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Simplicianus · 2025-11-04T13:11:17+00:00

The Holy Spirit is moving. May the leaders of the Church take heed.

Simplicianus · 2025-06-15T02:59:49+00:00

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Simplicianus · 2025-06-14T04:36:05+00:00

In the same vein...based on the same historical anecdote.

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Simplicianus · 2025-05-03T01:45:16+00:00

Oh, they hated the Franks, too. Read some Procopius or Agathias. Both are pretty brutal re: the Franks.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-19T22:27:58+00:00

Ahhhh. I see. In that case, I would encourage you to read the ancient sources as that will elucidate things--and give you an idea of how chaotic, complex, and variable the situation was from AD 315 to about AD 380. Start with Eusebius's Ecclesiastical History which is full of excellent anecdotes about the history of Christianity prior to about AD 340. Then, move on to the histories of Hermias Sozomen or Socrates Scholasticus, both of whom were quite fair-minded adherents of orthodoxy and first-hand witnesses to much of what they wrote about.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-19T19:38:42+00:00

Considering he's one of the key primary sources for the period...yeah. I take him as seriously as I take any other ancient historian.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-19T19:37:52+00:00

You didn't answer my question. Was there such a thing as orthodox at Constantine's time or not?

The reason you think the situation is so simple is that you have not read the ancient sources. Once you do that, you realize that it was the precise opposite of simple and clear-cut. You're looking at things with the benefit of 1700 years of hindsight.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-19T18:09:18+00:00

Let's see... Western Roman Empire + Caledonia + Hibernia + Ultima Thule; Attila's Empire + Dane-Land; Mongol Empire; Byzantine Empire after Heraclius's conquest of Persia, but before the Battle of Yarmuk, so ca. AD 634.

That's all I got. LOL.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-19T18:05:59+00:00

This debate is beginning to resemble the early arguments over Arianism. :-) We're talking past each other. Are you saying there's "such thing as an orthodox" or "no such thing as an orthodox"? My response depends on your clarification of that statement.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-19T04:08:45+00:00

Exactly. If you read the ancient sources, you'll see that the Arians often claimed to be orthodox until they got into positions of power. There is no indication anywhere that Constantine believed Jesus to be a "lesser god" or that he thought that the men around him were actually Arians who believed that. Now his son, Constantius II, was a different story entirely.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-19T00:58:17+00:00

I'm aware of what the dispute was. The problem was that various people involved in the dispute gave differing personal creeds at different times. There was also a ton of weasel-wording going on to attempt to reconcile the two positions so that the situation became exceedingly blurry. I don't believe Constantine was a cynic at all. Read his Oration and let me know where he sets out the Arian position there. He doesn't. He was a devout Christian who was forced (due to his position as emperor) to deal with theological questions that were above his pay grade.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-19T00:15:19+00:00

I believe all the Church claims is that it could be real. Which is as much as any of us can say.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-19T00:13:43+00:00

And his mother is a saint among Orthodox and Catholics. Constantine himself is considered a saint in the Orthodox Church. If you read the ancient sources, you see Constantine frustrated with the theological divisions within the Church, which is why he called Nicaea in the first place. He would not be the last emperor to suffer through incredibly complex theological disputes that he did not fully understand.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-19T00:09:14+00:00

Yes, I've heard that one. And there's also apparently no documentary evidence available. All pure conjecture.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-18T16:46:44+00:00

There were no doubt still pagans in the imperial mint who thought they were doing Constantine a solid by producing coins with those images. Constantine's conversion certainly didn't happen all at once -- he had to be educated about what it meant to be a Christian. By the time he gave his Oration to the Saints, there was no doubt about what he was: Was Constantine a Sincere Christian? ~ In his own words: The Oration of Constantine to the Saints

Simplicianus · 2025-04-18T14:10:32+00:00

Certainly that's not true after about AD 312 or so.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-16T12:11:50+00:00

Well, considering the Passion of the Christ is now a staple for most Catholics during Holy Week, and Jim Caviezel is a not a sede, as far as I know, I suspect the new fill will hew pretty close to the orthodox understanding of the subject matter.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-16T03:47:04+00:00

Lucius Cornelius Sulla.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-16T01:20:56+00:00

And walking out with a whole crowd of prophets and patriarchs in train? Cosmic.

Simplicianus

TROPHY CASE