How did Christianity's status change in late antiquity, according to the historical pattern?

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The pattern being tested is how Christianity shifted from being marginalized to becoming legally protected and then state-supported, with that shift transforming rituals and public life. In the early imperial era, Christians faced varying levels of tolerance and persecution, but starting in the early fourth century, emperors began granting legal recognition— culminating in orders that favored Christian worship and restricted pagan practices. Over time this protection deepened, and by the end of the century and into late antiquity Christianity had effectively become the empire’s endorsed faith: churches received public support, bishops gained formal authority, and Christian norms infiltrated laws, holidays, and daily public life. This change explains why Christian rituals and civic ceremonies increasingly followed Christian patterns and why the religion’s role in public affairs expanded. It doesn’t fit the idea that Christianity remained persecuted with no recognition, nor that it replaced Judaism instantly, nor that it had no impact on public life.