4/22/24
Schaff, Philip. (2014). "Chapter III.Alliance of Church and State and Its Influence on Public Morals and Religion." In History of the Christian Church. (The Complete Eight Volumes in One). Volume 3, Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity A.D. 311-600, from Constantine the Great to Gregory the Great. (pp. 1856-1908). (Original work published 1889). Amazon Kindle Edition. (Personal Library).
"§22. Evils of the Union of Church and State. Secularization of the Church." (pp. 1887-1889).
While Schaff has noted many benefits to church and state based on the recognition of Christianity, he also observes detrimental effects. These effects normally remain to Schaff's time. The first he discusses is secularization. By adopting Christianity into the empire, and by Christianity adopting (at least on some level) the Roman empire, there was a strong tendency for a form of cultural Christianity to emerge in which there was no change of life based on the gospel (Schaff 2014, p. 1888). The idolatry which characterized the Roman state was not always abandoned. Rather, some elements became cultural accretions into Christian practice. Schaff is clear that not all Christians fell prey to this temptation and there were numerous faithful church fathers. However, the temptation to capitulate was present. The distinctions between Christian and non-Christian were left less clear.