The Constantine Option

Recently, my friend Robert made a heartfelt social-media post inquiring about Orthodox Christians who claim that anyone participating in political discourse is “worshiping false idols.” Here’s how I began my comment to his query.

“I find that the people who promote what you’re saying most definitely have a political bent themselves. It’s just that you disagree with them and want to dialog, but they’re sure they’re right so then your stance is in turn called ‘disunity.’ This is projection, and it’s at the heart of cancel culture and only feeds into the boiling hostility and division that envelopes us. Freedom of conscience is something God endowed in us, and it should be celebrated, as long as you’re not preaching heresy.

We all know these kinds of Christians. They question not only your faith, but your salvation, if you dare to challenge the leftist status quo. Robert is a catechumen, which means he’s being trained in doctrine and discipline before his chrismation into the Orthodox faith, so I tried to get out in front of the curve and set the tone before the do-gooders could dog-pile. If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s having a dissident’s back.

I continued: “Moreover, bishops put out political statements all the time. They don’t think they’re political, but if you’re not of the ‘social justice’ worldview, they most certainly are. Simply using bad American history and faulty data is highly political, and that is an all-too-common theme amongst the most learned of Orthodox.

I’ve referenced this trend before in my 2-part “Twisted tongues” series, Beacons of light and Salt of the earth, which tackled the hierarchs’ penchant for supporting illegal immigration by using the progressive “America is an idea” ideology. And now the bishops are at it again, pushing historicity in support of egalitarianism.

As historian Brion McClanahan explains, these left-ese slogans have “become ingrained into our political lexicon.” For instance, why do people (like bishops) cite only one part of the Declaration (a very political document) and not “mention the last paragraph?,” McClanahan asks. “Because it annihilates the entire idea of a ‘proposition nation.’”

“If the War produced 13 ‘FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES,’” he continues, “then how could we have a ‘nation where all men are created equal?’” We can’t. And maybe I shouldn’t expect clergy to grasp that, since that’s even a hard sell for 99.9% of the rest of ‘Murica, including most academics. But I do expect clergy not to use ahistorical abstractions as evidence of their opinions. Stick with Scripture, fathers.

Oddly, Metropolitan Tikhon also wrote, “As the Church, in which ‘there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free,’ we oppose racism.” I mean, surely he know that the next line in Galatians 3:28 is “nor is there male and female,” which is a favorite of the trans activists, right? Bend the knee to placate BLM and the open-borders globalists, and you’ll soon be knee deep in LGBT lunacy.

I concluded: “My patron saint is Ilia the Righteous of Georgia. He fought against the Russification of his people and for their borders, language, and culture (all political issues in 2020) but always through the lens of his nation’s Orthodox faith. He was what you would call a Georgian patriot, thus, he was murdered by his political enemies in 1907.

“If you’re seeking truth and peace, there’s nothing wrong with challenging political conformity based upon incorrect info, especially when we live in a government-meddling society where everything – marriage, the family, education, sexuality, owning a small business, self-defense, food, housing, travel, health, medicine, and even church – is political. Heck, if using polemics against Empress Eudoxia was good enough for St. John Chrysostom, it should be good enough for us. Be bold but loving: that’s my mantra.”

Christian finger-wagging at conservatives who buck the fashionable opinions of the day is not a strictly Orthodox thing, of course. Years ago, I coined the term “evangeleftism” in order to try to describe the Protestant version of this curious and troubling phenomenon that seems to be embedded within much of American Christianity, no matter the church.

When liberals and left-wingers urge people with whom they disagree to “stop being so political,” while they simultaneously act and speak political, it’s an Ameridox contrivance, which is built upon a purely modern American idol. And its goal is to stifle dissent and smash God.

As my friend Dave Benner writes, “The United States Constitution does not contain the words ‘separation of church and state,’ nor does it require the general government to purge all religious influence from public institutions.”

“To the contrary of modern conceptions,” he continues, “the document does not require that elected officials abstain from making decisions based on religious proclivities, nor does it call for government to intervene to prevent religious influence in government.”

Christians in the rest of the Christian world get this. They understand that there can be no part-religious/part-secular life, that it’s all the same thing. Maybe America and the West as a whole wouldn’t be in the “shit hole” predicament we’re in if Christians had realized this.

Maybe this is why conservatives and traditionalists lost the Culture War: because we fell for the myth. Maybe we should’ve concentrated on putting devout brethren into to positions of power, as opposed being duped by secular Orthodox like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Catholics like Chief Justice John Roberts, and Benedict-Arnold Protestants who make up the majority of Christians in Congress.

Maybe we should’ve loudly protested Orthodox Tim Tassopoulos when he sold out his faith for money. Maybe we should’ve ignored Rod Dreher’s advice in “The Benedict Option” of withdrawing from and abandoning politics. Maybe we should’ve embraced the double-headed eagle, understood that Christendom flourished due to the interconnectedness of Church and State, and that Christians should most definitely use politics to uphold and promulgate truth, beauty, and goodness.

