Did Constantine Really Convert?

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The conversion of Emperor Constantine to Christianity is often suggested as a turning point in the history of the religion - but would Christianity have continued on its upward trajectory without this conversion? Was Constantine’s conversion one of genuine religious conviction, or was it motivated by something else? Has his conversion been co-opted and over-emphasized by later Christian authors?
Today, Megan asks Bart about:
-What was the position of Christianity prior to Constantine’s conversion? Was it outlawed, its adherents persecuted, or simply unpopular?
-What do we know about Constantine’s religion prior to his conversion?
-Do we know what kind of exposure Constantine had to Christianity earlier in his life?
-Do we know if he participated in the suppression of Christianity during his early military and political career?
-What did conversion mean to someone coming from a pagan background?
-Constantine claimed that his conversion was a result of religious visions he experienced while marching his army to Rome. What sources do we have for these visions - and exactly how many visions did he have?
-Why do you think we have differing accounts of his conversion? Did Constantine’s story change throughout his life, or is the story being altered to suit the aims of the writers?
-What was the impact of Constantine’s conversion on the trajectory of Christianity, and what do you think would have happened had he not converted?
-Given the size of the empire, and the difficulties with communication, how aware would people in the empire have been of Constantine’s conversion?
-Finally, the big question: without a time machine, it’s hard to say for sure, but do you think that Constantine’s conversion was genuine?

[@bartdehrman]

Hey all - it's Chris Huntley, producer of the show, writing for Bart. We are aware of an editing issue we had on this episode wherein Megan appears to interrupt Bart repeatedly. This was actually not the case in the real-life interview. We all know Megan to be a respectful host. Instead, it was an editing goof initiated by the timing being off in the recordings. We have identified the problem and assure you it won't happen again. If you'd like to listen to the episode, you can do so on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, etc. Again, we apologize for the inconvenience.

[@katconley2995]

Thank you. I was very concerned. It just didn't make sense that Megan would be that rude.

[@Lawfair]

Thank you, I was a little surprised by this effect, at least there were a few instances where it was clearly a technical issue and not Megan talking over Bart.

[@brettneely748]

haha, thanks. i wondered what bart did to tick her off.

[@ryangooseling]

Editing can be a bear. Glad you are aware of the glitch. Thanks for your hard work

[@Ray-iu7hg]

Haha, I was wondering about that 😛 it didn't seem like I remembered her... Now I know why

[@Theomatikalli]

Please don't fire the editor.. it was fun getting miniature heart attacks from Megan's interruptions 😂

[@davidk7529]

Thanks for this, I was feeling bad for them after seeing all the mean comments about it. Shit happens! It just goes to show that all the work that goes into producing these videos is not as easy as the final product makes it look. It was yet another amazing episode.

[@remindachendirapati5105]

Infinity eyeglasses rulez :-)

[@remindachendirapati5105]

How did that happen. Now I am 5105. But nooooo. I am the original Reminda Chendirapati. Curry sauce is extra!

[@RomanPhilosopher]

Megan's glasses are like eye magnets. I can't look at anything else. Where do you even get spectacles like those?

[@chipnewton9620]

Her sense of style is remarkable. Trendsetter, she is!

[@vanshankguitars]

Try Zenni😅

[@justjukka]

Scrolled to see if anyone mentioned it. I prefer plain for myself, but I love seeing people find ways to embellish their own fashion. 🥰

[@ihatespam2]

She looks mental

[@trilithon108]

May be an Arcadian or Sumerian cuneiform symbol? I like the multi colored frames😊

[@silviu-georgepantelimon1423]

The more I listen to this podcasts the more I get angry that I was lied to in school (in Romania they teach religion in public schools, it's a bad situation), there I was taught that Constantine and his mother were 100% certainly christians and that Elena was the sole reason Constantine became christian and that he was baptized on his deathbed because he feared repercussions if he declared himself that. Thank you Bart and Megan for correcting the false information that I had to learn in school, it makes much more sense hearing a scholarly perspective than takes into account multiple sources without personal biases. Also, on a side note, I love how stylish Megan is, especially her glasses. She and Josh are the best looking couple I know.

