What are the connections between the growing power of Christianity and the political reconfiguration of the Roman Empire? What was the appeal of...

Christianity's greatest appeal for the Roman Empire was the role model it provided for forming strong and powerful kingdoms. Prior to the start of Constantine's rule in 306 CE, Rome had rejected Christianity as a threat to its ability to dominate. However, in the third century CE, the Roman Empire was undergoing The Crisis of the Third Century (235 - 284 CE), a period in which the empire broke into three separate sections--the Gallic Empire, Britannia, and the Palmyrene Empire--as a result of the assassination of Alexander Severus, civil war, invasions, and financial depression. Due to the weakness of the Roman Empire, a Germanic tribe known as the Goths invaded Rome by attacking the city of Histia, now Hungary, weakening Rome even further (Ancient History Encyclopedia, "The Goths"). In 312 CE Constantine battled Maxentius, son of former Roman Emperor Maximian, in the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. Constantine is also said to have had a vision of Christ's cross while on the bridge, which led to his conversion to Christianity.

But what is most important is that Constantine was influenced by a branch of Christianity that accepted both the Old Testament and the New Testament in its canon. As Brown University Judaic and Religious Studies Professor Samuel Ungerleider explains, the Old Testament tells stories of the kings and rulers of the historic Israel bringing Israel's salvation through conquering its enemies. In other words, as Ungerleider further explains, the Old Testament provides a model that combines "government and piety. It has the model of King David. It has the model of the kings of Israel," and these models influenced Constantine (PBS, "Legitimization Under Constantine").

As a result of being influenced by the "government and piety" model, Constantine was able to rebuild the Roman Empire under this model with himself established as the "righteous king" (Ungerleider). Under his new role as the "righteous king," just like King David and Jesus Christ, Constantine was able to re-establish the empire and to conquer "not only the West but also the Greek East" (Ungerleider).

Hence, it can be said that the greatest appeal Christianity had for the Roman Empire was its model of absolute powerful authority blessed by piety.