"John Howard Yoder makes the striking observation that after the Constantinian shift the meaning of the word "Christian" changes. Prior to Constantine it took exceptional courage to be a Christian. After Constantine it takes exceptional courage not to be counted as a Christian. ... After the Constantinian establishment, Christians knew that God was governing the world in Constantine, but they had to take it on faith that within the nominally Christian mass there was a community of true believers. No longer could being a Christian be identified with church membership, since many "Christians" in the church had not chosen to follow Christ. Now to be a Christian is transmuted to "inwardness.""
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Christian leadersReligious leaders from the United StatesYale University alumniDuke University facultyTheologians from Dallas
Original Language: English
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p. 62
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Stanley_Hauerwas
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Stanley Hauerwas
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