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 •

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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