[@kc-lo8jy]

Christianity does not command christians to kill those who leave christianity, thats why almost everyday we see so many videos against christianity whereas muslims in islamic countries, physically attack and kill those who say anything that can be considered critical of islam. So because of so much criticism of christianity, most americans and europeans have started to believe that only christians are fundamentalists and muslims are great but the fact is that in islam you can be killed for being homosexual or you can be killed for leaving islam, thats why all ex-muslims leave pakistan.

[@drgeorgek]

Having been bought up as Greek Orthodox I totally understand - St Constantine and Helen are untouchable and cannot question the theology in the slightest. Great to actually hear the history/facts available to us for a change!

[@ji8044]

As long as you didn't get sold a piece of the true cross, it's all good.

[@drgeorgek]

@@ji8044 yes! Great point! There are so many bits of such wood circulating around ….

[@silviu-georgepantelimon1423]

@@ji8044 I actually collect them, I want to build a 1:1 replica of Noah's ark out of them.

[@NoWay1969]

Bart's video background remover makes him look like ghost Obi Won Kenobi in Star Wars.

[@nathanaelsmith3553]

Why do people always choose bookshelves? Why not something more original like a jungle setting or moonscape? I would go for something like Mayan ruins or Stone Henge.

[@kencreten7308]

Regardless, it looks fuzzy and weird, and anyone watching this - forever - has to watch that....

[@justjukka]

I unironically enjoy background glitches when they happen 😄

[@bigtex4058]

In your quest for the Holy Grail did you encounter The Knights that go NEE!?

[@MrDalisclock]

More importantly, did Bart have a shrubbery to offer

[@scambammer6102]

He's already got one.

[@MikeJw-je4xk]

What fascinates me is the Knights that go Nee are as real as all of these thousands of imagined gods.

[@MrDalisclock]

@@MikeJw-je4xk the knights also only want shrubbery and not prayer or lifelong devotion.

[@ABLovescrafting]

The interruptions were a throw back to the era of when talking long distance, we would get time delay between speakers and we'd end up talking over eachother. So Weird... But very good, interesting interview! Thank you!

[@Jason-jc3kj]

Very much enjoy this series, but I have a complaint about the new editing. The prompt/question > response > prompt/question "dead air" has been edited out, or Megan has started asking the next question before Bart has actually finished speaking. This one seems to have been edited more like movie dialogue. However, the material requires a natural, brief breather to absorb before moving on to the next question. I'd appreciate a return to the less snappy rate if possible for better retention.

[@patrickmcinerney9491]

Agreed, Jason. I have it on in the background and actually checked the video because it sounded like she keeps interrupting him. I kept wondering how long he was gonna take it before he said something, hah!

[@suprcrzy]

Agreed. The exchange around 27:00 - 27:20 was almost perfect, especially compared to the rest of the video. Hopefully they can get that down going forward. Because in the current format, she's asking the next question before he's even done speaking 😂

[@patrickmcinerney9491]

@@suprcrzy right now I just heard, "and it was at that point, according to Eusebius, that he decided that Christ was in fac--" "Okay, thank you."

[@suprcrzy]

@@patrickmcinerney9491 - 😂😂

[@jasonGamesMaster]

Yes! I find it exceptionally annoying and I'm tempted to skip this episode. It's really distracting and I feel like she is being exceptionally rude. I mean I know it's not her, but that is what I hear

[@zapkvr]

You mention the Der Vinci code a lot but you are aware that his book was a direct lift from the earlier tome by Baigent, Leigh and Lincoln "The holy blood and the holy grail" in 1982. The authors were the first to popularise the myth even though they never made nearly as much money off it.

[@kevinmunro6930]

an equally problematic tome I'm afraid

[@MichaelYoder1961]

Despite the glitches (s**t happens), I always look forward to these episodes. Megan and Bart have great rapport and it's always informative and easy to understand. My only issue with this one was problems with Bart's green screen - unless he usually has appearing and disappearing hands and a halo - lol (maybe HE'S a god). Thanks!!!

