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Cathedrals, Processions and Vestments
By Rev. Dave Beaman of Missionary Disciples of Christ
Few people understand that the trappings of many churches today have nothing to do with anything truly theological. What many people consider to be a holy and sacred part of church services are nothing more than the trappings of the Roman Empire. When Constantine became Emperor in the 4th century, he wanted to return the Empire to the past glory of Rome. This was reflected in his control of the Christian Church. Yes, Constantine controlled the church to a large extent and his influence has lasted into the 21st century. This came about as a result of a vision he had that won him a battle that would eventually lead to his becoming the Emperor of all the Roman Empire. During the battle of the Milvian Bridge, Constantine saw the Chi Rho in the sky and recognized it as a symbol of the Christian God. He won the battle and took it as a sign that the Christian God would help him if he helped the Christians. However, Constantine never engaged in the process by which people entered into and were formed in the faith, leading to baptism. Furthermore, he continued to participate in pagan ceremonies. He did accept baptism at the time of his death, but during his life it appears that the Christian God for Constantine was just one more in the pantheon of Gods that people worshipped in the Roman Empire, even though one whose favor he had found a way to cultivate. As for the church, Constantine wanted it to contain the spectacle that was so common to Roman ceremonial. It was because of this that grand cathedrals were built; that church services begun with grand processions down an aisle; and that the clothing worn by clergy during services became lavish in the style of traditional Roman garb for high officials of the Empire. Today, we call that clothing vestments, and some denominations imbue them with religious significance when in fact they have none that is genuinely theological.
This intel first appeared on: http://www.missionary-disciples-of-christ.org
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This intel was contributed by Rev. Dave
Rev. Dave
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May, 2012
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