The Roman Catholic Church and its doctrines were influential in the Roman Empire and allowed the state to expand its lands and subjugate new peoples. The Church developed ideological concepts and built the life of ordinary people in such a way that it would be effective for the state. Due to its ethical core, the Roman Catholic Church was able to succeed in the Roman Empire.
In its ethical concepts, the Roman Catholic Church developed from Stoicism, which was in great harmony with the public mood of the Roman Empire. Stoicism prevailed as one of life’s ideologies, both among noble people and among warriors. However, the Roman Catholic Church could not recognize Stoicism as its core as a philosophical trend. Church thinkers appeared who changed their point of view to Stoic philosophy; one of these greatest theologians was Saint Augustine.
His literary and theological works have had a significant impact on the concept of man, will, reason, sin. It was substantial specifically for the Roman Empire, which draws its inner ideology from the reason. According to St. Augustine et al., “every good man resists others in those points in which he resists himself” (15:5). The theology of St. Augustine is deeply reflective, raising the question of struggle with sins, temptations, fears.
The Roman Catholic Church was able to succeed in the Roman Empire since it had deliberately suitable concepts for society and state at its core. Theologians could remake Stoic constructs into religious ones, placing at the center reason, struggle and self-denial. One of these theologians was St. Augustine, who transformed Stoic ethics into a religious one. This ethic succeeded in uniting people in groups, raising imperial reputation, and waging wars, as it offered self-sacrifice in the name of atonement for sins.
Work Cited
Augustine, Saint, et al. The City of God. New City Press, 2018.