Mondays are for Church History
1/29/24
Schaff, Philip. (2014). "Chapter I. Downfall of Heathenism and Victory of Christianity in the Roman Empire." 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. 1783-1838. (Original work published 1889). Amazon Kindle Edition. (Personal Library).
"§ 4. Julian the Apostate, and the Reaction of Paganism. A.D. 361-363." (pp. 1807-1825).
Schaff observes that in the different sources of information about Julian there are radically different judgments although there is considerable agreement regarding the facts (Schaff 2014, p. 1870). He then follows with an extensive bibliography on Julian the Apostate (Schaff 2014, p. 1808-1809).
Despite Constantine's moves to welcome Christianity and allow paganism to die out, Schaff notes that after Constantine's death there were still adherents to paganism as well as a latent cultural custom (Schaff 2014, p. 1809). With the vigorous encouragement of Julian, there was a brief rekindling of the philosophies, but it was not ultimately sustained.
Julian, who was a nephew of Constantine, had witnessed the rejection and assassination of most of his family members. Needless to say, this created negative feelings toward the Constantinian policies and Christianity (Schaff 2014, p. 1809). He was largely educated in a rural location under the supervision of an Arian bishop, and was confronted by "a repulsively austere and fiercely polemic type of Christianity" (Schaff 2014, p. 1810). This moved him to rebellion and identification with paganism. This move was further reinforced as he received further education in Greek philosophy in Athens in 355. Schaff characterizes the Neo-Platonism in which Julian was educated as "in great part an imitation or caricature of Christianity" (Schaff 2014, p. 1811). Schaff describes the paganism of this time period in terms which are reminiscent of the Romanticism of his own times, in which a nostalgic philosophical interpretation of attitudes of a bygone generation re-invent the past in an affected and often ostentatious manner. Julian's acceptance of these ideas may have fed his "affectation, vanity, loquacity, and . . . dissimulation" (Schaff 2014, p. 1812).
Schaff reports that Julian dates his apostasy to the year 351, when he was 30. However, he concealed his views through the life of Constantius (Schaff 2014, p. 1812). Julian was distinguished in battle after 355, guarding Gaul from the Germans (Schaff 2014, p. 1813). In 361, he became the sole head of the Roman empire, where he poured himself into his work for the entirety of his reign, which lasted from December 361 to June 363 (Schaff 2014, p. 1813). Schaff observes that during his reign Julian portrayed himself as an ascetic, showing eccentric behaviors in dress and food. Schaff considers his commitment to humility and self denial so extreme that it showed Julian to be vain and ridiculous (Schaff 2014, p. 1814).
Schaff characterizes Julian's hatred of Christianity and his attempt to restore paganism to be his great downfall (Schaff 2014, p. 1815). He made deliberate efforts to re-establish pagan worship at shrines and temples, also making pains to replace Christian symbolism in public spaces with pagan symbolism. He served in the historic role as pontifex maximus and engaged diligently in the sacrifices (Schaff 2014, p. 1816). Despite these efforts, the pagans in the culture were not moved to refresh the religious life of the community by following the same measures. Rather, they saw his actions as so much show or theater (Schaff 2014, p. 1817). Julian further imported into paganism some particular Christian morality. This included installing a priesthood, creating hierarchy in worship, fixed rituals, and special participants in worship events (Schaff 2014, p. 1817).
Julian meanwhile engaged in activities intended to destroy Christianity (Schaff 2014, p. 1818). Not wanting to provoke sympathy for martyrs, Julian worked to separate Christian leaders from their flocks, meanwhile urging secret persecutions (Schaff 2014, p. 1819). On the whole, the public attitude toward Chrsitians was that of mockery and satire. Treating all who claimed Christianity the same, whether orthodox or heretic, served to trivialize Christian truth claims. Christians were urged to humility and non-retaliation in the face of unfair treatment by their government (Schaff 2014, p. 1821). Christins were barred from professions in the sciences or the arts, an attempt to relegate them to a subordinate social position (Schaff 2014, p. 1821).
Schaff notes that Julian also pretended reverence for Judaism, thus signaling his rejection of Christianity (Schaff 2014, p. 1822). Schaff notes that Julian had spoken contemptuously regarding Judaism in the past. He therefore was most likely encouraging Judaism to have it overthrow the Christianity which had flourished. Julian's attempts to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem were not successful, possibly due to a series of natural disasters which Chrsitians of the time identified as acts of God's judgment (Schaff 2014, p. 1823).
In 363 Julian, wanting to establish himself in the model of Alexander the Great, made an attempt on Persia, in which he received a fatal wound. He died on June 27, 363 (Schaff 2014, p. 1824). Schaff characterizes Julian as a brilliant warrior and administrator who came to a bad end in part through his fanatic views. Because of the cultural power of Christianity, a persecution after a success in Persian would have been a severe conflict which may have torn all of European culture apart (Schaff 2014, p. 1825).
