For nearly seventeen centuries, Christians have debated the legacy of Constantine the Great. Did the Roman emperor rescue the church from persecution, or did his alliance with Rome fundamentally alter the faith Jesus proclaimed? In Imperial Christianity, pastor and public-policy scholar Wayne Lavender asks a question few have dared to raise so directly: What if Constantine didn't simply reshape Christianity—what if he helped create an entirely different religion?
Drawing on history, political science, theology, and sociology, Lavender argues that the Council of Nicaea marked a decisive turning point, when the countercultural movement founded by Jesus became increasingly intertwined with empire, political power, and institutional control. He contrasts two competing visions: Nazarene Christianity, rooted in the humility, mercy, and sacrificial love of Jesus's teaching, and Imperial Christianity, shaped by Constantine's legacy of power, conquest, and alignment with the state. The book traces this divergence across four defining areas—war and peace, wealth and economic justice, persecution and power, and church-state relations—and connects them to today's conversations about Christian nationalism and the church's public witness.
Far from a condemnation, Imperial Christianity is an invitation to self-examination, closing with practical guidance for individuals and congregations seeking to recover Jesus's priorities. An included eight-session group study guide makes the book especially suited for churches, Sunday school classes, clergy groups, and Christian book studies looking for thoughtful, spirited conversation.
Whether you're a pastor, theologian, church leader, student of history, or thoughtful layperson wrestling with faith and power, Imperial Christianity will challenge you to reconsider what it truly means to follow Jesus.