[@trilithon108]

I saw that, a floating right hand, perhaps a miracle, a new religion forming?😅

[@drgeorgek]

@@trilithon108hahahhahhahha

[@drgeorgek]

@@trilithon108I didn’t see it?! Does that make me a sinner and unbeliever? 🙏

[@user-fq4yz5ek3r]

REPENT,YE HEATHENS!

[@jtta8282]

I thought that there must be some editing issue, megan is a polite person, she can't be cutting bart so abruptly so many times. Read the pinned comment and now i am fine.

[@RomanPhilosopher]

Please do an episode on Marcion's Gospel vs Luke and his apostolikon vs canonical paul! Love this podcast!

[@BroonParker]

​@@eremiasranwolf3513there's a decent literature about Marcion. It could be combined with other early sources - or just be a shorter episode (with more time for their general chat chat and the rest of it!).

[@adavis5926]

I wrote a novel that I never published, with a historical backstory that Constantine sided with Arius, with the result that in the early 700s, Europe was more easily converted to Islam, and later, the New World was populated by a variety of Christian refugees.

[@pirbird14]

Oh, I'd love to hear that story.

[@abotariq257]

Helena and her son were Arians by the way

[@user-fq4yz5ek3r]

​@@abotariq257Interesting! I didn't know that.

[@RandiRain]

All that temperature talk at the beginning really hurt. I'm in Texas, it's currently 107 degrees Fahrenheit here. It only gets down to the high 80s at night. If you go outside, you'll die.

I used to listen to the show in my Podcast app so I've never seen before how awesome are Megan's glasses!

[@shawnmckenzie8699]

Thanks Dr. Ehrman. Interesting topic.

[@Claudi333]

Great show, I appreciated that!😃

[@spankflaps1365]

The best specs I’ve seen since Dennis Taylor, Snooker World Champion 1985.

[@kylelloyd4437]

Megan is a great host and I'm glad she's here! Great episode!

[@mmh1922]

Excellent discussion, thank you.

[@aboskany7159]

Great conversation, Megan’s question is very intelligent and helps further understand Bart’s intelligent talks. Thank you. 🌺

[@nickscurvy8635]

This is an exciting episode. Ive heard entirely contradictory things even from the same author about the question of Constantines conversion. But ive hever seen someone really talk about it in depth.

[@Sphere723]

Wow. I'm more into Roman history than early Christian history, and Bart nailed it here. Very good summary of the different sources and the overall narrative. He left out a couple things though. The Chi-Rho symbol had pre-Christian meaning (something akin to "good", like a modern use of a plus or checkmark) so it's first use by Constantine was likely ambiguous, and maybe deliberately so. Constantine was in the middle of taking Italy where the local population was notably more Pagan/anti-Christian than his home area of Gaul. It's plausible that it's use in the moment was inclusive to both Sol Invictus and Christianity, and the explicit reference to Christ was a later re-telling after he secured power and converted. Also, Constantine passed a law forcing the return of Christian property seized during the persecutions without compensation for the current owners. This would have been well know to local people across the Empire.

[@harrispinkham]

Bart can’t be right about EVERYTHING 😅

[@harrispinkham]

Ps: thanks for this!

[@zapkvr]

Italy? Hmmmm

[@andrelegeant88]

This is not entirely accurate. The Chi-Rho was an abbreviation for words starting with Chi and Rho. So while it is an existing symbol, I do not think you can say that it was open to an ambiguous interpretation. It would not have made sense as a mark on a shield unless it had religious overtones.

[@Sphere723]

@andrelegeant88 It probably had religous overtones, the question is was it explicitly Christian. And my answer is probably not. Looking at the sources, after Constantines conversion it seems like there was a deliberate rewriting of Constantines early career to make it more Christian. The Chi-Rho story is probably one of these revisions. Like Aurelians vision a generation before, it seems like a bit of propaganda which fits nicely into later Imperial policy choices. A little too nicely.

