Constantine & Christianity: Lesson for Kids | Study.com
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Constantine & Christianity: Lesson for Kids

Instructor Andrea Miller

Andrea is currently a social studies middle school and high school world teacher in Ohio. She has been a part of the teaching community for 9 years. She has a BA in history from Wright State University, as well as a MEd in education from the University of Dayton. In the education field, Andrea has taught workshops including OGT Success and Writing for Life. Andrea has also been a middle school debate team coach for several years. In the history field, Andrea is currently working towards a Public History Certification in Archival Studies at Wright State University.

Constantine was a Roman emperor that stood up for Christianity in a time when the faith was not accepted. He helped to make the religion legal, and he created cathedrals and united the religion. In this lesson, you will learn about Constantine and his faith.

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Constantine and Christianity

Imagine if people who didn't even know you instantly disliked you just because of the God that you worshiped. Christianity is a monotheistic religion where people believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. In the times of the Roman Empire, beginning almost 2000 years ago, people of the Christian faith were very unpopular. At the time, most Romans were polytheistic, meaning they believed in multiple gods. Thus, Christians in the Empire faced hatred, violence, and sometimes death. However, one emperor came to power and changed everything for Christians living in the Roman Empire.

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Constantine in the Early Years

Constantine was born in the Roman Empire after 280 CE, which is more than 1700 years ago. He was born into a military family, with his father serving as army officer that rose all the way up to the rank of deputy emperor. Constantine would follow in his father's footsteps and inevitably get involved in a Roman civil war. By the end of the war, Constantine found himself as the Emperor of the western half of the Roman Empire. Then, in 324 CE, he would defeat the emperor of the eastern half, to become the sole ruler of the Roman Empire.

Constantine
constantine

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It is believed that Constantine encountered Christianity while living in the east and despite its unpopularity, he made it very well known that he believed his faith in God and Christianity helped to make him emperor. There is even a story that Constantine dreamed of God the night before a major battle, the Battle of Milvian Bridge. God told Constantine to paint the Christian monogram on all his soldiers' shields and he would win the battle. The next day Constantine won the battle. In another version of the story, Constantine saw the monogram in the sky during the battle and knew he was going to win.

Monogram

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As emperor, Constantine made it his duty to further the Christian faith. In 313 CE, Constantine helped to create the Edict of Milan which made it legal to practice Christianity in the Roman Empire. Next, he gathered Christian leaders from around Europe and Asia together to create a more unified Christian practice. Constantine called this Christian assembly 'The Council of Nicea'. The Council of Nicea created a universal statement of faith declaring Jesus and God as equal religious entities. Constantine also set up a new major city that he named Constantinople, which is modern-day Istanbul, Turkey. In Constantinople, Constantine went to work building several cathedrals that are still famous today, like the Basilica of St. John in Laterno, or Basilica Constantiniana.

A cathedral
cathedral

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Constantine was the Roman Emperor that made Christianity legal in the Roman Empire. He also created the First Council of Nicea, which helped to unify the Christian church. Constantine then went on to build several famous cathedrals. Constantine was an important historical figure that set the stage for the growth of Christianity.

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