Colonialism and Missions: Progressive Separation

Abstract

The nineteenth and twentieth centuries have seen a progres sive separation of close association of spread of Chris tianity with empire-building which began with conversion of Constantine in fourth century. Although we do not know that conversion of Roman Empire was Constantine's purpose when he accepted faith, and although he did not proscribe paganism, in his new capital which he built at Byzantium and named for himself Constantine erected many churches and forbade repair of non-Christian temples or new representations of old gods. With one brief exception, that of Julian the apostate, Emperors of Constantinian line espoused Christianity; second ordered that pagan sacrifices in Italy cease; and third commanded closing of pagan temples. As a result, from constituting only about a twentieth of population of realm when Con stantine took his momentous step, by end of fourth century those who called themselves Christians were in large majority. The conversion of northern barbarians who in vaded Empire during fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries was part of acculturation by which conformation to Greco-Roman civilization of Mediterranean world was