges as realistic as possible.
This is the scenario:
You are a Roman Imperial representative
of Emperor Constantine (give yourself an
appropriate name) stationed in Constantinople.
The year is AD 330 and you have been given the
responsibility of overseeing the state celebration
for the dedication ceremony of the city as the
new Eastern capital of the Empire.
What will be in this celebration? (Remember that
this dedication ceremony contains both Christian
and pagan elements.) Create the program
indicating what is to happen at each stage of the
proceedings.
• Encourage students to take a ‘syncretistic’ view
as they mix both Christian and pagan ideas and
practices. (There may be some opportunity for
humour in this.)
• Discuss the issues involved in mixing Christianity
with other beliefs. Does this ever happen today?
When do we see this?
• What are the dangers for Christians?
• What impact would it have on others in society
to see Christianity mixed with other beliefs?
The program can include such elements as prayers,
speeches, hymns and appropriate rituals eg sacrifi ces,
off erings, poems praising God or any specifi c god or
gods, mini-dramatic presentations honouring
various deities.
• List of some Roman gods and goddesses:
Jupiter – king of the gods
Juno – queen of the gods
Mercury – messenger of the gods
Venus – goddess of beauty
Apollo – god of the sun
Diana – goddess of the hunt and of the moon
Neptune – god of the seas
Vulcan – god of fi re
Pluto – god of the underworld
Vesta – goddess of the hearth (ie.home)
Saturn – god of agriculture and the harvest
Aurora – goddess of the dawn
Janus – god of beginnings
Bellona – goddess of war
Fortuna – goddess of destiny
Cupid – god of love.
Profi ting from THE PAST
47
• List of some Roman names:
Male names
Augustus Antonius Asina
Marcus Didius Aurelius
Quintis Gavius Carinus
Sextus Licius Cornix
Tiberius Petronius Festus
Female names
Flavia Donitilla
Claudia Antonia
Ania Galeria Faustina
Poppaea Sabina
Julia Aquila Severa
Heroes from the past
In this extract, reproduced in the Student
handbook, the ancient writer, Eusebius, is retelling
the dream and vision that Constantine had before
the battle of the Milvian Bridge.
MEDIEVAL SOURCEBOOK
EUSEBIUS: THE CONVERSION OF
CONSTANTINE
CHAPTER XXVIII
ACCORDINGLY he called on him (God) with earnest
prayer and supplications that he would reveal to
him who he was, and stretch forth his right hand
to help him in his present diffi culties. And while
he was thus praying with fervent entreaty, a most
marvelous sign appeared to him from heaven, the
account of which it might have been hard to believe
had it been related by any other person. But since
the victorious emperor himself long afterwards
declared it to the writer of this history, when he was
honored with his acquaintance and society, and
confi rmed his statement by an oath, who could
hesitate to accredit the relation, especially since the
testimony of after-time has established its truth?
He said that about noon, when the day was already
beginning to decline, he saw with his own eyes the
trophy of a cross of light in the heavens, above the
sun, and bearing the inscription, CONQUER BY THIS.
At this sight he himself was struck with amazement,
and his whole army also, which followed him on
this expedition, and witnessed the miracle.
CHAPTER XXIX
He said, moreover, that he doubted within himself
what the import of this apparition could be. And
while he continued to ponder and reason on its
meaning, night suddenly came on; then in his
sleep the Christ of God appeared to him with the
same sign which he had seen in the heavens, and
commanded him to make a likeness of that sign
which he had seen in the heavens, and to use it as a
safeguard in all engagements with his enemies.
What is your reaction to Constantine’s claim of a
vision from God?
Does the outcome of the battle make it more likely
that you would believe the vision was true? Why?
• Encourage students to consider whether or not
they believe the claim and to express why they
hold this opinion.
• How do we test these kinds of claims that are
made today?
• How do we test things in our own lives?
• What do we make of people today who claim
there are omens and signs that help them make
decisions?
48
Media reporter
This is a more advanced Creative writing exercise
which allows students to use their imagination
under the guise of an ancient investigative reporter.
Here there is an opportunity for students to
prepare for an interview with Emperor Constantine.
The Roman Herald
Your name is Cassius Livius Felix, and you are
a reporter for The Roman Herald. The year is
AD 325, and Constantine has just become sole
ruler of the entire Roman Empire. He has just
announced his new Social Issues and Welfare
policy, and he has granted you the exclusive
right to interview him in order have his policy
explained to all the citizens of Rome.
Draw up a list of fi ve questions for him to answer,
and write an article summarising his responses.
Encourage the students with some of the following ideas:
• Some areas of interest here are: freedom for
slaves; divorce made more diffi cult; prohibiting
the abduction of young girls; prohibiting the
exposure of infant children; fi nancial
and practical assistance for widows and
orphans; strict limitations on corporal
punishment for slaves; rights for all
female Roman citizens.
• Assist students to draw up realistic
questions that Constantine may well
have faced in his time eg. Why have
you prohibited the exposing of infant
children? Why do you believe divorce
should be harder to obtain?
