(a) yes of course, my apologies. It's been a while, I checked and it wasn't called that until several hundred years afterwards.
(b)I will concede that it's initial promulgation wasn't violent. But after it got large enough to get some official attention in the political arena with constantine it went through a very awkward and at times violent phase leading up to theodosius making it official. During this time it didn't force pagans or jews to join them through outright violent coercion, but constantine's sons (at least one of them...constantius constatious or something to that effect I think) did start passing laws making it significantly harder to be anything but christian. He closed pagan temples, banned pagan sacrifices, if a christian converted to judaism or paganism their property would be confiscated by the state, gave christians all sorts of special rights. He and Gratian were not exactly kind to the pagan side of rome. During christianity's awkward fourth century rise to power it didn't spread just by people knocking on their neighbor's door and telling them about the good news of god's kingdom, then leaving them with a magazine. The traditors, constantine and his sons, gratian and probably some others I'm forgetting did their fair share of "compelling" people to convert to christianity and fall in line with their brand of it preceding theodosius officially declaring rome a christian nation.
My objection is not that christians during this time were bloodthirsty and conquered rome through thumbscrews and torture chambers, but the idea that somehow their rise was a respectable and peaceful spreading of god's love and mercy that pizza hut seems to have the notion of. In truth it was politics as usual, and was a power grab like any other. There was violence when the christians felt it was necessary for their goals, their was discrimination through legislation when possible, and at times acts of outright robbery towards those that disagreed with the idea that Jesus was their savior. It wasn't a brutal conquest but some people need to take off the rose colored glasses and see that it wasn't a rise to power to be proud of and just got worse once they had power.
Edit: Oh yeah, I'll try to provide some references and check some things when I get a chance, but it's late and I've got work tomorrow. I'll check in when I get the chance.
You can find me on facebook as Markus Van Rijn, if you friend me just mention you're from VGchartz and who you are here.
