Kutendeuka kwaConstantine—Achiendepi?
KUNONZI kutendeuka kwamambo weRoma Constantine kwanguve kuchifadza vadzidzi vorudzidziso. Mukuwirirana nenhauro yake amene, pamberi pehondo muna 312 N.V., iyo iye akakunda, Constantine muhedheni akaona chiono chechipiyaniso chinokutaura kunoti: “Neichi [chiratidzo] kunda.” Iye aka“tendeutswa” nokukurumidza pashure paikoko (muna 313 N.V.) ndokugumisa kutambudzwa kwamaKristu muumambo hweRoma. Constantine akakurudzira chimiro chapanguva iyeyo chechiKristu sorudzidziso rweHurumende, uye akatopindira mumagakava omukati echechi. Zvisinei, iye akaitawo mabasa ayo akapanikirisa umachokwadi hwokutendeuka kwake uye haana kubhapatidzwa kutozosvikira pamberi chaipo porufu rwake makore 24 gare gare.
Muimwe nyaya muBible Review, nyanzvi yokufundwa kwemari nokworudzidziso Stanley A. Hudson yakazivisa kuti mari yakaitwa mukati mokutonga kwaConstantine inogovera sei mashoko anofadza paiyi nhau. Kutozosvikira panguva yaConstantine, kwakanga kuchizivikanwa navose kuti mari yeRoma iratidzire vamwari vakakurumbira veRoma. Asi Hudson akashuma kuti pashure pokutendeuka kwaConstantine, misoro yechihedheni yakaoneka zvishoma nezvishoma—kunze kwomumwe. Mari inoratidzira Sol, mwari wezuva—aichimbova anodiwa zvikuru naConstantine—yakagadzirwa zvikuru. Neiko?
Hudson akakarakadza kubvira kuviri. Kutanga, kutendeuka kwaConstantine kungave kwaiva kwapashoma napashoma zvikuru—pasinei zvapo nechiono chake chinoshamisa. Kana kuti Constantine angave zvomenemene akavhiringidza Sol naJesu. Syncretism (mubatanidzwa wezvimiro zvakasiana-siana zvechitendero) haisi yechienzi kunyange nhasi. Somuenzaniso, muLatin America, vanamwarikadzi vapamberi peColumbia Pacha-Mama naTonantzin vachiri kunamatwa muzita reMhandara Maria. Nenzira imwe cheteyo, Constantine angave akanamata Sol pasi pezita raJesu.
Mubatanidzwa wakadaro wezvimiro zvakasiana-siana zvechitendero ungatsanangura nei December 25, ‘zuva rokuberekwa kwezuva risingakundwi,’ akasarudzwa sezuva rokuchengeta kuberekwa kwaJesu. Kungatibetserawo kuona nei pamari yakagadzirwa kuchengeta rufu rwaConstantine pane runyoro runoti “DV Constantinus” (“Divine Constantine”). Ikoko kunoratidza kuti, pasinei zvapo nokutendeuka kwake norubhapatidzo rwapakupedzisira, Constantine akanga achirangarirwa samwari pashure porufu rwake, kungofanana namadzimambo echihedheni apamberi pake.
[Vakatipa Mufananidzo uri papeji 7]
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Bequest of Mrs. F. F. Thompson, 1926 (26.229)