History is the Lamp that Illuminates the Truth, which Religion Seeks to Extinguish

History is the Lamp that Illuminates the Truth, which Religion Seeks to Extinguish

By: Evangelos Dim. Kepenes (November 27 2025, 20:15)

The various ancient Gnostic traditions of the early centuries were condemned as heresies by the early Christian Church, often with the support of Roman State Authority. Despite this, they influenced theological thought and contributed to the formation of Greco-Christian doctrine. This formation emerged from the process of dogmatic demarcation, which aimed to satisfy a political need: the creation of a unified doctrine to ensure the state cohesion of a Hellenistic populace, and not the preservation of apostolic truth.

The correlation between the methods of Christianization and Roman conquest tactics is valid and constitutes a matter of immense historical significance. This is particularly true from the moment Christianity became the official religion of the Empire in the late 4th century AD.

Let us examine three key areas in which religious policy began to mimic or utilize the tools of Roman political and military power:

1. Legal and Military Enforcement against Heresies

Roman Emperors used the legal framework and the military might of the state to impose dogmatic uniformity, that is, the Hellenized Christianity, just as they used the same means to enforce the Pax Romana (Roman Peace).

• Laws against Heresy:
  The laws of Theodosius I (late 4th century) and his successors are characteristic. Heresies such as Arianism and Donatism [1] were declared illegal. Imperial laws:

  • Prohibited the assemblies of heretics.

  • Ordered the confiscation of their property.

  • Often led to exile, a classic Roman punishment for political opponents.

• Use of the Army:
  When laws were insufficient, the imperial army was used for:

  • Seizing the churches of heretics (e.g., in the conflict with the Arians).

  • Suppressing the Donatists in North Africa, where operations were violent and took on the character of a military campaign.

2. The Destruction of Pagan Temples

The imposition of Christianity as the dominant religion involved the systematic suppression of the old religions, a tactic reminiscent of the destructive fury of Roman military campaigns.

• Condemnatory Laws:
  Theodosius I issued laws that prohibited all public (and later, private) pagan worship (e.g., the laws of 391 and 392 AD).

• Acts of Violence:
  Christian fanatics, often with the support of local bishops and state officials, destroyed ancient temples and sanctuaries.

  • Example: The destruction of the Temple of Serapis (a Greco-Egyptian god) in Alexandria in 391 AD by crowds of fanatical Christians, with the Emperor's approval, demonstrated that violence had now been established as a tool of religious policy.
    This practice corresponded to the Roman tactic of damnatio memoriae (condemnation of memory), that is, the erasure of the name and destruction of the symbols of the state's enemies.

3. Missionary Activity as Political Expansion

The mission to the northern tribes (Goths, Franks, etc.) was often not merely a spiritual work, but also a tool of Roman influence and cultural assimilation.

• Christianization as Romanization:
  The Christianization of a barbarian tribe implied the adoption of Roman institutions, letters, and, ultimately, integration into the Roman cultural sphere. It was a form of cultural conquest without the necessary direct use of the military.

• Political Significance:
  The conversion of a chieftain (such as Clovis of the Franks) to Greco-Orthodox Christianity had immediate political consequences, securing for the Roman Empire (or later the Byzantine Empire) a political ally. Faith was transformed into a means of diplomatic control.

It is clear that, once patriarchal Christianity acquired state power, it largely adopted the methods of imposition, control, and suppression that the Roman Empire had beforehand. 

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Notes

[1] From the Donatists later emerged the "Circumcellions" (wanderers), who would ask passersby to kill them, otherwise they would commit suicide. Furthermore, the Donatists, during the Holy Communion, held a human bone in their hands, which they would kiss beforehand.

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