[@dougmurphy1777]

Not only is there no mention of the christian god on the arch of Constantine, its carvings consist entirely of pagan imagery!

[@jefflewis4]

Yeah Bart kind glossed over that one. To me that is the the most convincing point that he had not converted, at least not in the years immediately after the battle. The arch depicts the battle but none of the shields have the Chi Rho depicted. Being its such a crucial part of the conversion story, and being credited for the victory. I just don't see how it would have been excluded from the arch. If Constantine converted at all it was much later in life.

[@talonanthony]

That is a fact.

[@kobe51]

Thanks for clearing up so much confusion around this religion

[@MilesMariae]

Really helpful video. Thank you.

[@vishnubuddha4188]

The lady actually asked pertinent questions . Thanks

[@RobertJones-et7gh]

I’m surprised nothing was said about earlier origins of the Chi-Rho (Kai-Rowe), coming from from Ptolemy III, about 500 years before Constantine’s Chi-Rho. Or did I miss something???

[@wattiewatt]

From my days as an undergrad I've always viewed the stories around Constantine with considerable suspicion. waiting for Bart to cast his wisdom before me.

[@TheSoteriologist]

If you want to avoid seizures, be careful when you look at the screen here.

[@brucejones7071]

I really enjoy this podcast immensely! One complaint, though: It may be just an editing choice to quicken the pace, but the practice of having the interviewer talk over the end of the interviewee's response (very similar to a news-ish/political broadcast) is really quite annoying, just speaking personally, of course. Thanks!

[@aleccrippa8868]

Recent archeological evidence in Spello, Italy, shows that after his "conversion" Constantine allowed a community in Italy to hold an annual religious festival in their town under the condition that they erected a temple in honor of his divine ancestors, the Flavians. The temple has just been found.

[@Robert_L_Peters]

Boy that conference sounds great! No Crossan? No NT Wright? (Ha)

[@albertomartinez714]

Thanks again. Great material from Burt Herman. I always thought there was more to the Constantine story!

[@subrapaliappa4824]

Those are the coolest glasses, ever Megan!!

[@wolfgangkotz5555]

bart i hope you had a great time

[@kibbleandquibble1732]

Your glasses are amazing!

[@wogmessiah]

Enjoyed this thnx

[@juannifer32]

I have to attend this event!

[@markwrede8878]

Constantine converted the Roman bureaucracy into the Church. The Church retained the bureaucratic function of government for the succeeding millennia and it was forgotten that bureaucracy is in fact the first branch of government. It issues official records without which there is no secure information.

[@TheJacobprice1]

I absolutely am loving reading How Jesus Became God right now and really admire your work Bart. I do have a question though related to today's podcast. You mention the idea that Constantine wasn't actually responsible for Christianity flourishing and call this a misconception at one point, then explain how he legalized it and heavily funded its growth. If an emperor who was less friendly to Christianity was in power, don't you think it was possible that it might not have been as successful?

[@malcolmboyd3503]

Wonderful

[@welcometonebalia]

Thank you.

[@Amra415]

Loving Megan’s glasses

[@davidzimmerman1354]

Haven’t listened yet but cool glasses!!

[@DirtySanchez658]

He killed half his family the lunatic, I know that much...

[@JCResDoc94]

*_"are you judging me now, John?"_* - Gabriel to Constantine _JC

[@Morlock1943]

Like your Greenscreen Bart!

[@simonbattle0001]

Well things will go awry when technology is involved. If those who handle the editing still have the master then remastering this is pretty easy as long as they didn't save the raw video with the mistakes made in this copy spoiling the master. I can say the most disappointing element was finding out the professor's library is a green-screen background apparently. The incomplete answers were disappointing, because of the editing glitch. Like to see them do it again if the master is spoiled.

[@davidk7529]

I’m pretty sure his backgrounds are usually all real 😂 This one threw me off too because I’ve never seen him use that effect before. The sound overlap was weird but still tolerable overall.

[@noyota]

To err is human; to foul up everything, requires a computer! 😂

[@AlistairMacPherson]

Why is the download blocked by the music owner? I have been able to download the rest of your videos for offline consumption.

