WI early Christianity sacrificed to the Emperor?

But didn't the Romans view their emperor as a god?

Not until the late third century, and even then only sometimes. Well, it's really a bit more complicated. Some Roman emperors viewed *themselves* as Gods, but that is just a bad case of spoiled brat syndrome. However, the appropriate forms of religious worship, though, were very specific.

- Deceased emperors, if they were good, became 'divus' by senatusconsultum. A divus is raised to the honour of a God by men, not an actual God (deus) who is God through itself and by its nature. emperors also routinely referred to themselves as 'son of the divus XX' (the legal fiction of adoption could be made retroactive if necessary).

(Big problem for Christians - Greek does not recognise that distinction. 'Divi filius' is rendered 'theou huios', as in Iesous Christos theou huios soter'. In Latin, the distinction is clear.)

- Living emperors worship was a common habit especially in the Greek Easat (where Hellenistic tradition dictated the king was 'theos'), but didn't 'work' under the Roman tradition. What Romans were allowed to sacrifice to ('worship' is probably the wrong term anyway) was the genius of the emperor. that was the kind of tutelary spirit every person was thought to have. Children and other dependents would regularly make sacrifices to the genius of the head of the household, and by extension, all Romans could be thought of as dependents of the Augustus.

- Some Roman emperors thought that the Hellenistic idea of being outright gods with no strings attached was great. Caligula and Nero were the first, Aurelian made it stick. But these are extremes of a pretty schizophrenic tradition on the other end of which you have Tiberious slapping a citizen who called him 'domine' and Vespasian on his deathbed saying "Oh, shit, I'm becoming a God." (divus, not deus)
 

Skokie

Banned
^ That is truly fascinating.

Roman religion was so utilitarian and bare-boned. It's no wonder mystery cults and Christianity were able to move in from the East.
 

Skokie

Banned
When one prays to a saint in the Catholic faith, you are not worshipping the saint. You are requesting the saint intercede between you and God, to add to your prayers. It's the philosophy that the more people you have praying for you, the better. (And the more revered the people who are praying for you are, the better as well.)

No, it's actually correct to say Catholics/Orthodox worship saints and martyrs. The English word "worship" has become more and more synonymous with "God worship" over the centuries, but it actually has a range of meanings, including dulia/hyperdulia, the worship of the saints.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15710a.htm
 
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Blackwood

Banned
No, it's actually correct to say Catholics/Orthodox worship saints and martyrs. The English word "worship" has become more and more synonymous with "God worship" over the centuries, but it actually has a range of meanings, including dulia/hyperdulia, the worship of the saints.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15710a.htm

I appreciate you bringing up the distinction, as there is certainly a tendency for others to misinterpret that comment without a deeper understanding. I believe the term for divine worship, or God-worship, as distinct from dulia/hyperdulia is latria. Hyperdulia refers specifically to the veneration of the Mother of God, while dulia refers to the veneration of the Saints.
 
I'm reminded of what my old history professor/mentor had to say about the whole Emperor-worship issue; he felt that most Romans never took the matter very seriously and it was just a minor display of patriotism. He described the sacrifice to the Emperor as being roughly equivalent to the playing of the national anthem before a sporting event in modern times.
 
There are some for whom saying the "pledge to the flag" (and perhaps singing the national anthem?) would violate their faith.
 
I'm reminded of what my old history professor/mentor had to say about the whole Emperor-worship issue; he felt that most Romans never took the matter very seriously and it was just a minor display of patriotism. He described the sacrifice to the Emperor as being roughly equivalent to the playing of the national anthem before a sporting event in modern times.
If one's theology allows for multiple deities, it's not all that important. If it doesn't, then it is very important.
 
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