James Carroll's Constantine's Sword

A 13th-century fresco in Rome's Santi Quattro Coronati depicts Constantine, the Roman general who conquered pagan Rome under the sign of the cross and later converted to Christianity, sharing his crown with Pope Sylvester I. "This is the moment when the cross and the sword become one," explains award-winning author, journalist, former Catholic priest James Carroll in Oren Jacoby's elucidating documentary.

It's the moment when "Christianity turns violent" and the lamb, the fish or the shepherd no longer symbolize Christ and his teachings. Instead, the cross -- the symbol of torture and execution under which Constantine led his men across the Tiber -- became ...