"Renovatio Imperii", political stabilization, and the spirit of Christian renewal in Roman institutional structures during the reign of Constantine the Great

The first to have developed the concept of a "renovatio imperii" in a Chris tian sense is Constantine the Great. A change of political or institutional structures of the Roman empire was not intended thereby. The term "renovat io imperii" rather signifies the aim of a complete Christianization of the Roman world. By the people's spiritual renewal and the empire's unity in a common worship of the Christian god Constantine hoped to achieve a politica l stabilization in order to reduce the empire's proneness to crisis, and in justice in political life. The practical methods of the emperor's religious policy show that he has pursued this aim with great effort and political i ntuition at the same time.