Was Constantine Bad? with James Wood

James Wood joins Jen Wilkin, JT English, and Kyle Worley to discuss the influence of Constantine on Christianity.

Questions Covered in This Episode:

• Who was Constantine? What was his relationship to Christianity in the ancient world?
• Did he really convert?
• What are the Christians of this time thinking about Constantine?
• How does Monasticism replace martyrdom?
• Is there a protestant approach to living in the tension?
• What are the goods of Christendom?
• How does this history shape our understanding of the competing perspectives on church and state today?
• What are faithful Christian perspectives of church and state?
• How would you contrast pagan Christianity from the kind of public Christian witness you advocate for?
• Explain the subordination of the secular.

Guest Bio:
James Wood is Associate Professor of Religion and Theology at Redeemer University, a teaching elder in the PCA, a cohost of Mere Fidelity Podcast and the Civitas Podcast, and has written and writes for a number of publications, including Plough, Comment, First Things, World, and Theopolis, among others. He holds a PhD in Theology from the University of Toronto, a Th.M. from Princeton Theological Seminary, an M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary. He is married to Clare, and they have five daughters.

Helpful Definitions:

• Gelasian Dyarchy: The "two swords" doctrine.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Romans 13, 1 Peter 2, Revelation 13
• “Defending Constantine” by Peter Leithart
• “Christ & Culture Revisited” by D.A. Carson
• “The Desire of the Nations” by Oliver O'Donovan
• “Institutes of the Christian Religion” by John Calvin
• “The Politics of Pagan Christianity” by James Wood

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