84 Jesus, Prophet of Islam
Although he remained Pontifex Maximus, and continued in ms
capacity as head of the pagan state religion, Constantine began to
openly support the Christian Church, probably making little dis
tinction between the Pauline and the Apostolic branches at this
early stage. This sign of favour put Christianity in a new light and
it became virtually the only official cult of the Roman Emperor.
For many people, Christianity had suddenly become a matter of
policy and expediency. Sorne of those who held back soon joined
with the aid of a little governmental pressure. Thus many of the
conversions to Christianity ceased to come from the heart, but were
the result of an entirely different kind of conviction. Christianity
had become a mass movement, 3 However, it was a movement
which re-emphasised the split between the Pauline Church and
the Apostolic Church. Those who became Christians out of expe
diency naturally chose the less rigorous approach of the Pauline
Church. The Apostolic Church welcomed only those who sincerely
wished to fol1ow the way of Jesus.
Constantine, who at this stage neither understood nor believed
in Christianity, saw the political advantage of having a united
Church which would obey him, and whose centre would be based
in Rome, and not in [erusalem. When the members of the Apos
tolic Church refused to comply with these wishes, he tried to com
pel them by means of force. This pressure from without, however,
did not produce the desired result. Anumber of the Apostolic Chris
tian communities still refused to accept the overlordship of the
Bishop of Rome. They recognised this move as a political ploy by a
foreign ruler, and as something entirely apart from the teaching of
Jesus.
The first revolt came from among the Berber communities of
North Africa. It was led not by Arius but by a man named Dona
tus. On the whole the Berbers have always retained certain basic
beliefs, the strongest of which was their belief in the Divine Unity,
They could believe in Jesus as a Prophet, but never as God. Since
Jesus had never said anything about Rome being the centre of ms
teaching, they could not entertain such an idea, let alone attribute
it to him retrospectively. In 313 AD Donatus was chosen from
among these people as their bishop. For forty years he remained
the leader of their Church which continued to flourish in opposi
tion to the Bishop of Rome. According to Jerome, 'Donatism' be
came the religion of nearly all North Africa within a generation,
and neither force nor argument could change il.
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