“Champion of religious freedom” might be a bit stretch. He actively tried to suppress the Christianity through various edicts limiting their access to education, state bureucracy and military. That and by attempting to give the various pagan cults similar structure and hierarchy the christians had.
“Champion of religious freedom” might be a bit stretch.
In 361 AD, the emperor announced the edict in which he proclaimed the freedom of all religious cults and allowed Christianity to be officially practised (Vogt 1993: 144), although he himself was a follower of pagan worship. Equal rights for all Christian and pagan cults as well as religious tolerance became the foundation of Julian’s new religious policy… Ammianus says (XXII 5, 3) that Julian even tried to reconcile feuding Christian bishops with their faithful; he also encouraged them in mutual tolerance and in freedom of religion: dissidentes Christianorum antistites cum plebe discissa in palatium intromissos monebat civilius, ut discordiis consopitis quisque nullo vetante religioni suae serviret intrepidus.
He actively tried to suppress the Christianity through various edicts
If removing the privileges of Christianity is suppression - well, I suppose that is very much the argument used by Christians of the time, who regarded Julian’s declaration of religious toleration to be a special and offensive privilege oriented towards nonbelievers, including Jews. As we all know, tolerance is a special privilege no one should get except the True Believers™. Especially heinous was Julian’s toleration of Christian heretics! It’s outrageous that he refused to respect the right of the Church to persecute people who believed the wrong thing.
Julian’s reputation remains marked by centuries of Christian apologetics.
That might come off as hostile - I mean it as mocking the Catholic Church of Late Antiquity, not accusing you of holding those views.
and by attempting to give the various pagan cults similar structure and hierarchy the christians had.
… not really sure that “He tried to reform Roman paganism” in any way contradicts “Champion of religious freedom”, or in any way affirms “He actively tried to suppress Christianity”.
“Champion of religious freedom” might be a bit stretch. He actively tried to suppress the Christianity through various edicts limiting their access to education, state bureucracy and military. That and by attempting to give the various pagan cults similar structure and hierarchy the christians had.
Dude was the worlds first neo-pagan.
Too bad he forgot to put his damn armor on.
If removing the privileges of Christianity is suppression - well, I suppose that is very much the argument used by Christians of the time, who regarded Julian’s declaration of religious toleration to be a special and offensive privilege oriented towards nonbelievers, including Jews. As we all know, tolerance is a special privilege no one should get except the True Believers™. Especially heinous was Julian’s toleration of Christian heretics! It’s outrageous that he refused to respect the right of the Church to persecute people who believed the wrong thing.
Julian’s reputation remains marked by centuries of Christian apologetics.
That might come off as hostile - I mean it as mocking the Catholic Church of Late Antiquity, not accusing you of holding those views.
… not really sure that “He tried to reform Roman paganism” in any way contradicts “Champion of religious freedom”, or in any way affirms “He actively tried to suppress Christianity”.