Constantine and Consensus

The church historian Socrates Scholasticus tells a story about an encounter during the Council of Nicaea between the emperor Constantine and the schismatic bishop Acesius. On learning that Acesius's dispute had nothing to do with the Creed or the date of Easter-the two major issues under debate at that Council-Constantine asked, "For what reason then do you separate yourself from communion with the rest of the Church?" Acesius replied that his sect objected to the relative leniency with which other Christians had treated those who had cracked under the empire-wide persecutions of the third century. He then "referred to the rigidness of that austere canon which declares, that it is not right that persons who after baptism have committed a sin, which the sacred Scriptures denominate 'a sin unto death' be considered worthy of participation in the sacraments." Whereupon, Socrates continues, the emperor said to him, "Place a ladder, Acesius, and climb alone into heaven

Ancient history · Baptism · Creed · Emperor · Heaven · Millenarianism · Nothing · Political science · SOCRATES · Theology · Byzantine Studies and History · Classical Antiquity Studies · Classical Studies and Legal History · Classics · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · History · Law · Philosophy

• The church, society and political power

  Open Access•H A Drake•Constantine to c. 600•2007

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• Cicero's instinctu divino and Constantine's instinctu divinitatis

  Linda Jones Hall•Journal of early Christian studies•1998

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• Bandits, Militants, and Martyrs

  Open Access•Gregory J Goalwin•Journal of Historical Sociology•2021

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• The later Roman Empire, 284-602

  A H M Jones•The later Roman Empire, 284-602•1964

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• Continuity and change in Roman religion

  J H W G Liebeschuetz•Continuity and change in Roman…•1979

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• Persecution and Toleration

  Open Access•Christine Kooi•Calvinists and Catholics During…•2012

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• Ideology and Popular Protest

  Louise A Tilly, George Rude•The American Historical Review•1981

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• Israel Oriental Studies

  Joel L Kraemer•Israel Oriental Studies, Volume 12•1992

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• Constantine the Great and the Christian Church

  H I Bell, Norman H Baynes•The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology•1933

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• Constantine the Great and the Christian Church

  Open Access•H I Bell•The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology•1933

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• Le dossier du donatisme

  Louis Duchesne•Mélanges d archéologie et d…•1890

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• Empire to Commonwealth

  Garth Fowden•Empire to Commonwealth•1993

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• Constantine and Eusebius

  Walter Emil Kaegi, Timonty D Barnes•The American Historical Review•1982

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• Constantine and Eusebius

  H A Drake, T D Barnes•The American Journal of Philology•1982

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• Barbarians and Politics at the Court of Arcadius

  Alan Cameron, Jacqueline Long et al.•Barbarians and Politics at the…•2024

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• The Governmental Process

  Charles M Hardin, David B Truman•The Western Political Quarterly•1951

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• On Roman Time

  Lawrence P Schrenk, Michele Renee Salzman•The Classical World•1992

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• Constantine's Prohibition of Pagan Sacrifice

  T D Barnes•The American Journal of Philology•1984

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• Eusebius, Christianity and Judaism

  J C M Van Winden, Harold W Attridge et al.•Vigiliae Christianae•1993

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