Obedience in a New Age

But changes brought about by the new situation could be seen everywhere. Thus, the great question that the church faced at this time was to what degree and how it should adapt to the changed circumstances. All were agreed that some measure of adaptation was necessary. All were also agreed that such adaptation should not relinquish the traditional faith of the church. The disagreement rested on exactly what it meant to be obedient in a new age while remaining faithful to an old age.

I can imagine these words being used decades from now to describe the Western church in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Yet it's not a reflection on the church in a postmodern age -- this is describing the 4th century A.D. when Constantine became emperor of the Roman Empire. Suddenly, Christians were no longer being persecuted, and a new age of a sort of Imperial church was forming.

I've actually really enjoyed the first part of my reading for Church History I. Justo Gonzalez, in The Story of Christianity does a good job of telling the story of the early church.

Sorry it's been a while since I've posted. Marriage is awesome. :-) So I'm not all that sorry.