1/29/24
Schaff, Philip. (2014). "Chapter I. Downfall of Heathenism and Victory of Christianity in the Roman Empire." 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. 1783-1838. (Original work published 1889). Amazon Kindle Edition. (Personal Library).
"§ 4. Julian the Apostate, and the Reaction of Paganism. A.D. 361-363." (pp. 1807-1825).
Schaff observes that in the different sources of information about Julian there are radically different judgments although there is considerable agreement regarding the facts (Schaff 2014, p. 1870). He then follows with an extensive bibliography on Julian the Apostate (Schaff 2014, p. 1808-1809).
Despite Constantine's moves to welcome Christianity and allow paganism to die out, Schaff notes that after Constantine's death there were still adherents to paganism as well as a latent cultural custom (Schaff 2014, p. 1809). With the vigorous encouragement of Julian, there was a brief rekindling of the philosophies, but it was not ultimately sustained.
Julian, who was a nephew of Constantine, had witnessed the rejection and assassination of most of his family members. Needless to say, this created negative feelings toward the Constantinian policies and Christianity (Schaff 2014, p. 1809). He was largely educated in a rural location under the supervision of an Arian bishop, and was confronted by "a repulsively austere and fiercely polemic type of Christianity" (Schaff 2014, p. 1810). This moved him to rebellion and identification with paganism. This move was further reinforced as he received further education in Greek philosophy in Athens in 355. Schaff characterizes the Neo-Platonism in which Julian was educated as "in great part an imitation or caricature of Christianity" (Schaff 2014, p. 1811). Schaff describes the paganism of this time period in terms which are reminiscent of the Romanticism of his own times, in which a nostalgic philosophical interpretation of attitudes of a bygone generation re-invent the past in an affected and often ostentatious manner. Julian's acceptance of these ideas may have fed his "affectation, vanity, loquacity, and . . . dissimulation" (Schaff 2014, p. 1812).
Schaff reports that Julian dates his apostasy to the year 351, when he was 30. However, he concealed his views through the life of Constantius (Schaff 2014, p. 1812). Julian was distinguished in battle after 355, guarding Gaul from the Germans (Schaff 2014, p. 1813). In 361, he became the sole head of the Roman empire, where he poured himself into his work for the entirety of his reign, which lasted from December 361 to June 363 (Schaff 2014, p. 1813). Schaff observes that during his reign Julian portrayed himself as an ascetic, showing eccentric behaviors in dress and food. Schaff considers his commitment to humility and self denial so extreme that it showed Julian to be vain and ridiculous (Schaff 2014, p. 1814).
Schaff characterizes Julian's hatred of Christianity and his attempt to restore paganism to be his great downfall (Schaff 2014, p. 1815). He made deliberate efforts to re-establish pagan worship at shrines and temples, also making pains to replace Christian symbolism in public spaces with pagan symbolism. He served in the historic role as pontifex maximus and engaged diligently in the sacrifices (Schaff 2014, p. 1816). Despite these efforts, the pagans in the culture were not moved to refresh the religious life of the community by following the same measures. Rather, they saw his actions as so much show or theater (Schaff 2014, p. 1817). Julian further imported into paganism some particular Christian morality. This included installing a priesthood, creating hierarchy in worship, fixed rituals, and special participants in worship events (Schaff 2014, p. 1817).
Julian meanwhile engaged in activities intended to destroy Christianity (Schaff 2014, p. 1818). Not wanting to provoke sympathy for martyrs, Julian worked to separate Christian leaders from their flocks, meanwhile urging secret persecutions (Schaff 2014, p. 1819). On the whole, the public attitude toward Chrsitians was that of mockery and satire. Treating all who claimed Christianity the same, whether orthodox or heretic, served to trivialize Christian truth claims. Christians were urged to humility and non-retaliation in the face of unfair treatment by their government (Schaff 2014, p. 1821). Christins were barred from professions in the sciences or the arts, an attempt to relegate them to a subordinate social position (Schaff 2014, p. 1821).
Schaff notes that Julian also pretended reverence for Judaism, thus signaling his rejection of Christianity (Schaff 2014, p. 1822). Schaff notes that Julian had spoken contemptuously regarding Judaism in the past. He therefore was most likely encouraging Judaism to have it overthrow the Christianity which had flourished. Julian's attempts to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem were not successful, possibly due to a series of natural disasters which Chrsitians of the time identified as acts of God's judgment (Schaff 2014, p. 1823).
In 363 Julian, wanting to establish himself in the model of Alexander the Great, made an attempt on Persia, in which he received a fatal wound. He died on June 27, 363 (Schaff 2014, p. 1824). Schaff characterizes Julian as a brilliant warrior and administrator who came to a bad end in part through his fanatic views. Because of the cultural power of Christianity, a persecution after a success in Persian would have been a severe conflict which may have torn all of European culture apart (Schaff 2014, p. 1825).
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