[@relativetimeworx8459]

Charles Freeman's The Closing of the Western Mind: The Rise of Faith and the Fall of Reason is an excellent book that delves into this topic. He is very skeptical regarding Constantine actually embracing Christianity. The arch of Constantine's lack of Christian iconography is one piece of evidence cited.

[@johnhumberstone9674]

The gasses are distracting and so are the books. A key point for presenting is KISS - Keep It Simple.

[@jerrie1946]

Megan I love the glasses, these are my favorites so far, however, I miss the hair color. a nice light pink would have been spectacular. Ah, I settle down to listen to Bart and will stay focused unless you drink from a cup with something written on it. Then I will try to read what it says. ADD doesn't mean I have trouble paying attention. It means I find some things more interesting than other people find them. Let's remember, there is the rewind button if I miss something Bart said while trying to read the cup. Please don't top using cups with messages because I said this. It's these things that make you seem like family rather than a lifeless host.

[@unc1589]

I’m sorry. This is just too good. Extreme hats off to Mr Ehrman. As to the sincerity of Constantine’s conversion, It could have been completely strictly political. Or he could’ve simply been sincerely wrong. The biblical Christ suffers no cowboys! Even today a pastor has to go through the paces to become a pastor. The novice is prohibited for obvious reasons. Imagine God allowing a novice man of war to become overseer of Christianity for all of Europe? When Paul on the road to Damascus got his marching orders from Christ what was his instruction ? “Rise and go to the city and you will be told what to do!” And God sent him there blind! In a totally humiliated state. Why? Because Christ doesn’t hire cowboys! He hires sheep. Sheep depend on the shepherds voice. (Constantine, the Christian killed his wife and son?)

[@richardredmond1463]

I'm not sure any of us can normally know what's in the heart of another person, which may be different to what they profess.

[@autumnonawhim]

I just wanna know where Megan bought those glasses 🤩

[@michaeldonofrio6759]

Although I believe that Bart Ehrman is the best Scripture scholar in the English-speaking world, I disagree with him on the authenticity of Constantine's conversion, even in light of his (Constantine's) deep involvement in theological issues of the Christian church. Constantine was the first major corruptor of Christianity. He made money, power and social privilege acceptable to early Christian leaders- which continues until today. In addition, I can't seem to reconcile that Jesus, who spent his entire public ministry teaching love of your enemy and forgiveness of those who offend you, now counsels Constantine to go to war. Whatever it was that Constantine thinks he saw, it was clearly not the Jesus of the Gospels.

[@jeffmacdonald9863]

I'm pretty sure Bart doesn't think Constantine actually saw the Jesus of the Gospels. Which doesn't meant that Constantine didn't honestly convert. He doesn't have to have been faking it, even if he didn't understand the message - which we could argue is true of many throughout Christian history.

[@cbwavy]

31:10 I'm starting to understand why those Monty Python clips were uploaded a few weeks ago

[@dirkcampbell5847]

Constantine's army at the battle of the Milvian Bridge was 40,000 strong. Roman soldiers were not issued with a pot of black paint and a paintbrush each. One pot of paint and a paintbrush per century (80 men) maybe, but that would total 500 pots of paint and paintbrushes for the whole army. I seriously doubt any Roman army ascribed that much importance to paint compared to weapons, armour, food, spades and stakes. In any case it would take all day for 80 men to paint the Xi Ro on their shields one after the other - even if they could get it right! Lactantius' account seems a bit fanciful to me.

[@NoSpam1891]

It's just as believable as every story of a death bed conversion to Christianity. All bullshit IMO.

[@robinharwood5044]

Can you imagine what the soldiers would have said about it, and the centurions pretend they didn’t hear? There would have been a lot of words and phrases we didn’t learn in our Latin classes at school.

[@jholloway77]

Bart mentions that is is possible that Constantine thought the Unconquered Sun was the Christian God, do we have any other examples of syncritism and pegans viewing Christ/God through the lenses of the traditional religions? I remember in a history class the professor showed us images of Christ as Apollo, but now I can only find that stuff on mythicist websites.

