گذار از فرقهٔ کوچک یهودی به دین رسمی امپراتوری: راهی که مسیحیت در قرون نخستین میلادی پیمود
محورهای موضوعی : تاریخ
مجتبی نقدی
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فیض الله بوشاسب گوشه
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1 - دانشجوی دکتری، گروه تاریخ، تاریخ پیش از اسلام ، واحد نجف آباد، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، نجف آباد، ایران.
2 - گروه تاریخ، واحد نجف آباد، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، نجف آباد، ایران.
کلید واژه: مسیحیت اولیه, امپراتوری روم, پولس رسول, کنستانتین بزرگ, فرمان میلان, اگوستین قدیس,
چکیده مقاله :
مقاله حاضر به بررسی سیر گسترش مسیحیت در امپراتوری روم از آغاز پیدایش این آیین تا تثبیت آن به‌عنوان دین رسمی در قرن پنجم میلادی می‌پردازد. در این پژوهش، روند تحول مسیحیت از یک فرقه یهودی کوچک به دینی جهان‌شمول و غالب در فضای مذهبی، سیاسی و اجتماعی روم بررسی شده است. نویسنده با بهره‌گیری از منابع تاریخی، الهیاتی و تحلیلی، به چگونگی پذیرش تدریجی مسیحیت در محیط چندفرهنگی و کثرت‌گرای روم، نقش چهره‌های کلیدی همچون پولس، کنستانتین بزرگ و اگوستین قدیس، و چالش‌های هویتی، سیاسی و عقیدتی مسیحیان اولیه پرداخته است. پژوهش نشان می‌دهد که پذیرش غیریهودیان، وحدت‌بخشیِ ساختاری، و حمایت‌های امپراتوران روم از عوامل اساسی در گسترش این دین بودند. از سوی دیگر، آزار و اذیت‌های اولیه، فشارهای امپراتوری و تنوع درونی جوامع مسیحی نیز از چالش‌های عمدهٔ آن به‌شمار می‌رفتند. مسیحیت با تطبیق خود با ساختارهای روم و تلفیق ارزش‌های دینی با اقتضائات امپراتوری، موفق شد ضمن حفظ هویت خود، جایگاهی مرکزی در نظم سیاسی و فرهنگی جهان روم بیابد. این مقاله با نگاهی انتقادی به پیچیدگی‌های تحول مزبور، می‌تواند نقش مهمی در فهم فرایند تاریخی ـ اجتماعی مسیحی‌شدن غرب ایفا نماید.
This article examines the expansion of Christianity within the Roman Empire from its inception to its establishment as the official religion by the fifth century AD. The study explores the transformation of Christianity from a small Jewish sect into a universal and dominant religion in the religious, political, and social landscape of Rome. Drawing on historical, theological, and analytical sources, the author investigates the gradual acceptance of Christianity within the multicultural and pluralistic environment of Rome, the roles of key figures such as Paul, Constantine the Great, and Saint Augustine, and the identity, political, and doctrinal challenges faced by early Christians. The research reveals that the inclusion of non-Jews, structural unification, and imperial support were essential factors in the spread of Christianity. Conversely, early persecutions, imperial pressures, and internal diversity within Christian communities were among the major challenges. By adapting to Roman structures and integrating religious values with imperial needs, Christianity managed to preserve its identity while securing a central position within the political and cultural order of the Roman world. This article critically examines the complexities of this transformation and offers significant insight into the historical and social process of the Christianization of the West.
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