Description: What happens to the church when the emperor becomes a Christian? Seventeen hundred years after Constantine's victory at Milvian Bridge, scholars and students of history continue to debate the life and impact of the Roman emperor who converted to faith in the Christian God and gave peace to the church. This book joins that conversation and examines afresh the historical sources that inform our picture of Constantine, the theological developments that occurred in the wake of his rise to power, and aspects of Constantine's legacy that have shaped church history.
Brief description: Edward L. Smither is professor of intercultural studies and history of global Christianity and dean of the College of Intercultural Studies at Columbia International University. His previous books include Christian Mission: A Concise Global History and Mission in the Early Church: Themes and Reflections.
Review Quotes: "Like him or dislike him, one cannot ignore Constantine in Christianity. His legacy can be seen at every turn, from Sunday observance to law to ecclesiastical dress! These essays help us to come to terms with the scope of that legacy."
--Thomas O'Loughlin, University of Nottingham
--Michael A.G. Haykin, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary "If we are going to assess Constantinianism rightly, we have to get Constantine right. The contributors go a long way toward accomplishing this task. In place of the caricatured Constantine of popular fiction and theology, this collection of essays presents a living, breathing Constantine, flawed and failing, but a genuine believer struggling to use his power in a way that would please the 'Supreme God' who had chosen him."
--Peter Leithart, New Saint Andrews College