[@magister343]

I remember listening to a podcast (I don't recall which one right now) which convincingly argued that the cult of Sol Invictus had always considered Jesus Christ to be a manifestation of their sun god. (Note that the title "invictus" or "unconquered" was applied to many gods, including Mars and Jupiter, and not consistently used for Sol by his worshipers in late antiquity.) Sol was a sun god that was worshipped even in the early Roman Republic, but he was a minor god and whose cult had almost been forgotten when it was renewed and transformed by the young Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, aka aka Elagabalus or Heliogabalus. Elagabalus was a Syrian-born relative of the Severan dynasty who was proclaimed emperor at age 14 after the death of his cousin the emperor Caracalla. Before becoming emperor, he had already inherited the hereditary position of high priest of the Syrian sun god Elagabal. He grew up in Emesa, a city with a very high Christian population and would have been fairly familiar with Christianity. When he was raised to the principate he formed a new, highly syncretic religion which identified his god Elegabal as the same being as other deities including Sol, Apollo, Helios, Bacchus, Osiris, and Jupiter. He refused to honor any of traditional gods except by identifying them as aspects of the sun god of whom he was the chief priest. It seems that he also tried to subsume Jesus Christ into the sun god. Pretty much all of the worshippers of Sol Invictus would try to maintain decent relations with Christians, even when more traditional Pagans were very hostile towards them, although Christians considered their view of Jesus to be rather blasphemous.

[@Feniantimmy]

I'm digging her glasses. Quite the fashion nob, she. Love her.

[@brijeshshukla764]

I am a scholar of Vedas but I do not know much about Bible, please tell me about Bible

[@darapdiengdoh2179]

Dr Ehrman can u tell us something about the story of Thomas trip to India.

[@zapkvr]

MacCulloch goes into great detail about the tetrarchy in his voluminous "History of Christianity"

[@hm5142]

A more fundamental question: How could what someone believes ever matter? As a physicist, I have always thought the most charming thing about Nature is that she doesn't care what you want or what you believe.

[@user-lc4sq6xp7z]

So you believe that nature doesn't care what you want or what you believe? Care?? Human beings can't help themselves. Your goddess is charming and she doesn't care!

[@andreaurelius45]

Everywhere the Light went, the Darkness was pushed away.

[@unc1589]

If Constantine was not truly converted, The implications are truly immense. It is not difficult to know if he was truly converted . Since the Bible is the lone definer of what Christianity is.

[@brendenaichi5048]

I just tune in to see what color Megan's hair is 😊

[@ji8044]

No he was a supreme politician, like all great totalitarians, and told each faction exactly what they wanted/needed to hear according to their usefulness to him Think Stalin, but without the unfortunate tendency to murder immediate family members that Constantine had. .

[@williamkoscielniak7871]

He could have a Machiavellian personality type and still sincerely have religious views. Psychopathy does not exclude religious belief.

[@ji8044]

@@williamkoscielniak7871 Religious belief practically demands it!

[@jasonoyq]

OMG where can I get Megan's specs???!!!

[@elizabethgeorge4708]

Was this interview edited or did Megan always interrupt Bart at the end of each answer?

[@tophers3756]

Given that we have at least one record of a provincial governor asking how to deal with Christians in the early 2nd century shouldn't we accept that at least unwritten persecution existed then? He is instructed to give the Christians the opportunity to deny they are Christian and then offer incense to the Emperor and be punished of they don't. While it may not be Christianity per se that's being punished, the exercise of the religion certainly is.

[@NoSpam1891]

They had a reputation of not praying to the city gods which is like being in the lifeboat and refusing to help row.

[@user-fq4yz5ek3r]

My opinion is that Constantine's beliefs were a matter of syncretism, which occurs in an individual or a whole culture. Like evolution to Biology, syncretism is the key to understanding Comparative Religion. His beliefs were a mash up of Christ,Mithras, Apollo and being the Emperor God,and they changed over time. It's much like St. Augustine's conversion from Manicheism to Christianity. It's more likely than not that his former beliefs bled into his new faith. Christianity wouldn't be what it is today without the influence of Plato and Zarathustra.

