The emperor Theodosius (378-395) went further. He made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire. Many saw this as a step forward. In reality, it was a giant step backward for this reason: Many considered themselves ‘Christians’ to comply with the state religion (as they had complied when emperor worship was the state religion). Many claimed to be converted, not because of Christ, but because they gained social and political advantages. The church’s power with government attracted new leaders with political ambitions. Unconverted people, still pagan at heart, flooded into the churches. They gave popular support to new church leaders who made changes as they wished.
To be sure, there were still many genuine Christians who remembered Jesus’ statement, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). But that was not what the government wanted to hear, nor did worldly church leaders. As they increasingly took control, the voices for New Testament Christianity were heard less and less.
Rome itself fell to northern invaders, the Goths, in 410. Among those who witnessed the Western empire’s collapse were Jerome (342-420) and Augustine, a Berber of North Africa (354-430). As leading theologians, they sowed philosophical seeds that flourished in the Dark Ages, the next period to be visited in this historical survey.