• In regard to answers Constantine may have
possibly given, guide students to character traits
that the Emperor is known to have demostrated
during his reign, and help them to speculate
realistically on what he could have said, eg. re
divorce – ‘I believe the family unit in Roman
society should be as strong as possible, since
the Bible of Christian believers – and I am
one – teaches that a stable marriage is so very
important for the harmony of society in general.
For marriage has been created by God himself.’
49
In this section the students should be encouraged
to critique the past and the people involved in the
light of what the Bible teaches.
This Bible passage addresses the issues of
respect for authority and the benefi ts of having
governments that fear God and act justly.
The passage is provided as a BLM on page 53 and
also on the CD-ROM as a PowerPoint presentation.
Romans 13:1–7 (NIV)
1 Everyone must submit himself to the
governing authorities, for there is no authority
except that which God has established. The
authorities that exist have been established
by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against
the authority is rebelling against what God
has instituted, and those who do so will bring
judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no
terror for those who do right, but for those who
do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of
the one in authority? Then do what is right and
he will commend you. 4 For he is God’s servant
to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid,
for he does not bear the sword for nothing.
He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring
punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it
is necessary to submit to the authorities, not
only because of possible punishment but also
because of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the
authorities are God’s servants, who give their
full time to governing. 7 Give everyone what you
owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue,
then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honour,
then honour.
What reasons does Paul (the author of this book)
give for requiring everyone to obey those in
authority wherever they live?
• Allow students to summarise Paul’s reasons for
obeying those in authority.
• Encourage students to consider why we all tend
to want to rebel against this teaching.
• What makes us react this way?
Why do law-abiding citizens never need to fear
the ruling authorities?
• Once again, look for the answer in the passage
before discussing the opinions of the students.
• Why is there a tension for us in this?
• Why do we automatically start to say ‘but what
if ... ‘?
What kind of tensions could arise for Christians
who are trying to follow this teaching?
• Focus students on the particular issues that arise
for Christian in a non-Christian society.
• Would it have been any diff erent for Paul’s
original readers?
• Where in the world today would Christians fi nd
this particularly diffi cult?
• What advice would you give to Christians living
in a Muslim society?
• What advice would you give to Christians living
in a western society full of materialism and
greed?
REALITY CHECK – what does the BIBLE SAY?
50
This fi nal section of the lesson is designed to focus
students’ attention on how the content of this
chapter just may be specifi cally applied to them as
individuals living in today’s world.
The Student handbook has two application
questions designed to help them understand how
the past impacts and infl uences the present day.
Can you name any countries that would call
themselves ‘Christian’?
Would you describe these countries as truly
Christian? Why or why not?
As students consider these questions:
• Challenge them to think of countries like USA but
also, closer to home.
• Help them consider the Christian historical
background of their country and whether the
laws and social expectations still refl ect that
foundation.
• Discuss the tensions that arise when people
migrate to this country and bring their own
religious and cultural beliefs and practices.
• What is the best way for society to deal with the
tensions that arise?
Discuss question
This fi nal question can be used for class or small
group discussion. If time is short, you may ask the
students to refl ect on the question individually.
Is it possible to create a Christian society merely
by passing laws grounded in the value system of
the Christian faith?
As the students consider this question:
• Use again the points set out opposite to stimulate
the students to really think about and consider
their responses to this question.
Making the PAST PLAIN FOR NOW
51
Here is the solution to the puzzle given to students
on page 18 of the Student Handbook.
The Life and Times of Emperor Constantine
DOWN
1 Historian who recorded Constantine’s vision
in AD 312. EUSEBIUS
2 Christian day of rest. SUNDAY
3 The new capital of the Eastern Empire, later
renamed Constantinople. BYZANTIUM
4 A Christian rite received by Constantine days
before he died. BAPTISM
6 The 4th century heresy outlawed by Council
of Nicea 325. ARIANISM
7 Blending of diff erent religious traditions.
SYNCRETISM
11 Some people doubt Constantine’s ________ .
CONVERSION
13 Where Constantine issued the edict that
ended persecution of Christians. MILAN
ACROSS
5 Constantine tried to stop this during his reign.
DIVINATION
8 A system of government with four rulers.
TETRARCHY
9 The son Constantine had executed. CRISPUS
10 Latin name for military banner of Constantine’s
army. LABARUM
12 A religious title adopted by ancient Roman
emperors. PONTIFEX MAXIMUS
14 Where Constantine served in the army. BRITAIN
15 The river running alongside Rome . TIBER
16 The battle where Constantine defeated
Maxentius in 312. MILVIAN BRIDGE
PUZZLE
52
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The Life and Times of Emperor Constantine
53
BLM Chapter 3
Romans 13:1–7 (NIV) 1 Everyone must submit himself to
the governing authorities, for there is
no authority except that which God
has established. The authorities that
exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against
the authority is rebelling against what
God has instituted, and those who do
so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who
do right, but for those who do wrong.
Do you want to be free from fear of
the one in authority? Then do what is
right and he will commend you. 4 For
he is God’s servant to do you good. But
if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does
not bear the sword for nothing. He is
God’s servant, an agent of wrath to
bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit
to the authorities, not only because of
possible punishment but also because
of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the
authorities are God’s servants, who
give their full time to governing. 7 Give
everyone what you owe him: If you
owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then
revenue; if respect, then respect;
if honour, then honour.
133 111 777