Not all Christians are made to take bold, controversial stands, debate, or even ask unpopular questions. Strangely, it seems that those who aren’t spend their time trying to convince and/or castigate those who are. We never seem to be celebrating the true diversity of spiritual gifts and using them for a shared purpose: to protect the faith, spread the Gospel, and glorify the Lord. Nope, just wear your mask and shut up, trouble-maker.

We “rabble-rousers” can take heart in the history and work of St. Job of Pochaev, who lived during a time of great turmoil within the Church and was a master at conveying ideas in mediums that could reach his 16th-century contemporaries. His Akathist describes him as an “unconquerable defender of and struggler for the Eastern-Orthodox catholic faith against the falsely-minded West.”

Whereas St. Job was a monk, St. Constantine was an emperor and is another example of note. Below is a homeschool paper my then-age-10 son wrote about him last spring.

St. Constantine’s canonization is touchy subject for some, but thank God he was willing to use politics for the furtherance of Christianity. Our battles may be different today, but the war is still the same, and I say the Constantine Option is one we should not have forgotten and one we should most certainly rekindle.

Above: Constantine and his mother Helen, both of whom are sainted as “Equal to the apostles” due to their service to and building of the Church.
At top: The icon illustrates the historic Council of Nicea, which was assembled by Constantine (seen at center in red crown and robes).

Constantine the Christian warrior

Like an architect, Constantine built up the Church greatly. He was born on February 27, 272 A.D. in Naisus, Serbia, which was part of the Roman Empire. Constantine’s father was one of the four caesars of the empire’s vast lands. Wanting to be like his powerful dad, Constantine would emerge as a politician, too. Although, his mother came from humble beginnings, she influenced Constantine on Christian beliefs. Because of the impression his parents made upon him, Constantine became a prestigious leader of both Rome and Christianity.

When he became Supreme Augustus, Constantine used his power to spread Christianity all over the civilized world. In 302 A.D., Diocletian abdicated the throne. There were numerous civil wars, and there was chaos between caesars because they were all vying for authority over the colossal Roman Empire. In 312 A.D., Constantine fought the bloody and brutal Battle of Milvian Bridge against his rival Maximius. Some historians claim he was told in a vision that he needed to be the guardian of Christians. Constantine saw “XP,” which are the first two letter in the Greek word for Jesus, and he also saw “Hoc Vince.” That means “Conquer by the Cross.” Constantine’s soldiers painted crosses on their shields and he easily defeated Maximius. Impressively, Constantine conquered other kings and huge armies.

It took Constantine 18 years and a series of battles and wars to finally become Augustus of the East and West parts of the empire in 324 A.D. He fashioned extravagant landscapes and nicely made roads, and protected many Christian kingdoms. Constructing beautiful cities, Constantine often used his own money and manufactured churches as shrines to Christianity. He established a new capitol, which was an old Greek city called Byzantium, rebuilt it, and called it “Nea Roma.” But after his death, this majestic city’s name was changed to “Constantinople.” Even though Constantine used much of his political power to advance himself, he also helped Christians significantly.

Constantine’s faith evolved over the passing years. Constantine’s mother, who found the true cross and is an honored saint in the Orthodox and Catholic churches, was an immense Christian influence on him. She was also the first Christian pilgrim and was extremely devout.

Constantine was politically careful about his faith. If he declared “I love Christians!” everyone would kill all the Christians and there wouldn’t be any today. Patiently, he waited till he was Supreme Augustus to proclaim his Christianity, but he still played it safe. Making it the law that Christians had to be accepted into society, Constantine created the Edict of Toleration in 311 A.D. The caesar Galatius ignored it. Because of this, Constantine implemented the Edict of Milan, which legalized Christianity in 311 and returned all stolen church property.

Constantine organized the Council of Nicea in 325 to close pagan temples. While Constantine was pro-Christian, he didn’t get baptized until his death bed. He died on May 22. The year was 337. He was 65 years old. Although it took him a while to get there, Constantine was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity.

Truly, if Constantine hadn’t supported Christians, there would be a lot fewer today. Constantine instituted Sunday as a day of worship. He dealt with schisms, and he called the First Ecumenical Council, which is where people come together to call out corrupt teachings and to decide what important beliefs Christians should have. It also deftly destroyed the popular heresy of Arianism. Arius taught that there was no Trinity. That God is Father. But Jesus is inferior. Father and Son aren’t equal.

At the Council, Constantine remarked, “For my own part, I hold any sedition within the Church of God as formidable as any war or battle, and more difficult still to bring to an end. I’m consequently more opposed to it than anything else.” That meant that the fighting for true Christian doctrine at the Council was as hard to do as the work of soldiers and was also as momentous.

The Ecumenical Council also produced the Nicene Creed, which is a creed we still sing today, and another name for this special gathering is the Council of Nicea. In the Orthodox Church we still sing hymns to Constantine and his mother. Because he promoted Christianity, his saint title is “Equal to the Apostles.” Constantine preserved peace and the faith for the ages.

Constantine the Great was an adroit military man and politician, who also revered Christ. Although, he was a Christian, his faith progressed slowly over the years but he was cautious. Seriously, Constantine’s legacy as a resolute leader made the Church more durable. Without him, who knows what Christianiaty would be like today? Constantine was a Christian warrior.

Source: Dissident Mama – The Constantine Option