This work investigates the complex theological and political intersection between the emerging Christian orthodoxy and the office of the Roman Emperor during the fourth century AD. Nathan Israel Smolin examines how the transition from a pagan imperial cult to a Christianized monarchy necessitated a fundamental restructuring of political theology. By analyzing primary texts and historical developments, the author argues that the conceptualization of the Emperor was inextricably linked to the evolving definitions of Christological doctrine during this transformative era.

Scholars in the field of late antiquity recognize this text as a rigorous contribution to the study of imperial theology. The book is noted for its academic density and its precise handling of the nuanced shifts in power dynamics between the Roman state and the Christian Church.