[@PocketMarmo04]

I dont know that ANY of this convinces us decidedly that Constantine did NOT convert. Ehrman just explores Constantine's motivation for doing so.

[@CaptainGrimes1]

It's kind of rude for Megan to interrupt Bart before he finishes speaking each time

[@nosuchthing8]

Ok. Going to say it. Her glasses are amazing.

[@user-uo7fw5bo1o]

Constantine nearing Milvian Bridge: "Who's this Christus, what's it all about, and what's that plain tropaeum doing in the sky?" * Tropaeum = a victory cross or a deified Caesar's funerary cross. A plain tropaeum back then is our Latin Cross today.

[@1234567mrbob]

Did she say Maryland? I grew up there. I live in Virginia now. I think this area is too cold for me.

[@CRJines]

I live off grid with no ac in New Mexico. 104 last week.

[@h_chris5527]

The interruptions made it feel like an interview at a news station. I like the way they used to do it, when Bart is allowed to finish... usually ending with a laugh, and then Megan progresses with the next question. It feels more natural that way

[@bartdehrman]

@@notanemoprog Correct. Please see my pinned comment. Our apologies.

[@ihatespam2]

@@notanemoprogodd because they are both talking at the same time, doesn’t seem like an edit.

[@Ray-iu7hg]

​@@ihatespam2must be a conspiracy

[@h_chris5527]

​@@bartdehrman Thanks Chris. Appreciate your time to explain.

[@hoobastankfan1994]

​@@ihatespam2of course it's an editing glitch. They layer the local recordings from Bart and Megan so you get the best quality possible and accidently misaligned them. Easy mistake to make.

[@cbwavy]

Every episode always covers such a big question that no one asks, except the people looking for a deeper understanding of Christianity.

[@NathanielJ.Franco]

This canard is played out and well known. Plenty of people ask this question if they deny Church traditions.

[@NoSpam1891]

“The Secrets of Christianity” series has a special episode called “Selling Christianity” which examines how a persecuted secretive cult grew to defeat the pagan religions, became the official church of the Roman Empire and, eventually, the world’s largest religion. This episode delves into the Roman Emperor Constantine’s true intentions when adopting Christianity by investigating the one thing that he left behind that expresses his true beliefs - the Arch of Constantine. We had unique access - by a cherry picker crane - to the Arch. We photographed it as no one has photographed it. Decoding the Arch leads to a very surprising conclusion with regards to what lies at the heart of Christianity. -- By Simcha Jacobovici in JESUS ARCHEOLOGY (I'd post a link but f***ing KZbin will probably delete my post.)

[@lenorefoxmoor9985]

😊

[@NoSpam1891]

@@lenorefoxmoor9985 It's a real documentary. I was totally fascinated. No Christian iconography anywhere on the entire arch. Sure, a "real Christian".

[@craigbhill]

Once heard a lecture from a visiting historian who gave 4 different moments for Constantine to convert, including on his deathbed, and he never did. If he had it would have been screamed to the masses by the Church. No such document of his conversion was written, or it would have become universally known ever since. It's Christian myth, pardon the redundancy. Constantine could never get over his personal fondness for pre-Xian myth. In that, he was honest.

[@josiepens4480]

I like Megan's glasses.

[@1234567mrbob]

It gets "up to" the upper 70s in the UK? I was there in 2017 and it was 95.

[@TheLookingOne]

If Eusebius, who advocated lying to promote his religion, was not lying in his stories about Constantine, why didn't Constantine put the labarum on his victory arch? Why were there only symbols of other religions on his victory arch?

