Hope.
The new covenant was never hijacked by Constantine. That's just rubbish.
Sorry, ad_o, but history tells us that Constantine and his family - and hence the Romans - adopted Christianity as a way of overcoming the problems that had begun to develop as an increasing number of higher-level citizens of Rome and the Empire took it on board. As you will agrre, in th early days (the first couple of hundred years), the church was predominantly made up of the poor, the enslaved and the dienfranchised with a smattering of more educated people. Remember too, that a couple of Constantine's familial successors sought to roll back the acceptance of Christianity, to the extent that itwasn't fully accepted by Rome for several decades after Constantine's death.
You've been reading too much Edward Gibbon. Constantine converted because he had a vision from Christ and both him and his mother, who found the True Cross, have received their reward. It was part of God's plan that the Empire that at first persecuted the Christians should itself eventually become Christian. For that we can thank Ss. Constantine, Helena and Theodosius.
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I agree with Hope - and I haven't read Gibbon.
Constantine was a political animal - he wanted armies, and Christians were ripe for the legions.
After his supposed vision at Milvian Bridge, he kept his options open - actualy sponsoring building work to the "unconconquered sun" and Mithras, whilst cosying up to the Christians.
Not exactly faith in one God, was it?
The Empire would have become Christian in a few decades, with or without Constantine's help - numbers of believers were growing exponentially.
What Constantine DID do was impose an Imperial style beaurocracy, with it's endless red tape, rank, privilage and opportunity for corruption, on the church.
Constantine was a genious - a military strategist par excellence, a political animal to boot.
Religion wise, he kept his cards close to his chest - only 'converting' when he was about to snuff it.