[@SmartStr33t]

Thanks, a really interesting look into this. I've thought for a while that there seems to be two Christianities: on the one hand there is turning the other cheek, admiring the widow's offering, walking the extra mile, spending time with the sick and the poor, the lepers and the prostitutes, giving up money and family to follow Jesus, giving away your second coat to someone who has none, fleeing from the sinful world, giving up possessions and riches that you cannot keep to gain something you cannot lose. This Christianity seems to match most happily with the actual teachings of Jesus in the 4 gospels. And on the other hand you've got vast cathedrals laden with gold accoutrements, the opulence of the Vatican, generals going to battle under a flag bearing the cross, whether it was Constantine or King John going to the crusades, wars, battles, tithes, burning down family-planning clinics, attempts both successful or otherwise to establish 'Christian' nations or governments. This kind of Christianity seems to be interested in obtaining or maintaining power or wealth and seems to be at odds with the teachings of the new testament. Up until watching this video I've always understood that the turning point was the conversion of Constantine: that the Roman adoption of Christianity was a way to maintain power (previously an emporer in Rome taking taxes from across the Roman Empire, and latterly a pope in the Vatican taking tithes from across Christendom). This certainly seemed a neat way for me to think about it, but from this video, perhaps it is a little more complex than that?

[@andybeans5790]

Sweater weather? I've been in shorts since March

[@eottoe2001]

I like the infinity classes.

[@user-tt6be2zx3h]

long story short: 'who knows' ;) *since real conversion have to deal with someone's private thoughts (psychology), should absolutely be beyond the realm of historian.. at best it's speculation based on certain historical action that he took or from his written or spoken words (which in itself is another prb with authenticity as well~)

[@mvPiss]

At first the interruptions are kind of annoying, but it got funnier the more it went on. Like Megan has no patience whatsoever and just want this to be over with, while Bart seems like he's afraid to speak up and get yelled at.

[@davidk7529]

Especially “Bart, I want definitive answers from you!!” Not intended but now absolutely classic 😂

[@user-fq4yz5ek3r]

Hoho! Wait until AI renders perfect deep fakes! We won't know what or who to believe..

[@birkett83]

Serious topic, not so serious glasses.

[@magister343]

I've heard it claimed that some followers of Sol Invictus going back as far as Heliogabalus himself tended to be favorable towards Christians and tried to include Christ along with Sol, Helios, Apollo, and Bacchus as just another manifestation of their syncretic sun god. Christians considered this rather blasphemous, but it was better than pagans trying to kill them.

[@ricklarson392]

Your vids are amazing and always provide great info. And I always liked them because they have few or no ad breaks. That was until today. JFC, an ad break every 4 to 5 minutes. I get it to view great content like yours we need ads but this overkill is ridiculous. As a content provider, do you really want your work interrupted every 4 to 5 minutes? And advertisers - this overkill does not endear us to your products and services.

[@russellmiles2861]

I contend that the Sermon of the Mount was an ideal template for Constantine; well, not him personally. But the ideology of the sermon is subservience to Kings and Rulers. As God Ruler of EARTH this would not be seen as applying the emperor, but everyone else.

[@alexandercampbell9178]

Is Bart's background a photo of his actual library or is it merely aspirational?

[@johnhumberstone9674]

It's a zoom background. Watch his hands disappear as he waves around.

[@x2mars]

Why the little “ catch up” pre game?

[@SaidAhmad]

I think I would agree with Bart on the idea that Christianity introduced exclusivism into that area of the world. That is to say, a religion that required belief in a particular God under penalty of eternal damnation after death. But, while I think that that is true, I think it didn’t have to be that way. I think Islam about 600 years later, proved that it doesn’t have to be. There was a long-standing rule of tolerance for other faith traditions established by Islam that was not restricted only to the Abraham faith traditions. (I would cite the Moghul Empire as an example where Hindus were considered “people of the book” and treated accordingly). There was no need for other faith traditions to convert to Islam as a religion since God makes it plain in His Quran that “there is no compulsion in religion”. 2:256

[@astropiote]

Sol invictus is indeed the religion of the Catholic Church. Sol invictus fought the true Christians the Arians.

[@kstep23]

Would you quit interrupting that man?!

[@Volleyball_Chess_and_Geoguessr]

I have never seen glasses like those before